On going saga of pressing binding. Yay or Nay?
 

For years I've pressed my binding in half before sewing it onto the quilt. The last couple of years I've just folded it as I've sewn it on. Recently I've been doing some volunteer work with binding and most of the bindings have been pre pressed in half. It seems to be easier for me, what the heck? What has been your experience with both ways? I'm wanting to look at your responses to help me decide what the best option is and why? I'm having second thoughts before adding the binding to a monster king I've just finished quilting. Happy St. Patricks' Day!

I like mine ironed, I don't want to not iron it and get an odd missmatched-doesn't fold right, so it messes up the rest of the binding. Like if it isn't exactly falling right because of the grain in the fabic. Something you can easily ease out if you have ironed it in half.

I had recently bought one of those new fangled silicone things where you feed your binding through a belt-like loop on one side and then on the other and then lay your iron in the middle, pulling the binding through, under the iron, folding it as you guide it with your other hand. I used it a few times, but the last time I went to use it, it was covered with a white powdery - mildew or perhaps a mold. It wasn't because it was put away damp or wet. It was stored, sitting out in the open on top of a stand by my machine. I think there was something off about it, for it to get this stuff growing on it. I tossed it into the trash.

I didn't think it worked all that better than by doing it by hand anyhow. I could basically do it faster by hand than by that process, as you had to repeatedly pick up the iron anyway to get the iron to turn back on, from the auto off. As a note, I also have a silicone iron rest and I have never had powdery mildew or mold grow on it.

I haven't pressed my binding in half for years. I know a lot of people insist on doing it because it's how they were "taught", but honestly I wonder how many people question why when they're taught this. It's like that old story about why you cut the end of the roast off before cooking it. The child asked why do you cut it? Mom said, well that's how my mom taught me so that's how I've always done it. So then Mom goes and asks the grandma, and she said "Because it's the only way the roast would fit in my pan."

I find that by NOT pressing the binding in half, it rolls around the raw edge of the quilt a lot easier, sits nicer on the quilt, feels fuller, plus I get to skip a step.

I press my bindings because it's easier to control while winding it onto the binding holder. It unwinds as I sew it onto the quilt. I tried not ironing it, but it just wasn't winding well. The winder clamps to the end of the ironing table, so I press. about 30 inches, wind it, press another 30 inches and wind, until all the binding is pressed. With the winder clipped to the end of my sewing table I don't need to pin or clip the binding to the quilt as I sew it on.

Once I tried not pressing it, I never looked back. Do what works for you, but don't be afraid to try something new. I'll never press it again!

I usually use bias binding.

I do not press it in half, but u do baste the edges together with a long, arrow zigzag switch. The reason I do not press it in half is because when the fabric turns, the halfway mark is off where the actual final fold is.

I also sew the layers of the quilt sandwich together.

That way, I only need to make sure that I only need to match 'rwo" sets of edges.

I began to wonder if it might be the difference between bias binding or straight cut but maybe not after reading previous comments here. Mine is cut width of fabric and I don't press because I think the binding loses a few threads in the turning over the edge and, besides that, it's just one more step that I find unnecessary. This is another of those--whatever works best for you tips! Whichever way you do it, nobody will know when the quilt is finished.

I've tried both ironed and not ironed and prefer to iron my bindings. Since you tried both, go with the one you like. Look out monster sized king quilt!

I do press my binding in half before sewing to the quilt front. it seems like it does make it easier for me to stitch to the back of the quilt.
My monster sized quilt...I sewed to the back and wrapped to the front and then edge stitched it on the machine.

I should try new things but I do press my binding in half. I rarely use biased bindings. I just fold it over itself into about 12 inch lengths and tie a bit of selvage around it at both ends. this keeps it neat until ready to use as a lot of times I make the binding for the quilt before I quilt it unless I am planning on just using the trimmings from the backing. I don't pin my bindings on, I just start stitching them to the back using my walking foot then serpentine stitch to the front using my walking foot also, I have found that if I position the front just a bit beyond the stitching from the back and then position binding along the inner side of the toe of my walking foot, the stitch line is positioned just fine. Took a bit of practice to also get the mitered corners of the binding to lay nice but most of the time they are just fine now. I only hand stitch the binding on very, very, very special quilts. I have too much stash to stitch up!

