Serge before you bind?
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Serge before you bind?
I am wondering if those of you that have sergers use them on your quilts before you sew the binding on. I saw someone on the web (I'm sorry I have since forgotten who) serge the edges to flatten and trim THEN sewed on the binding as usual. I am tempted to try this but I am a serger newbie and somewhat nervous. After all the work on a quilt, I don't want to mess anything up at the end of that sometimes long road.
#3
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,659
I do - that way I get all three layers 'together' before I put the binding on.
Before I started to use the serger - I would stay-stitch the three layers together
Stay-stitching (as used here) is a row of stitching about 1/8 inch from the raw edges that gets covered by the biding and is left in the item
Before I started to use the serger - I would stay-stitch the three layers together
Stay-stitching (as used here) is a row of stitching about 1/8 inch from the raw edges that gets covered by the biding and is left in the item
#4
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,559
Ditto. I have a serger and did this once. I didn't really think it helped or added to the quilt any. A lot of longarmers will request that you NOT serge the edges, also.
#6
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Outer Space
Posts: 9,319
I like to square up my quilt and cut it with my rotary cutter so that's perfectly square, before putting on the binding. I don't see how you could use the serger to cut it and get it square so it hangs just right.
#9
I always do before I put binding on....works like a charm and takes only a few minutes.....i don`t serge before I send it to a longarmer...only after it is quilted.....I love this technique and makes it easier to sew the binding on....
#10
I've heard that it's supposed to give you a crisper edge when applying your binding, but I've only done a little bit of serging and I'm not confidant of my serging abilities that I could feed the quilt through accurately - I'm worried I'd slice off too much of the edge.
I do sometimes use my machine and my overcast stitch if the border had a lot of seams along the outside edge. I also find that using my iron when I bind works great. After stitching on the binding, I press the binding out (so you're getting a good fold at the seam line). Then I fold the binding over to the back (or front, if doing my faux piped binding technique) and press so that the edge gets a good fold. I find doing this helps me better sew the binding down, whether doing so by hand or machine.
I do sometimes use my machine and my overcast stitch if the border had a lot of seams along the outside edge. I also find that using my iron when I bind works great. After stitching on the binding, I press the binding out (so you're getting a good fold at the seam line). Then I fold the binding over to the back (or front, if doing my faux piped binding technique) and press so that the edge gets a good fold. I find doing this helps me better sew the binding down, whether doing so by hand or machine.
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