I used to hate binding too - but I am finding it easier and easier - you really need to find your own way of making it work. I have had different people show me their way and it works for them - I take a little from each person and make it my own. I am proud to say that I no longer hate binding - however, I do have some friends who insist that it must be done their way - too bad I made it my way..Keep on trying - it will come. I have found that you tube videos are very helpful.

That's exactly how I do mine and it makes it so much faster. I, too, have arthritis in my hands and can no longer do hand sewing for any length of time. I think doing the binding this way will last longer, as well. After all, my quilts have to last 100 years!!

I don't mind binding really as I know I am nearly finished. BUT what I do is I always make the binding when I have finished the top. So I make it when I have the cutting board and iron out, this way when the quilting is finished the binding is ready to go. I hand sew it on when I am watching the telly at night

I love to piece and bind, I hate to quilt. I agree with everyone, try all the ways and find your own.

I love to do bindings, I have a small part time job doing the bindings for a LA quilter, I find it very relaxing, if I lived near you kbishburg I would do your bindings for you, but we are SO far apart, vbg

Kamaiarigby
New Zealand

I think I'm lucky - I love hand work and sewing the binding to the back means the quilt is almost ready to give away and I can get on with the next project! (although, I must admit that by the time I get halfway through a king size binding, I feel like it will last forever.)

One thing that helps with hand fatigue is pressing the bindings with steam, first away from the quilt, then the fold to the back side. I tried using glue a couple of times and that stuff is really great as long as you keep it away from where you need to sew. No need to pin and takes a LOT of stress off of your hands while you're sewing.

But, just pressing without glue works great for me, too. The crease seems to last long enough to get the binding sewn on and I'm not fighting with pins or clips - I can just sew and concentrate on keeping the stitches invisible. :)

Wearing a thimble does take practice and I think deemail is right about trying to use too large a thimble. Mine almost cut off the circulation in my fingertips, but they stay on. And they've also got a rim around the top and ridges along the sides so that the needle doesn't slide off the top. The whole thimble can catch the needle and push it - even along the sides.

Good luck to you and I hope you find something that makes this step more fun or rewarding for you! :)

Thanks for the tip. I have already ordered. Kind of reminds me of when the costly daughter was an infant and WOULD NOT take a pacifier. I'd speak with other Mom and they'd say "Oh my baby will only take the XXXX". She never would take one but I wound up with a fine collection of pacifiers!!

I will be down in January But I have other work to do. If you want your red work done, that is what I will be doing. :)

Yes, I do a lot of my binding all on machine.

But, when I want the quilt to be special I do machine sew only one side and then hand sew the other. In this case I reward myself and settle in for a good movie on DVD or TV and a treat for myself when i finish.

ali

I honestly don't mind binding. I handstitch mine to the back using a ladder stitch while I watch tv in the evening. Using the ladder stitch is really fast. I don't use pins, I use a couple of hair clips. In the future, when my hands won't tolerate handstitching anymore, I'll make the change and go to machine binding, and I won't feel the least bit bad about it. We should all do OUR quilts the way WE want to. No guilt, no apologies. @ Kitsie: I LOVE the way you used your machine's blanket stitch on your binding. It's lovely!!