Janice Thompson

After a time, depending how much use, you may have to replace the binding as one thickness has a tendency to wear. If you need to tie...so be it. You could hand quilt and the quilt would be more valuable.

moonwork42029

Ha! I always thought that separate binding was because they didn't leave enough on the backing to do the binding the "right" way. No one ever told me different until I started looking up quilts online.

My grandmother always left extra on the back to bring to the front. It was always to me, stronger than the binding sewn on (we tugged on the edges alot when fighting for the covers)and it wouldn't tear off.

For the last 26 years, my son has had his "tied" quilt and wouldn't trade it for anything. He barely let his daughter use it when she "found" it. He wanted to know why I sewed all over the quilt I made for her and her little sister instead of doing it like his. Some are just traditions that live long in family lines.

If your quilt is made with love (and which one isn't) you made it the very best way that quilt was to be made. Heck with how you did it just that you did it is wonderful.

Mizgoodie

Some people just like to gripe, complain and critizie others and it sounds like you got one of those. I married into a whole family like that. Whenever they start pointing out my mistakes I just look at them sweetly and tell them where the door is. (Okay, sometimes not so sweetly). I have always told my children and grandchildren if you can't say something nice then please don't say anything at all. I would probably tell my mother the same thing. (I have told my MIL before). Fix your quilts the way you want to. They are your quilts not hers. And NO, there is definitely not anything wrong with doing it your way.

LMB

Quilts are as different as MOTHERS> there are good ones and bad ones... some are sweet and colorful, some are dark and shady. You get what you get. I can tell you a truth. There are no quilt police, There is no right or wrong way. There is you and a bunch of fabric, and your creation when you are done. I am a Mother 6 times over, and if I acted like your mom I would exspect my kids to politely say "OK MOM, you do it your way and I will do it mine."
My heart hurts for you, but you need to get elephant skin or tell you mother the truth~

Maia B

Yours is a perfectly acceptable and legitimate method and frugal too! That method is in several books. So ignore any criticisms. Bless you for bearing your mom's negativity with patience.

lalaland

My mom was like that, I loved her to pieces but she was critical, I listened, thought "oh my, she's grouchy again today" and did it my way anyway.

I ALWAYS pull my binding over to the front, I really hate to hand sew my binding on, you can sew it on the machine when you pull it over to the front, looks really nice on the front and back if you use a decorative or blanket stitch (I'm assuming you have a sewing machine).

I've never had a quilt machine quilted by anyone. I do a lot of stitch in the ditch, or X's to quilt.

Recently I started to free motion quilt on my sewing machine. I do it in small sections so it's manageable. It takes practice, but it's fun so you might consider trying it out as an eventual alternative to tying some day.

If you're doing all your quilts by hand, you can still do these techniques by hand as an alternative to tying as well.

Nothing wrong with tying. There's something really comforting about a tied quilt.

tntgranny

Take a deep breath - consider the source of your doubting yourself - do whatever makes sense to you. You are not sewing to please your mother - please yourself. It took me a few years of therapy to come to the realization that I could not do everything in life to please my mother (she sounds a lot like yours) and always do it her way. My way (in many jobs - not just quilting) has made me very happy with myself.

Sew and Sew 2

I have done several quilts that way. Never had a complaint or problem. Maybe your mother is jealous that you are completing what you started and she can't bring herself to finish a project before starting another. Or maybe she doesn't know how. Perhaps she could take some lessons from her daughter. Even "Quilt Police" are not above getting pointers.

cathyvv

I've done this! Looks fine, and saves time and uses fabric. Who could ask for more?

Quilt police come from all over - ignore them. They don't get it.

redeagle

You mean I have been "cheating" all these years? LOL Been quilting over 30 years and last year is the very first time I had a quilt professionally quilted. I really wanted the quilt but it was paperpieced and there were a bazillion seams that I did not want to hand quilt over. Hang in there. As they say, "Nothing lasts forever!"