mjpEncinitas

Am I an idiot (being over ambitious) to consider this? I'd like to turn one of my quilts into a round quilt. I don't care if the binding doesn't show. It might be better if it doesn't.
How hard is it to bind a round a quilt?
Can you do it similar to birthing a quilt and then cutting the back so it is binding size?
Thanks everyone.
Mary Jo

osewme

I've never made a round quilt before but if I were doing it I would not birth it. I would cut my binding on the bias & bind it like I would normally do a rectangular quilt.

Tartan

You can " birth or pillowcase" the quilt. Lay your backing on top of the quilt top and sew all around. You can leave a section open on the edge to turn but you might not get a nice round edge where it is left open. I might sew around the whole edge and decide where I will put a nice big label on the back. Slit the backing where the label will go over and turn the quilt through the slit.

mjpEncinitas

Tartan
Since my quilt already has a backing on it, is it possible to birth it and then cut 1" or so from the edge, turn under and handstitch to hold that down? It will look like binding on the back.

On the other hand I wouldn't mind the birthed quilt hiding my (wholecloth FMQ with hand embroidery) mistakes on the back of the quilt.

Peckish

I'm kind of confused by your descriptions of birthing a quilt. When you birth a quilt, do you not lay the 2 sides of the quilt, right sides together, then put a layer of batting on top, then sew around it? Leaving a smallish hole where you can turn the quilt right side out, which you then hand-stitch closed.

If this description is correct, how do you birth it and then trim the edge? Wouldn't the edges all be inside the quilt?

I would birth it as I describe, then topstitch around the edge about 1/4" to 1/2" from the edge. I think this will help it look like binding from a distance. Or, as osewme says, just bind it with bias.

mjpEncinitas

Peckish

Yes this technically wouldn't be birthing the quilt. But it is a way to get binding on the back without the binding showing in the front. Since my quilt already has a back I thought it might be a good option. I also thought it would make binding a circular quilt easier. I'm not sure what the correct terminology for this is.

Birthing the quilt in the traditional way would give me two backings and since the quilt is already quilted I'd have to figure out how to make sure the birthed part is attached.

Tartan

I didn't realize you had already quilted it. Yes, you could do a double back and birth it and cut away the extra fabric and hand stitch the edge. You might want to look at the facing method. That is when you put a fabric strip around the edge and then turn that strip to the back. It is usually done with straight strips on straight sides but you could do it with wider strips to accommodate the curve.

feline fanatic

Since the quilt is already quilted I would go ahead and bind it, rather than do a second back and birth it. You are asking for trouble IMHO to do a second back and then try birthing. You will have a backing that isn't connected to the quilt in any way, except the outside edge. I think you may end up with some unsightly ripples and pleats and after you wash it the first time it won't look very nice at all. It is really easy to bind a round quilt. You just have to cut your binding on the bias. Use a walking foot and take your time. I think you will be much happier with the end result. Here is a link to one I did. http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...e-t191197.html

Bjbaxter

What a great idea!

PaperPrincess

to finish the edge on a round quilt, you really need a bias binding. I think trying to turn the front to the back will not give you a nice edge.