Welcome to Week SIX of the Stars Over Fairview Avenue Quilt-Along with Art Gallery Fabrics and me! This quilt features Bari J. for AGF Fairview Avenue fabrics.

If you've missed the previous posts start at week one here.

Download the pattern

If you haven't already, feel free to download the whole pattern HERE and print it out. 

Week Five: Attaching the Borders

Week Six: Quilting & Binding — The Finish Line ✨

We made it.

Your quilt top is complete. The stars are aligned. The borders are on. And now — this is where it transforms from pretty patchwork into an actual quilt.

This week is about quilting it… and binding it. The part that makes it real.

⸻

Quilting Your Quilt (If You’re Doing It Yourself)

I’ll tell you something honestly: I don’t quilt my own quilts.

I love designing them. Piecing them. Choosing the fabrics. But when it comes to quilting? I happily hand that off to a longarmer. It allows me to focus on what I love most.

But many of you will want to quilt your own — and you absolutely can.

First: Basting (No Spray Required)

I’m not a fan of spray basting. It’s messy, sticky, I don’t love breathing it in and it can gum up your needle when you're quilting.

Instead:

What you need:
    •    A clean floor or large table
    •    Painter’s tape (optional but helpful)
    •    Safety pins (curved quilting pins are wonderful)
    •    Patience

How to baste smoothly:
    1.    Lay your backing fabric wrong side up.
    2.    Smooth it completely flat — tape edges down lightly if needed.
    3.    Layer your batting on top. Smooth from the center outward.
    4.    Place your quilt top right side up.
    5.    Smooth again. Really smooth.
    6.    Pin every 3–4 inches across the surface.

The key? Work from the center outward and take your time. Smooth. Pin. Smooth again.

No rushing.

⸻

Beginner-Friendly Quilting Ideas

If you’re new to quilting on a domestic machine, keep it simple.

1. Stitch in the Ditch

Sew directly in the seam lines between blocks. It’s subtle and forgiving.

2. Straight Line Quilting

Use a walking foot. Quilt straight lines:
    •    Along block seams
    •    1” apart across the whole quilt
    •    Or echo around the stars

Straight lines are modern, clean, and beautiful.

3. Crosshatch

Mark diagonal lines lightly with a hera marker or chalk and quilt corner to corner.

It looks impressive but is very beginner-friendly.

⸻

Tips for Domestic Machine Quilting
    •    Use a walking foot
    •    Start quilting in the center of the quilt and work outward
    •    Roll or accordion-fold the sides so they fit through your machine throat
    •    Don’t pull — just guide
    •    Use a slightly longer stitch length (3.0–3.5)

And remember: perfectly imperfect quilting is charming. It gives the quilt soul.

⸻

Now… The Binding

This is my favorite part.

Binding frames your quilt. It’s like putting a beautiful mat around a painting.

I attach my binding by machine to the front…
Then I turn it to the back and use hand embroidery stitching to finish it. This time I used a feather stitch. 

Not invisible. Intentional.

A small, delicate, visible stitch — almost like a whisper along the edge.

Why I Love Hand-Finished Binding
    •    It feels heirloom
    •    It slows you down
    •    It’s peaceful
    •    It makes the quilt feel loved

You can absolutely machine stitch your binding down on both sides if you prefer speed — especially for a child’s quilt or heavy-use quilt.

But if you want a quiet, beautiful finish? Hand stitch it.

⸻

• Beginner Binding Tips
• Cut binding strips 2½” wide
• Join with diagonal seams
• Press in half lengthwise
• Miter your corners carefully (slow down here)
• I ALWAYS glue baste the front onto the quilt, one side at a time, miter the corner and then glue the next edge. Then I turn it to the back and glue baste it down again. SO much easier than pins or clips.
• And when you turn it to the back, stitch about 1/8” from the folded edge with small even stitches.

And Now… Sign It

This part matters.

This week I’m hand embroidering my name and the date onto the back of my quilt. I’ll show photos so you can see exactly how I did it.

A quilt without a name becomes anonymous.

A quilt with a name becomes history.

Imagine someone unfolding it fifty years from now.
Imagine them turning it over and seeing:

Made by Bari, 2026.

That small detail changes everything.

You can:
    •    Embroider directly onto the backing
    •    Stitch onto a small fabric label and appliqué it on
    •    Add the pattern name
    •    Add the recipient’s name
    •    Add a message

Keep it simple if you’d like:
Your name.
City.
Year.

That’s enough.

But sign it.

You made it. Your hands were in every seam. Your fingerprints are already there — this just makes it official.

⸻

A Final Word

Finishing a quilt is emotional.

You began with fabric and an idea.
Now you have something that will live in your (or someone else's) home.
Something that may be dragged across lawns, folded at the end of beds, wrapped around shoulders, or tucked around babies.

That matters.

If your quilting lines wobble?
If your corners aren’t mathematically flawless?

It doesn’t matter.

You made a quilt.

And that is always enough.