I would do that too if I had a friend that sewed!!! It takes me forever because I have nerve damage in my shoulder which causes my fingers to go numb whenever I do anything that requires fine motor skills. I have to stop often (about every 12") to wiggle my fingers and rotate my shoulders.

And just where are you in Indiana? I might have to hire you!!!

I found an elderly lady that needs some spending cash and I pay her to do it..she LOVES it...and I love her quality workmanship...works for us both!

I do my quilts by machine - sew to front, turn to back and SITD from the front. Invisible from the front and just a nice line of stitching on the edge of the binding on the back. No pins and just a little glue for the corners. My next project is a curved binding on a Spicy Spiral - I'm not looking forward to doing those almost pointed ends. Of course, it will have to be done by hand. If my hands won't let me, I have a daughter who does very nice work, but I'd rather do it myself.

Some I stitch by hand and some I do this way. You can also use decorative stitches for this. I like to do this especially on baby quilts.

I am also thimble challanged so I use the Thimple Pads that stick to my third finger and this works for me. They come in a packet and now they can be found at the fabric and quilting stores.

Binding is not my favorite thing to do either but for me my mother and I both quilt and when its time to bind we get together and somehow the chatting and catching up on all the latest "gossip"' sure makes time go by muc faster and you are really not focused on the task at hand and how you don't like it.

Binding
 

I hear ya I also hate to bind any size of a quilt,don't mind making simple quilts just hate the binding.I had rather quilt a queen size quilt on my regular machine than to bind a twin size,I know that sound a little crazy but really I hate binding.

I bet one of your sewing friends would do it for fabric trade. It took me a year..but now I am fine with doing the binding. I do it by machine. First the back and flip to the front and then us a decorative stitch Love the look.

I understand. There are parts of quilting that I don't like too but I do like the hand work when binding. I HATE the look of poorly done machine stitched binding. I actually enjoy the process of finishing off my quilt with that personal hand stitching. I like embroidery work too. It was the first "craft" I learned as a little child. I embroidered bibs for my baby brother when I was just short of six years old. That makes hand work a really comfortable skill. Sorry it is not a process you enjoy, buthat is a BIG motivation to become an expert at machine binding.

I really enjoy hand-binding, but you have a lot of projects to finish, and that gets tough. I just put on good old movies, plop myself on the floor of the family room and have a good ole time. If I lived closer, I'd come over and help you out :-)

Hi,

I think mastering binding is the toughest part for all new quilters OR quilters who have not found their "way" yet. I stumbled around for about 2.5 years in this area. I took a "borders and binding" class once and it left me more confused...lol I bought the "Fons and Porter" binding tool and NO ONE could figure out HOW to use that thing.. so I gave it away.

The suggestion of making lots of pot holders or mug rugs is a great way to play with this until you find your binding "mo-jo". For kids quilts or what I call "USING QUILTS" I machine sew the entire binding on with a double row of stitching in the binding. I attach to the back first and then to the front. I use a SUPER SIMPLE way to join the tails of my bindings that works EVERY TIME. Drops the final binding down soooo perfect with no guessing or measuring. I've been hoping to make a tutorial of the steps. I think reading it could be confusing, but I did a demo at my quilt group and even ladies who'd been quilting for years could not believe it works. I originally saw it on a quilting show several years back and luckily I had my VCR running. It was just a quickie fairly insignificant 5 min segment on some show. I watched it back about 5 times and tried it. It's my tried and true method.

Basically.. you cross your tails over..and mark where they meet in the center. You cut off the lower/under tail at that line. You open up the tail you cut off and measure the width. So.. if you had cut a 2" wide binding strip -when you open that cut off tail it's 2". You ADD WHAT EVER the wide of that binding strip to the upper binding strip and cut off there. So... on the upper tail you'd add that 2" in length before cutting off. Then you open both bindings. Put them face to face and turn to make the 90° angle (like you're making binding lengths). Sew diagonally and fold it back in half and lay it down. It FITS every time. Once I double ck the fit I cut off the excess and sew it down.

