How binding?

The one-eared mice quilt is now being bound. Since we discovered that silk thread could be discombobulated by some laundry products I decided maybe I'd better use something else. I don't know where the mice are going and can't hope for gentle treatment on wash day. Decided to use plain old Coats & Clark. A submerge through Thread Heaven has made it perfectly agreeable. Using tiny wood clothespins to pin the binding in place has kept my skin from being turned into a bloody sieve. The newest trick? Ah. Sneaky. The binding is Hoffman's Spectrum. Red was called for but Spectrum is a wild whirl of red, magenta, and purple. Either my stitches are perfect - or the binding is so busy that you can't see them. Equally important is surviving. I've put my chair high, low - added a pillow at my back, taken breaks and remembered to do the 'Yes, No, and Whatever' exercises. Any other suggestions on how to survive binding? Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther
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pectrum. =A0Red

A good movie (or a few, depending on size of quilt to be bound and speed of sewing). Also a cupfull og your favourite variety of MMs (to eat straight from the cup, no greasy fingers ever).

Hanne in CPH

Reply to
hago

Well, not quite, but I did think of you when making these quilts! The incubator covers that I am (gradually) making for a (fairly) nearby neo-natal unit are made to the hospital's request - as to shape. They gave me the overall sizes and then said that they would prefer that the ends were ovals!. So, I cut a 15" radius quadrant off each corner - that makes for brilliantly easy binding! . In message , Polly Esther writes

Reply to
Patti

This doesn't have to do with comfort, and since you've already started the binding, it won't help you this time, but . . .

I always start stitching my binding to the back about 6 to 10 inches in from a corner. That way, when you turn that last corner, you're almost done. I know, I know - I haven't saved any time or made the job easier - it's just a mind trick that makes me feel better!

Reply to
Louise in Iowa

When I have sewn the binding to the front, I always do the turning of the corners to the back first - as 'done islands'! Then you just have four straight stretches to do. Another mind trick I suppose >g< . In message , Louise in Iowa writes

Reply to
Patti

I do mine on the machine which is total heresy for most quilters here :-). Sorry, but it's quick and easy and I don't care if it doesn't last

50 years! I make my own binding so if I want to double the fabric, I can. I cut it, fold & press it twice, fold it over the edge of the quilt and sew it down -- front AND back in one fell swoop with a decorative stitch which catches both front and back edges in one pass!! I even get a mitered look to my corners, so there -- LOLOL! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

Hi Polly! When I am binding a quilt I break it up into different steps like you probably do. I do the hard stuff first to get it done with, like zig zagging the edges and maybe doing some pinning with the binding. Then I put it aside for a few hours while I do the fun housework, like mopping the kitchen. Then finishing the binding is easy! Is this the kind of stuff you wanted to know? Barbara in rainy SC

Reply to
Bobbie Sews More

I just thought this was a good time to haul out every trick in the book, Barbara. Nobody's mentioned where to put the quilt while binding it. Usually, I let most of the weight of a quilt be supported on a table in front of me. Last night I sort of piled it in a chair on my left. That worked well. The quilt is, of course, heavy and warm. It might be helpful to have a queen-sized lap. Polly

Reply to
Polly Esther

If it is a baby sized quilt, try doing all the pinning at the outset, so when you get motivated to sew the binding down, you are good to go, no stopping. I usually use a table in frnt of me also, but this past weekend tried something different. I took the baby quilt I was doing to my crochet/knitting group meetup. Sewed down three sides while there, and it went slick-as-pig's-snot, talking and visiting, not focusing on how much further there was to go. What a pleasant surprise.

The quilt was delivered yesterday.

Ginger in CA

GsHIPXnZ2dnUVZ snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.com...

Reply to
gaw93031

I have always enjoyed the hand work of stitching a binding by hand but with all these charity quilts I am making this year I have forced myself to do the majority of the work by machine. If there is enough fabric (remember I am trying to use my stash for these quilts) I make a double binding (sometimes called a French binding). First, I sew it to the back. Second, I wrap the binding to the front, form the corners and hand stitch about two inches on both sides of the corners. Now it is easier to machine stitch the binding in place. I stitch all the way around, stitching over the hand stitched areas. The blanket stitch looks nicer but a small zig zag is quicker so that is the way I go. Since I don't like the invisible thread I have had to purchase a few spools of thread to match certain fabrics.

As for the queen size lap maybe that is why I d>The one-eared mice quilt is now being bound. Since we discovered that silk

Reply to
Susan Laity Price

Polly, I usually enjoy doing the binding -- strange, aren't I? But I find it therapeutic in terms of "bonding" while I bind. I love to use Elmer's glue to replace the pinning (and getting stabbed), as Sharon Schamber shows in her YouTube video, and I turn on a good movie or listen to podcasts on my iPod. It's rather like having a last good fling with a friend before sending it out into the world. :)

Reply to
Sandy

Reply to
Roberta

Susan, I don't put a binding on most of the charity quilts I make; not that I am a member of the any old trash is 'good enough' for charity. I usually birth those quilts. I put a scallop stitch or the one that sort of looks like ric-rac at the edges once they're turned, pinned square and straight. It saves lots of time, is neat-looking and I believe it's sturdy. The Ultimate Test here is Yogi's quilts. He's right piggy about muddy feet and his quilts survive constant washing. Polly

"Susan Laity Price" I have always enjoyed the hand work of stitching a binding by hand but

Reply to
Polly Esther

Howdy!

Another myth; many, many quilters attach binding by machine. Like handquilting, those who don't use the machine are becoming more rare.

