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binding

Thanks to the advice (and pressure) I got here, I made my first quilt this weekend. I loved doing it... until I got to the binding.

I followed the method that the woman in my fabric store recommended (it's in Hawley's "Fat Quarter Quilts"), cutting a 3" wide strip, folding it in half and ironing it, and then sewing that on. Even though I did a lazier, sloppier version -- I sewed it on the back and the front using the machine, where Hawley says to do the back by hand -- it still took forever, involved too many pin pricks, and was annoyingly fiddly.

Are there easier ways to do binding? I'm planning on making more baby quilts and other quilts that are going to get a lot of wear (and be thrown in the washing machine frequently), so my priority is durability, not looks.

Reply to
Sara Lorimer
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I've made quilts in the past and made the back to extend over about 2". Fold over to the front and fold under about 1/2 inch, and stitch down by hand or machine. This was the easiest for me. Also, on lap quilts for home and for kids, I've recently just used my serger to finish off the edges. But these were small and light weight. Come on over to "rec crafts textiles quilting" and you can get even more suggestions. HTH Barbara in SC

Reply to
Bobbie Sews Moore

Dear Sara,

A mitered corner is the cadillac of finishes for quilts, but if you plan to make many and wash often, why not round off the corners, so that all you have to do is push as much binding into the curves as you can so that the rounded edge doesn't pucker or cup. Rounded off edges have been done for centuries, and are much easier to do for utility quilts. In this case, you can sew the binding from the back by machine, then do the front to finish. This assures that the right side of the quilt has an even, consistent sewn edge.

Teri

Reply to
Teri

That sounds good -- much less fiddly.

Will do!

Reply to
Sara Lorimer

That all makes sense -- the corners were the bits that were the hardest to do (and turned out the ugliest). Thanks!

Reply to
Sara Lorimer

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