Thread: Oh no, no, no, no!

I was tidying up the sewing room after completing my chevron quilt for my grandson when I came across the scrap of fabric left over from my binding, picked it up and started to fold it and on so doing noticed that I had cut the strips for my binding lengthways along the grain. Usually If I have enough fabric I make it on the bias, if not, I cut my strips across the grain...selvedge to selvedge which is what I intended to do but this time I have completely mucked it up and cut it lengthways. How could I have made this mistake!! Stupid, stupid inattention! I've googled "straight grain binding" and am now devasted....do I really have to remove all my binding and redo it? A sad little corner of my brain reasons that maybe cutting it lengthways with the grain will, although giving it no stretch or ease, will give a firm edging for a little boys quilt....am I kidding myself here? Is it really going to wear quickly? I don't mind actually making and sewing on binding but it's just the idea of the hours it is going to take me to unpick the binding from the quilt. I guess I could just make the quilt a smidge smaller by cutting the binding off but oh dear, what am I to do? What is the right and sensible thing to do apart from a stiff whisky and a good sob into my hanky!

I've cut many bindings lengthwise, have never had it cause a problem. Never heard of anyone having a problem with it cut that way. The good part ( to me) is much fewer joins ( weak / bulky spots) I use bias binding on curves/ scallop edges and straight grain the rest of the time.

Originally Posted by ckcowl

I've cut many bindings lengthwise, have never had it cause a problem. Never heard of anyone having a problem with it cut that way. The good part ( to me) is much fewer joins ( weak / bulky spots) I use bias binding on curves/ scallop edges and straight grain the rest of the time.

DITTO......not to worry!!!!

I've only made one bias binding and that was for scallops. I agree that there is really, IMHO, no reason to do bias on straight borders.

I know people who *prefer* to bind as you described, and have never heard of it being an issue in real life.

I have *read* about straight-grain binding wearing more quickly than bias, but I have a suspicion it is a rumour concocted by the same people who recommend always cutting border joins on the diagonal 'because it makes them less obvious' (on rare occasions maybe, depending on the fabric pattern, but otherwise it just uses more fabric - so you have to buy more & spend more money)

So my answer would be: leave it as it is.

Originally Posted by Panchita

I know people who *prefer* to bind as you described, and have never heard of it being an issue in real life.

I have *read* about straight-grain binding wearing more quickly than bias, but I have a suspicion it is a rumour concocted by the same people who recommend always cutting border joins on the diagonal 'because it makes them less obvious' (on rare occasions maybe, depending on the fabric pattern, but otherwise it just uses more fabric - so you have to buy more & spend more money)

So my answer would be: leave it as it is.

I agree, leave it as it is. That baby won't care.

But to answer the question about straight grain wearing more than bias. It's true, not a rumor. I have a quilt made by my DH's aunt back in the 30's. The quilt was well used, the binding is torn all along the binding edge. Why? When you do a binding on the SOG, there is only one thread that runs along the fold. That thread gets worn from use and it breaks. The binding loses it's strength and rips apart. When you make a binding on the bias, the threads are criss-cross all along the folded edge. There are hundreds of threads.... number is strength and that binding will hold together even if it starts to wear.