As to bias binding being more flat or looking better, I'd put my straight binding up against any professional bias, anytime.

Cheers! R/Sandy

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

Hi Sandy, I also use binding that I cut on the straight of grain. Sometimes I cut on the cross grain because it has a little stretch, and when I need something with more stretch than that, I still don't cut on a true bias. Barbara in SC

Reply to
Bobbie Sews More

Au Contraire Sandy -- whenever I have posted about putting my binding on by machine, most responses have been "WHAT??" That's when I even get a response which happens very rarely. HMMM, I wonder if it might be doing it in one pass that gets folks flummoxed?? Works a treat and really is quick, easy and very pretty what with using a decorative stitch and all :-). CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

Howdy!

Mary, I say we take up the cause and declare it OKAY to apply binding by machine.

While I admit to sewing it by both machine and hand (I machine to the front side for a nice, clean line, then hand-sew on the back where a few stitches might show), I reckon whatever gets the job done is good, as Finished is my favorite kind of quilt. ;-D So, if *we* say it's Okay, then it is. That's our ruling. "Because I'm older & I have more insurance." (Fried Green 'Maters)

Cheers! R/Sandy - glad to be talking quilty stuff 8->

Reply to
Sandy Ellison

Well, I ran the whole idea by the Quilt Police the first time I thought of doing it and they just looked down their noses at me so I sorta figured it'ud be OK :-). Of course, most of the dyed in the wool southern quilt ladies I know down here in Magnoliaville (AKA Atlanta) are still suffering from the vapours because of it. I'm still doing it so that just goes to show how much the whole things bothers me -- LOLOL! Now, as for doing it this way -- t's not really my idea. I saw someone on Simply Quilts who demonstrated it once -- maybe one of the Quilt in a Day people. She showed how to make the binding and then get lovely mitered corners, all on the machine in ONE pass. She started and stopped on a corner and I didn't like the look of it so I worked out a way to start and end in the middle of one side AND have a bias seam, too! You have to stop and cut your thread at each corner but that's worth it to have the whole thing done in one pass!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

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Reply to
Tia Mary

I do a similar thing - but start near a corner since that's what I hate doing the most. Somehow I like the rhythm of sewing down a straight stretch and I prefer to end off with that. Funny, it's the only bit of hand sewing that I do on a quilt.

Another thing that helps is to use hair clips to hold the binding in place instead of pins. You can get inexpensive packs of them at the dollar store. Saves pricking your hands :)

Allison

Reply to
Allison

I have done bindings a lot of different ways. When I was doing samples, of pre-quilted crib panels, for House of Fabrics, I usually used ready to use binding (Wrights). Or I used premade ruffled binding. It went on in one go, usually with a decorative stitch (and I rounded the corners of the quilts so I didn't have to miter them. Needed to be fast.) Most of the time I use a double, "French" binding. Have used it on clothing for years, all by machine, so sometimes do it all by machine on quilts too. But I also enjoy the hand sewing part of the binding second side. However, I don't pin, or use clips or anything. That seems to just add to the work. When I do the machine stitching of the binding (first side) I pin a start point, with a tail. Quickly check the binding around the quilt to 1. make sure the binding is long enough. and, 2. be sure that I don't end up with a binding seam at a corner. (every time I forget to check it seems that I end up with a seam at the corner. which is a royal pain to deal with.) Discovered a long time ago that mitered binding corners are fairly easy to do, and look great. Then I hand sew the binding to the back, by turning and holding a bit at a time. No pins, clips or other. Don't really understand why you need to. (But that is me.... I understand that others have different ways they are comfortable with. But I always get stuck with pins. In most uncomfortable places usually.)

Sometimes I machine the second side down. That is when I will cut the binding a bit wider, to make sure the back side easily covers the seam line. If I am really trying to be good I try to remember to put fusible thread in the bobbin when I sew the binding to the first side. Then I can press the binding over the seam line , then stitch in the ditch of the binding seam and catch the back side of the binding cleanly. Works very well. Sometimes I just use a decorative stitch and sew right through the binding. On occasion I have used a blanket stitch, with the forward stitches almost in the ditch and the perpendicular into the binding.... can give a great look, especially if the quilt has blanket stitch applique. Or you want to add a color to the binding or something.

I have also used glue stick to hold bindings on the back.....usually because I need to get the quilt up for a class sample and don't have time to finish it properly, but also to machine stitch the back down when I forget to put fusible thread in the machine.

As for machine binding being looked down upon..... I have a quilt made by my great-great-great(?) grandmother. We've dated to the late

1800's, partly because the binding is the backing turned to the front and machine stitched down. That was one place they could use a machine and be sure that it showed. Which was a way of demonstrating that they had a machine to use. (the quilt is hand pieced, hand quilted, but the backing seam and the binding is done by machine.) So doing bindings by machine could be considered a "tribute" to our ancestors.

BTW, I usually use straight grain binding, often lengthwise grain if I am doing binding the same a borders and cutting borders on lengthwise grain. Fewer seams that way. The only times I use bias binding is for curved edges, or decorative use of a stripe/plaid. And I have started looking for diagonally striped fabrics to use for bindings, because I can get the bias stripe look, but use straight grain binding.

As to how, If I am handsewing the binding down, the quilt is usually in my lap, over my legs. Not a great way to do things here in the summer. sigh. One reason I tend to do smaller quilts.

Any way you do it, have fun, Pati, in Phx

On May 27, 9:21=A0pm, "Polly Esther" wrote:

pectrum. =A0Red

Reply to
Pati, in Phx

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