binding clips
 

In September I was in Target to get a flu shot. I had to wait for a few minutes, so I was wondering around the hair care section near the pharmacy. I found bobby pins and I thought may be they would be good for securing the binding to a quilt while hand stitching it on. Fast forward to yesterday, I was sewing the binding on to the 2012 Craftsy BOM and I used the bobby pins from Target. They worked perfectly! The bobby pins slipped right over the binding edge with no struggle, held the fabric securely, did not pinch the fabric and left no marks in the fabric, and I did not get struck with any pins. I have been thinking about buying the Wonder Clips that people are raving about, but the bobbie pins worked perfectly. I bought the brightly colored ones because they are easy for me to see, and they stick to my magnetic pin dish. They even securely held the mitered corners.

Dangit, I just bought Wonder Clips from Amazon! And I am a hairstylist also, you would have thought that would have dawned on me :}

I have been using my daughters old hair clips. Some of them were in bright colors from the 90s. Free works good too.lol

thanks for the tip

The snap hair clips won't move like the bobby pins will. I used the snap clips until I bought the Wonder Clips. The Wonder Clips are great.

I have tried the snap clips, but they bend the fabric. The bobby pins do not bend or distort the fabric, and for me they did not move.

Thanks for this great idea. Next time I'm shopping bobby pins will be on my list.

I thought about getting binding clips then I learned about the glue method, used it, loved it and so much cheaper. Will never pin or clip binding again. On binding I am handsewing down I just make sure not to get the glue too close to the edge.

I love the Wonder Clips on my binding and I also love the glue method. Both work nicely for me. I did not like using the snap clips. I prefer the other methods. The Wonder Clips are really nice for machine binding because of the measurements on the clip.

They've worked for me for a few years.

I have the wonder clips they are great. Darn I never thought of bobbie pins!

Hi,

I use the snap clips. Bought them when our WM had a fabric dept. and they came in a large package and were inexpensive. I have hundreds of them!
The Wonder Clips tempt me, but my hair clips would be so lonely! LOL

I have the wonder clips & love them.

Unless you try other methods you will never know which one works the best. I want to use what is best for me to make the job easier and get better results. I like it when others post what is best for them. I try them all.

I don't use any clips, pins, nor anything which saves a ton of time. I've been using the ladder stitch which is invisible and nothing is needed to hold the binding in place while doing the ladder stitch. Over a year ago someone on this board told about it. Here is a tute: http://turningturning.com/tutorial-i...quilt-binding/ First it shows how it looked the old way she did binding and further down the page she shows the ladder stitch.

If you like the Wonder Clips half as much as I do, you won't regret buying them. I have used both clips and bobby pins, but these little red close pin like things are just wonderful!! Give them a try.


Dina

LivelyLady -- I used that stitch until my hands went bad. Now I have to do the binding on the machine since holding a needle for any lenght of time is no longer possible (sigh).

I like using the glue to hold the binding before I sttch it. I have used the hair clips but hated the bend in the fabric -- I may try bobbie pins for a small project. Thnaks Nyelphaba

Never thought of using the bobbie pins -- and here I pin up my hair into a roll everyday with them, too! Thanks for the tip, I'm going to try that. The other clips bend the fabric and distort the line of sewing, so I wasn't too keen on those....the bobbie pins would work very well and I could sew right over them, too...thanks for sharing!

I have used snap clips but they can sometimes pop open or they don't always stay in place. I now use them when I need to hem pants...they hold the hem niceyl in place. Now that I have the little red Wonder clips, I wonder how I ever got along without them!

Snap clips for me when I hand stitch the binding down. But I love, love, love Wonder Clips when attaching binding.

I buy the metal hair clipsbeuticians use from "Sally's" supply shop, love them and I get 80in a box for $3.50 on sale...

I absolutely love my binding clips. I have also used the snap style hair clips and the Martelli binding clips. I must admit, for price, the hair clips are my favorite. However, overall, binding clips are at the top of my list. I just wish they were less expensive.

