How terrible, tacky and unprofessional is it to pull the backing around onto the top of the quilt and machine stitch down - rather than do the traditional binding on the edges?? All opinions welcome.

I do it! ANd I am not tacky! :twisted:

I think that used to be a "traditional way" to finish a quilt.

not tacky at all, that's the only way my grandmother knew to do it and she turned out some beautiful quilts

Not tacky many have done this. I think that it depends on the type of quilt. I did this on a "Round The World" and it looks fine. BrendaK

All the quilts my GM and DM did were done this way. The down side for me is the edge wears faster.

Some people do that-they are your quilts! It would be a quicker method which would be fine for charity/donated quilts, especially. No quilt police to punish you here!

If that is how you feel don't do it! If someone else chooses to, who am I to be the one who judges it terrible, tacky or unprofessional????

Either way. It depends on what YOU like.

Not tacky at all - I do it all the time.

it is not tacky at all. My grandmother did all hers this way!

It is a perfectly acceptable way to finish a quilt :D:D:D

I am all for it. Am going to do it myself because I like the material I used for the backing too. I also say what makes you happy about your Quilt is the way to do it and this way we frontier forward. :thumbup: :thumbup: :D

I have done it if the backing is enough and it's a color I want for binding.

I did my first few quilts this way. The only bad thing is if you don't get the back and top squared theres problems, yes I had problems.

The quilting world went through a period in the 70s and early 80s where there was a whole new generation discovering quilting for themselves, not having been exposed to it through mothers or grandmothers. This was the resurgence that became the quilting world we know today.

Many technical skills had been lost or were new to these quilters and they often re-invented things for themselves, including turning the backing to the front as binding. Strip piecing/speed-piecing was also part of this movement as the quilters tired of making templates for squares, rectangles and triangles from cardboard or plastic.

But the binding methods quickly began to upgrade as studies of antique quilts and their construction methods caught on and became a topic of discussion...think of people like Barbara Brackman, Pat Nichols, Hazel Carter, Cuesta Benberry, Gerald Roy, etc.

These historians, appraisers, collectors showed us that most antique quilts -- though not all, by any means --generally had separately applied bindings, usually of two layers of fabric. Most of the instructors of the early resurgence then began to teach this way of binding quilts and it soon became the "accepted" manner and was almost universally required for quilts that were expected to be show judged. Just as the amount of quilting looked for within a quilt has increased over the years on the show floor.

Either method of binding is "correct" simply because it's *your* quilt. Straight-grain binding versus bias-grain binding is also "correct", although bias binding was almost unheard of before the quilts of the 1920-30s with their scalloped edges.

Personally I straight-grain cut my binding strips, join them on the diagonal, miter the corners, finish the binding with a diagonal seam, and generally turn and sew them down by hand with mitered corners.

Jan in VA

I've done it a many of times.

This is how I learned to finish a quilt. It wasn't until I made a few that I started to bind them. I think it all depends on what you like. ;)

I tried turning the backing to the front, worked fine until I got to the corner, then I couldnt make a mitre.

I've done it a few times and my mother did hers that way too.

I have done it both ways. Just depends on the quilt for me :) and I have never been called tacky. LOL

My grandmother did it this way and my aunt still does.

I have done it many times.

I tried it with clear thread. I didn't like the result because the clear thread was shiny and I felt it detracted from the quilt. Anyone know of a clear thread that doesn't reflect light?

I tried it once and it just didnt do good for me...I think it is a HARD way to do it, but then, maybe I didnt know what I was doing? I say do whatever feels good to you and whatever you enjoy doing...all quilts are beautiful!

it is not terrible, tacky etc It is that way only if it is not done well.

And you think this is horrible and tacky because of what? Quilt police?

That is the way I did mine, because that is the way my mom finished hers. Now, 20 years later, I always use binding. Don't ask me why. Either way is just fine.

If you use the quilt a lot, then this type of binding will wear out faster than a double, but it your quilt and your choice.

I've done it and it looked wonderful- tacky or not :)

I have done it folding the backing in half so the binding is double. I do it both ways, whatever I am in the mood for.

And I was just thinking that for the heck of it, I would sew my binding first on the back, bring to the front and machine stitch. I'm going to do it, as I do not consider it tacky, terrible or unprofessional. Thank you for reminding me.

I do it this way, because I cannot sew by hand without my hands going to sleep.

It's not tacky. I've done it on wallhangings but don't usually do this on quilts that will have high use and washings (baby quilts, lap quilts etc). The single fold will wear out faster than a double fold.

I've done it several times, and it didn't look tacky at all. I have one quilt that is at least 25 years old and the binding is still fine.

It's your quilt - do it your way.

It's your quilt - do it your way.

My in laws have been quilting since day one and this is how they do it

There is no quilt police. It is your quilt do it the way you like it and I'll do it my way.

WHAT A WAY TO START MY DAY...........BY BEING "TACKY AND UNPROFESSIONAL." THANKS......