Binding question

Great! Looking forward to it. . In message , steve writes

It surprises me that any of you competition level quilters would be challenged by hiding stitches. My quilts would not get a ribbon at the local Boy Scouts carnival . . . however, I do stitch shirts for 3 pound babies and can easily do 'impossible to see' stitching. The best trick I've been given was when Leslie sent me a spool of silk thread. That is such a lovely asset. The only other suggestion I'd make would be to not pull your stitches so tightly that they dimple. Polly

"Patti" I have heard/read this on several places when 'people' have given clues

I have only entered one quilt into a show. Didn't win anything (did get a gold star) but the only comment from the judge was that my binding stitches on the back needed to be a tad closer together. This quilt was bound with a one piece binding that I folded at the corners to make the miters. I did not stitch the little resulting folds down. Sounds like I should have done so. But if I use 4 individual binding strips and miter the corners after the 4 strips are attached, is a fold still created or does this result in already sewn corners?

Yes. ;-) If you use Steve's mom's method or Tamara's link's method

That's a very good point, Polly. Sometimes, it might just be the 'dimple' that makes the stitch(es) show? Lynne Edwards, who is our Cathedral Window queen, said at a demo. once that, because of the impression made by each stitch when sewing down the folded-back part of Cathedral Window, there seems little point in doing slip stitches. So, she always does tiny running stitches on the top of the fabric - with matching thread, of course - but they really do look pretty and it is almost as if the quilt is quilted. So, an added bonus. . In message , Polly Esther writes

I've wondered about using this method, Alice; but I haven't worked it out yet! I think it might be possible to do it so that there are no folds over the join. It would need some careful measuring or 'putting to' and seeing. I will get round to trying it sometime soon, because I don't like having a 'what if' hanging over my head!! . In message , AliceW writes

Thanks! It's nice to know which techniques made a difference in judging.

Glad to know I'm not the only one who does it this way. Sure makes it nice and flat, doesn't it?

Jenn > Last August I enter some quilts at our local county fair. I

That's how I do it, too, when I'm hand sewing the binding down.

Belonged to a Quilting Group in WY years and years ago and there one gal taught me how to sew on the slinky, silky, satiny binding and she left the corners open on purpose. Seems lil ones LOVE to slide their fingers in/out as a comforting thing before going to sleep. couldn't get the fingers caught as the bindings were over an inch in depth down to nothing. (Hope that makes sense). She won a number of ribbons at the local and state fair.

Butterfly (have things change that much for lil ones enjoyment)

I don't sew bindings down and have never had a judge complain. But some judges are a bit (fill in blank here) and get snarky about it.

Personally, I don't make quilts for judges, I make them for me. So even if I got a comment about that, I wouldn't change what I do. But that's just me. :)

Well, Butterfly, I'll declare. I'd been seriously vigilant about sewing satin binding down at the corners of fleece blankets. Wrong. Even I remember babies enjoying sliding their fingers in/out but it had slipped somewhere in my insufficient memory. I'll quit doing that. Polly

I wouldn't normally 'change habit for judging', but this is such a small thing, and I have no axe to grind about it, so I just do it. . In message , Kathy Applebaum writes

I was lucky to have 'learned' that whilst PG with the first one---would just celebrated his 32nd HB this week.

Butterfly (We both got older this month and DD's is in 2 weeks...where is my walker...passed the cane stage a long time ago.)

Howdy!

That looks 10 times as difficult & takes 20 times as long as it does to just fold the strip over the corner for the miter, pin, sew, move on down the next side w/ the binding. By machine or hand. Kind of like the yo-yo making tool: why? YMMV

Back to the binding question: yes, I make a little (usually) invisible stitch or 2 thru' the front of the mitered corners, just because. ;-)

Whatever works for you. Steve, your miter method works; why change?

R/Sandy-- feel> I got a binding tool when I was in Houston. It sounds like what you do.

Btw, if you have a bit too much bulk on that corner, trim out the batting, just a bit; the fabric will make sure the binding is "filled".

Beautiful quilt on the wall. I need a light over the table similar to yours, that will shine light

R/Sandy