Variation on a theme - technique

i hope ya took pix along the way. show us that quilt girl. i do so love how clever you and others are here to work out such amazing things. j.

"Patti" wrote... We have often, and lately, talked about binding. I hope it isn't being presumptuous to tell you about something I have just done (I haven't seen it discussed here before - and I haven't done it before!). I have been helped so often by links, and answers including tips, from folk on the group, so I hope this might be of interest to someone.

I am just finishing my scrappy Chinese Coins quilt. I cut four pieces from the length of the ombre sashing fabric, so two black and two very pale grey pieces. So, I knew that four together would be long enough to go round the not quite square quilt (I mean the corners were squared, but it was a little bit of a rectangle!). I thought how nice it would be if I could set the binding so that it was set symmetrically around the corners, though with different colours, but sighed and thought 'oh well', just have to do the best as it turns out!

However, I woke in the middle of the night, earlier this week, and thought of a solution. In the morning I wracked my brains to remember it >gg< (as you do). I did, and this is it.

I unpicked the joins of the long piece and then proceeded with the four separate pieces.

1 I clearly marked the centre of each side of the quilt 2 Placed the first piece (black) so that it overlapped this mark by about an inch. 3 Pinned it up to *its* corner. 4 Started sewing it down, about 2-3" from the centre mark. 5 Sewed up and around the mitred corner as usual. 6 Stopped sewing about 2-3" before the next marked centre.

Then I worked with all the pieces, alternating colours.

When all were sewn down, I folded each piece, and finger pressed a sharp crease exactly on the marked centre. Then I pulled the binding strip away from the quilt, (this is what the unsewn couple of inches allow), pinned - matching the creases of both ends, and sewed those ends together. Having done that four times, my binding was set just exactly the way I wanted it.

Fantastic, Pat! I wanted to use four different colors of binding on my African Feathered Stars quilt a couple of years back, and I just "guestimated" where I needed to change colors. I wish I'd thought of doing it the way you did! :)

Pat, we knew you were a genius, but this goes way beyond simple brilliance. I'm really impressed. I seldom print comments for future reference, but yours is humming off the printer as I type.

Sunny

Brilliant! I've saved this for future reference. Thanks Pat!

Well, Pat. You've figured it out so perfectly and written it so well that I think I can do that. I even imagine I can remember how. Well. Maybe not. Better print it out too. Polly

How cool! Kudos on dreaming/figuring it out--and big thanks for explaining it so well!

Pics, please?

--Heidi

How very smart of you Pat. Well done; it will certainly help the rest of us! Clear instructions from an author!! Hugs from sunny Queensland. Bronnie

I did one of the quilt when the top was finished. I'll do another one when I have finished it all - not long now (I had hoped for tomorrow, but that won't be now). Thanks J. . In message , J* writes

Thanks Sandy. I think I will find it useful, too. I have divided both borders and binding at the corners before now, but never in the middle of a side. I think it will be right for this quilt. . In message , Sandy writes

Blushing here, Sunny! I will put your exaggeration down to your excitement at the prospect of your holiday >gPat, we knew you were a genius, but this goes way beyond simple

Thanks Kathyl. You never know when something unorthodox might take your fancy! . In message , KJ writes

Thanks Roberta. I'll post a photo when I have finished. (It's an awfully long way round a 6' square quilt!) . In message , Roberta writes

How kind. Thanks Heidi. There will be a photo - but it isn't finished yet! . In message , "heidi (was rabbit2b)" writes

Thanks very much Bronnie. That's the reason I set out the idea, as I thought it might be a fun idea for folk to use. It looks good so far. Picture when I have finished! . In message , Bronnie writes

Very, very clever, Pat. Thank you so much for adding this to our general body of knowledge. Happy stitches from Pat in Virginia

Thanks very much Pat. You'll know better if it can be of use to you when I have posted a picture to show you how it looks completed. (Couple of days more - I have final bits of quilting, threads to bury, tacks to take out and fluff to remove!!). . In message , Pat in Virginia writes