INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE A ROD POCKET
tO HANG YOUR QUILT

Trudi Tritschler

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Trudi did a workshop at the September 2024 retreat on how to make and sew on a rod pocket to your quilt so that it can be hung. The instructions are below.

 

A rod pocket is required to successfully hang a quilt. I sew my rod pockets into the binding before it is completed. A double pocket means that when a rod is inserted it is rubbing along the rod pocket only and not the backing fabric of the quilt.

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I start by cutting a strip 6.5 inches wide by the length of the top of the quilt. Then trim an inch from the length of the strip.

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Turn the raw edge at each end under twice to make a hem approximately half an inch in size and stitch. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with wrong sides together.

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On the top edge of the quilt (with the binding sewn onto the front edge but not yet rolled over to the back and hand-stitched), place the folded rod pocket an inch in from either end and with the raw edge extending a quarter to half an inch over the sewing line that holds the binding in place. Pin in place with the pins in the front of the quilt.

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Stitch a second time across the seamline that holds the binding in place. The rod pocket will be underneath and not visible while sewing. This will attach the rod pocket to the top of the quilt. Because it is sewn across the whole width of the quilt it distributes the weight more evenly.

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Trim away the excess batting and backing fabric. Then roll the binding over to the back and stitch as you normally would.

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To finish the rod pocket, gently fold the top layer of the fabric of the rod pocket near the top of the quilt to meet the finished edge of the binding.

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With the fabric pinned in place, hand-stitch along the bottom of the rod pocket. This creates a bulge of fabric in the rod pocket. This bulge will take the bulk of the rod in the back and the front of the quilt will still sit flat once it is hanging.

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Addendum (not from Trudi): If you don't want to stitch your rod pocket into the binding, you can make it as above but then place it under the binding and sew both lengths onto the quilt. You may want to remove the rod pocket after it has been hung in the show in which case you can use the same rod pocket again for another quilt (they cannot be seen when hung for show). You may also want to remove it as your quilt may always be a bed quilt or hung over a lounge and a rod pocket would be superfluous. If your quilt will be hung on a wall, you will want to put a permanent rod pocket on your quilt by either method.