Don't press in half here.I like thinner binding on one side and wider on the other, because I do double sided quilts and one side or the other the binding color needs to be minimized ;) Looking back on older quilts where I used to press the binding in half, they don't seem to be filled nicely. I think I was concentrating on keeping the sharp fold at the outside rather than rolling nicely filling that void.

I'm the same, Peggi. I don't press mine and don't have problems. I always question "because that's the way my mom did it". In my sewing and quilting journey, I've found that a lot of the time, mom's way wasn't always the best. It was how she saw someone else do it.

I think this clearly falls in the do what you want to do and what works best for you category. There is no right or wrong. I have tried not pressing, and didn't like it. I like the ability to slightly manipulate exactly where I want the edge, and my stitch to fall. I also tried machine stitching the binding down, and didn't like that either. It's all personal preference. No quilt police writing tickets, or even giving warnings!!

I have also tried it both ways. I prefer to press it first, but that is just how I like to do it. I am sure pressing it or not pressing it is just a personal choice. I always remember that there is not a Quilting Police Force watching over me. Enjoy whichever way you do it.

My goodness, thanks so much for all of your comments. It really is just do it the way you want, isn't it? I'm ready to get started on the binding. I love this part of the quilting process. It's like frosting the cake. Just finishes everything up and frames the work of days, weeks, months, and sometimes years. It's just that extra wrap of love. I'm staying with the way I've been doing it for years, not going to iron that binding in half. I've learned to bind by machine and I'm staying with that too.
Thanks again for your responses! Such a great group of folks here!

I’ve done both and prefer pressing, but only because I find my binding tends to shift and wave as I’m sewing it on if I don’t press it first. I think it’s more a matter of perfsonal preference, one that way is not better than the other. There is no right or wrong way. It’s what you prefer and is most comfortable for you.

I don't have any problems with pressing my bindings in half first. I sure haven't noticed any ridge left in my binding after done. My quilt seems to fill the binding just fine. I cut my strips 2.5, use a 1/4 inch seam to attach and pull the binding just a tad over the first stitch line to attach. I do it all with machine. Works for me.

I do not press my binding

I prefer to press in half, I make my binding’s 2.25 and I get a nice full binding. It takes me a few days to finish binding a quilt since I only do it for a few hours on the evenings. I find binding very therapeutic and enjoy the process.

Totally agree with you, Lisa. Binding is like the most relaxing part of the quilt. And happy to see the finished quilt.

Agree 100% with you< Puckish. And I'm all for less work!

I've done it both with pressing and without. For show quilts, I machine stitch to the front and then flip to the back and hand stitch. It's easier for me to consistently hide my stitches when hand stitching to the back if I've pressed the binding first, though I have at times done without pressing for small art quilts in order to save time. But I find that it's hit or miss for me on whether I'll do a good job hiding those stitches if I don't press first.

For quilts that are meant to be used, I machine stitch to the back then fold to the front and machine stitch using my adjustable zipper foot. I adjust it so that the left edge of the foot rides along the left edge of the fabric with the needle in the indent on the left. That way I get a consistent line of straight stitching just a few threads in from the fold. When doing it this way, I don't get a good smooth binding unless I press the binding in half first.

Rob

I always press. I didn't know not pressing was an option. LOL

I machine sew my binding front and back, and found not pressing in half makes is so much easier. I do bias sew the stirps together and press those seams open. I think if I was hand sewing this would be much less of an issue. With pressing in half, I would really struggle with it wanting to crease when machine sewing it on top, but without pressing that never happens. I like that I can bind a large quilt in about an hour total (because I really don't like binding).

Yay
 

I'm a presser. I really enjoy binding, it’s relaxing. I use the wonder clips clipping a whole side. Then let it rest a while to take shape. I’ll remove several ahead of my stitches working across row. pre fixing the miter corners really sets then.