Will have to give it a try. Thanks for the hint

I tried hair clips but did not like them. I love wonder clips especially for holding the top of tote bag in preparation for top stitching. Much better than pins. However, pins are still needed in many place where the wonder clips don't work...like interior of blocks. Wonder clips are great on edges/bindings, etc. They have come down greatly in price.

I use those snap clips for hair, works like a charm and I keep them in a little pencil case along with a scissors and the thread I'm using to bind with...all ready to pick up and go. Sometimes I hold on to the quilts I need to bind, then put them in a big garbage bag and take them when we go camping in the fifth wheel, I work on them in the camper in the evenings.

Great tip. Thanks, will give it a try. My friend bought me several packs of wonder clips for Christmas, I intended to buy a few more but will check the Bobbie pins out.

When I use the ladder stitch, I usually back up a stitch or two every 4 or 5 stitches. That way the stitches are locked better, and if one thread breaks, the whole thing won't come loose. When I close up a stuffed pillow, I go ahead 4 stitches, turn it around and go back two. go ahead 4 and back up 2. That makes a really strong closing seam. It takes time to do that, but I feel confident that my pillow won't come apart.

Good idea! I'm very attached to the wonder clips. Got them with a 50% off coupon so they were affordable.

I have the red binder clips and am not happy with them. They seem to get in the way when I am sewing the binding. When I pull them off the binding doesn't stay in place. I am going to try the bobby pin and glue ideas.

I've used various hair clips (including bobbie pins) over the years and have liked them all. I always knew that eventually they would "stretch' and need replaced but that was ok with me. I still use the hair clips at times, but now I use Wonder Clips the most. I have found they work very well for me on curved bindings as well as straight ones and I really like how I can secure the mitered corners well with them.

I have discovered another way to use the Wonder Clips. I teach a fairly large number of beginner classes, which often include young students (ages 7-15). It is not uncommon for these students to have difficulty with pinning so I show them how to use the Wonder Clips in place of pins. It works , well, WONDERS. :-) There are no more stuck fingers and bloody dots on fabric! Happily, the piecing is done quite well, especially intersections, and everyone is happy. They all eventually move on to using pins, but this sure has helped.

Love, love the binding clips. Never leave home w/o them!

I, too, have used the bendable hair clips; but just purchased a pkg of 50 Wonder Clips and used them on the last two baby quilts I made. I'll never go without them from now on. Great replacement for pins. I bought a pkg for my quilt friend for Christmas. Anxious to hear how SHE likes them. I also purchased the PinMors (sp?) and like those for 'pinning' my layers of quilt together.....no more pin pricks!!!

Leave it to a quilter to find a better use for bobby pins. Next thing you know somebody will repackage them, call them quilt binding pins and sell them for $10 a dozen. lol

Just got 100 of the Wonder clips for Christmas, Yes! I love them, they stay on, and stay put.

Have been binding for over 10 years.....never use anything but my fingers?????

I use clips I found cheap at Staples...look and work just like the Wonder Clips for 1/2 the price

If I need to use pins...I use glue sticks.

I just bought the wonder clips also. Have not used them yet. Clover is the brand and they do have measurement on the clip which I think will be nice. Thanks for the bobby pin tip though.

When I finished my first quilt, my older sister taught me the ladder stitch. I always think highly of anyone who used that stitch because my sister was such a wonderful quilter. She passed away in 2003 at 54.
I did the 2012 Craftsy BOM quilt also. The top is all put together, the batting is with it, the backing is sewn together and the binding is with it. I just have to take it to my LAer. I am going to have her custom quilt it. I used the exact same fabric as Amy Gibson used and it's gorgeous!!! I'm doing this year's 2013 Craftsy Free BOM. I bought her fabric and am copying her also. But I am also making a block using my own fabric so when the year is up, I will have 2 quilts instead of one.

I don't bind so I have no room to respond!

I love the Wonder clips and now I just got a notice from Shoppers Rule (http://www.shoppersrule.com/pc/SP-CL...SWS/index.html) that there is a bigger size. I'm thinking about picking some up.