vondae

I was doing some surfing the other day and came across a Quilt Binding Express on the Quilt in A Day site. It's a mat that you put your 2", 2.25" or 2.50" strips into the slot and as you pull it through it folds it so you can iron it. Anyway, do any of you have it or tried it and what do you think? Just another gadget or a helpful tool? I love gadgets, but, don't like to waste $ on something to sit and collect dust. Sound off on you opinion, please!!!

Vanuatu Jill

Wow-I was just looking at that too and wondering the same thing! I bought several sizes of those metal thingies you somehow thread your strips thru and iron as they get pulled thru, but have never been able to get them to work right. I am sure it's just me, but, still, get too frustrated so I just make them all by hand (I have the singed finger tips to prove it!). I will be watching this thread to see if anyone has it and what they think.

Vanuatu Jill

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[TD="colspan: 2"][h=3]Here is a demo on how to use it-looks great

June Tailor Quilt Binding Express Demonstration Video.mp4 ...[/h][/TD]
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[TD] <cite class="kv">www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmB0R-BRroA</cite>Dec 21, 2011 - 1 min - Uploaded by JuneTailorInc
Learn how to use the June Tailor Quilt Binding Express to quickly and accurately fold and press quilt binding ...
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ksdot417

I think I might have to look for one of those. Tired of getting my fingers burnt.

franc36

Thanks for the video. After watching it, I think the Quilt Binding Express would be easy to use and work well. I probably won't purchase it as I don't have a problem pressing my binding.

Prism99

I need to make some binding for a quilt, so I took a look at this. It does seem like a nice tool; however, with shipping it is over $30. If you think about it, you don't really need the pressing pad at all if you are working on an ironing board; what is valuable in this tool is the slot.

I used to have a similar slot type thing that could secure to the ironing board with elastic. Basically it was a piece of plastic with an adjustable slot, and I would slip it over the nose of the ironing board. I have a homemade "big board" now so, even if I could find the thing, it probably wouldn't fit. However, it got me to thinking. I have some template plastic that never got used, and a craft Xacto knife. I'm going to cut a slot into the template plastic and see if I can secure the plastic to my ironing board surface (maybe with long pins) so I can use that to make the binding. I have saved a lot of old credit cards, and I'm thinking it would probably be possible to use 4 of those glued together to make a slot. Or, my dh said we could pick up a piece of thicker plastic (similar to ruler plastic) at the hardware store and he could make a slot in that by drilling holes and then sanding the slot smooth.

I watched the video. What I would do differently, once the binding is started, is simply leave the iron on the mat portion and pull the binding through underneath the iron. That's how I do it at home when I use pins in the ironing board to establish the slot. (Hmmmm.... Maybe I'll see if I can order some long hat pins on Amazon. The reason I'm looking for something better is because the pins I have on hand here are not quite long enough to establish a 1.25" slot on the ironing board once they go in and out of the ironing board fabric twice. If I use a permanent Sharpie to mark the slot size, it would be really easy to use a long hat pin or two to make a temporary slot.)

Anyway, those are my musings for making a similar tool for less money! Years ago I would have just bought this tool. Now I am always looking for ways to save money, plus I know from experience that I have a tendency to misplace tools like this and I don't have enough storage space for them anyway.......

mighty

Look preety cool.

linda8450

I use safety pins, pulled up my ironing board padded cover and put them through from the bottom. I placed 2 of them about 6" apart to bracket the binding as I pulled through one and then the other. The first one guides it and the second one holds the pressed end as I iron in the middle. I leave them in all the time, doesn't effect any other pressing I do. Cheap, easy, no brainer for me. Linda
Forgot to mention, You can set up 2 sets of this with 2" or 2 1/2" measurements, etc. Just tailor to your needs. I have an iron that stands on little feet when you let go of the handle, so I leave it in place over the binding, pull from the finished end, iron, let go, pull, repeat. works great.

quiltingcandy

I was watching a show years ago, believe it was "Simply Quilts" where someone demonstrated using a safety pin doing the same thing. You attach the safety pin by pinning it on to your ironing board and then pulling the fabric through it. she also left the iron flat down and pulled the fabric under the iron at the same time. I believe she had a special cloth so not to burn the ironing board cover. But she did do a very long strip of binding at a time. Haven't really tried it since I don't have any problem making the binding, just thought it was interesting.

Prism99

Oh, I *love* the safety pin idea! Am going to do that! My big board cover is stapled down, but I will just get large safety pins and mark the slot size I want on the cover before pinning. That way I can quickly pin to the right size and later remove the pins to the end of the board when I don't need them (but still will be able to find them). And having two pins, one on each side of the iron, will make the binding super-easy to do!