Silver Needle

I'm looking for help on using the little red binding clips I just received from Amazon. My preference is to finish binding by hand. However, I want to learn to do it by machine also. I want to be able to do straight stitch on the front and have it look almost as nice on the back. I ordered the clips after reading about them here, in hopes they would prove helpful. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

auntpiggylpn

http://quiltersway.com/Blog/tabid/62...der-Clips.aspx This might give you a little insight on those wonderful clips!

117becca

I think it takes practice - but the one piece of advice I have is to make the binding about 1/8" wider on the back you'll be more likely to catch the binding on the back. I would pin pin pin pin - making sure that the binding is held exactly where i need it. I have an old singer and it sews over pins wonderfully.

katier825

Do some small practice pieces using Elmer's Washable Glue. Make it go a little larger on the back so you will catch some the fabric with the stitches. Here's what I do. I stitch to the front, press the binding out straight, flip it around, fold it over and glue baste it to the back. It helps to have a small pointed bottle or one with a metal tip. I don't mess with the tip very often, the small bottle is fine if I'm careful not too squirt too much out. I glue about a foot or so, then press it down with the iron and move to the next section. You can get your corners really nice this way too. You don't need any clips or pins. It does take some prep work, but it's so quick to sew around it after that it balances out. Here is a great tutorial by Sharon Schamber.

http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

Mary O

So much goes into piecing a quilt that to me a machine stitched binding just never looks good unless you are right on the money.Don't have much advice on those clips.I think pins do much better but good luck anyway.

117becca

Actually, that's why I hand sew the binding down, too - I never get it to look good enough. I can see where there's a decorative stitch done, that might look better. It has a better "fudge factor"

jcrow

I only machine bind and I really don't like to bind. But I do the two fabric binding. You take one fabric 2" and it will be your accent fabric. Then you take another fabric and make it 1 1/2" and it will be your regular binding. You cut each fabric the required amount of times (say 6) at 2" and then sew them end to end and then cut the 1 1/2" fabric and cut it (say 6 also) at 1 1/2" and then sew them end to end and iron both colors well and then sew them to each other side by side. Next, fold them in half, wrong sides together and iron. Now place the regular side of binding against the back of your quilt and have the accent color facing up and sew it all the way around like usual. Then turn the binding over and sew between the two colors...1/4". It will sew right down the seam in the back and look like a flange in the front. Very pretty and easy to do with your machine.

nativetexan

i have the hair type silver clips that work fine but if i'm to hand finish the binding, i use straight pins. i fold the binding over and pin in the seam line from the front, catching the binding on the back. the clips don't hold it in place well enough for machine finishing, to me anyway.

liont

I double bind. I machine sew in front, flip binding over, and manually sew on the back side. In the front, you can't see the stiches. So is this considered machine bind or hand bind?

nativetexan

if you hand stitch the binding to finish it, it's hand done. some quilters actually put the binding on by hand and finish it by hand too. i machine stitch it on and most times finish by hand but have finished by machine sometimes.