Rachelcb80

I'm going to be entering my first show this fall. I'm working on the quilt as we speak but as always I'm thinking ahead to future steps. The show entry form gives instructions for hanging sleeve size and how far it should be inside the edges of the quilt. What I'm wondering about is how the sleeve is attached to the quilt back. I've made many quilts with sleeves and my method is to fold the sleeve in half, long raw edges together, and sew that top edge on while sewing my binding to the front. Then when I flip the binding to the back and hand sew, the top egde of the sleeve is done. All I have to attach by hand for the sleeve is it's bottom edge.

I'm wondering if anyone knows whether there should be a problem with this method for a show quilt? I imagine I can email the show contact person and ask, but I like asking here first. :)

MTS

Your method is fine.

I sew mine on after the binding. I prefer not have all that bulk, and I like it a tad lower on the quilt so the dowel or whatever never will show above the quilt. Sometimes it makes it curl over forward, even if you've allowed for extra give in the sleeve.

But it's really a personal preference.

ghostrider

I do mine with a small horizontal pleat on the wall side of the sleeve so there is room to insert the hanging rod and so it does not make the front of the quilt bulge out when hung. I also mount it further down the back, roughly an inch, so it does not show from the front. The quilt should look dead flat and square when hung.

For a show, where the binding is an extremely important judging area, I would be very hesitant to have the sleeve integrated into it.

ckcowl

you are attaching the sleeve correctly for shows- but when you hand stitch the other long side make sure you also stitch down the ends- against the quilt- so it's not floppy on the ends- that's the thing the judges will look at.
i think alex anderson has a tutorial on sleeves available or maybe it's ricky timms....there are probably many.

QuiltnNan

that's exactly how i sew mine on

ghostrider

Susan Brubaker Knapp has one of the better tutorials.
http://wwwbluemoonriver.blogspot.com...lt-sleeve.html

LivelyLady

That is my personal preference too :-)

sewingsuz

Do you mean the ends where the rod goes, the back of the opening.?

sewingsuz

I did not incorporate a sleeve and my quilt is finished so I have to add one after the fact for a show in the fall also. Can it be a tempory one?

MTS

Well, it depends on the show rules. They might insist that the sleeve be sewn on. I've seen quilts get knocked out of guild shows because a) there wasn't a sleeve, or b) it wasn't up to the standard requested in the rules.

Of course, for any of the big shows, it definitely must be permanently attached (well, you can always cut the stitches to get it off later if you wanted/needed).

If you really want it to be temporary without going through all the sewing, you can attach the sleeve to the back with carefully placed safety pins. And depending on the size of the quilt, you might be able to get away with two smaller sleeves on each end, instead of one loooong one.

eta: Even if the quilt is going to be a bed quilt or a throw, if the sleeve is securely fastened, then it really shouldn't cause much of a problem in day-to-day living. Just leave it on. But it has to be very thoroughly attached to the back. ;-)