There are a couple Youtubes that are close to this, but they complicate that last step. Just add the width of the binding to the top tail. Some tuts have you split that length between the upper and lower tail. It's not necessary.. just open the chunk of binding you cut off and add that width to the upper tail. Cut, join..and you're done.

IT NEVER FAILS.
.

I struggled with binding for a long time until I discovered the Shelley Rodgers method. Just use your search engine and type in Shelley Rodgers binding instructions. It has step by step pics as well. I find it to be a no fail method, and I actually love doing binding now. Give it a try and good luck.

I always enjoy binding my quilts, since I hand quilt, I don't mind binding by hand. It's kinda like I'm saying goodby to the quilt when I stitch the binding down. My very favorite part is the hand quilting, so finishing kinda makes me sad.

Kathryn,
I don't mind doing binding since I found Sharon Schamber's "Elmer's Glue Technique". I can bind a lap quilt in about an hour. I use the technique to match patterns on the backing or anywhere else that I need to match. I bound a circular tree skirt with a striped binding with only a few pins and the stripes matched (they were joined on the diagonal). On kid's quilts, I put the binding on backwards and use a decorative stitch on the front). On more decorative quilts, I hand stitch the binding down.
Here is the link to her technique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE
Try it, I think that you will like it.
Dolly in MI

I enjoy binding my quilts. I guess I think it gives my permission to start thinking about anothe project. I hand stitch the back of the binding. I thought about machine stitching the back but I like that I can take my sewing tote and quilt and join the family in the TV room for awhile and still sew.

I actually like to do the binding...it seems such a peaceful thing to do.

I find it amazing that I totally LOVE handquilting, but hate to do the bindings, too. I've got a 3/4 finished tree skirt, and a small Christmas wallhanging I need to do this week, and I'm SO not looking forward to it.

I don't mind at all doing the binding. I sit in front of the TV and am warm from the quilt and my hands are occupied. My suggestion is if you don't like to do the binding or find it boring, have a binding party. I did this for our quilt guild raffle quilt. I was in charge of the quilt and it was 106" X 106". We had about six of us show up and we sat around the quilt and had it done in no time. We gathered at our LQS and she provided treats for us as well as the space. We had a great time stitching and socializing.

Just found a ton of tutes on bindings after googling the Shelley Rodgers method: http://www.needlepointers.com/ShowAr...spx?NavID=1671

Thanks for sharing the pictures...that is great and I love the look of it. I will have to try that on my next quilt.

I hate to bind too!!!! I usually hire it out....LOL. Except for the quilts I have made for family...I sit down and painfully hand sew them. LOL

I used to have my mother do the bindings for me because I dislike getting the quilt trimed and sewing it on the first time. I finally learned a fast way to trim using my ruler and rotary cutter. I have learned a way to attach the ends that works for me every time and now my bindings look good. I sew most of them on by hand because that is the way I do them the best. I have seen some machine bindings that looked very nice. Would like to learn how to do them so the back sewing would be in the ditch but can't seem to make them that way.

I don't mind binding my quilts, sometimes it seems a long ways around there but I fold the binding in half and sew it on the right side and I hand sew the binding to the back. I always hand sew mine to the back because I have not had much success at having it look very good when I try to finish it with my sewing machine. I'm satisfied with the way mine ends up. I can hand sew it pretty fast.

If you go to my blog: www.mylifeasaquilter.com, you will see a great way to machine quilt your bindings. It is so easy and it makes your quilt look like you went the extra mile to make it look great. I very much dislike binding. So much so, that I have a woman sew my binding on (I know, that's terrible), but I don't like binding...until I found this way and now I'm binding like crazy. It looks wonderful when you do it this way. Give it a look. It's the second post on my blog site. I just want to get the word out about this new way to bind (at least it's new to me).

I've got several quilts waiting to have binding done. I feel for you, it is always like I have to have myself talk myself into doing it, I only do machine on one side.

The Cut Rite Bind Up tool totally cured my binding blues. I'll be blogging about it and giving one away on my blog on January 9th. Here's the video about how it works.

http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/O...p%20Video.htm?

Love it! I couldn't quilt without it. In fact, I don't think I could go on living without it.

I love to do binding. On the old site I had posted a tutorial on how I do my corners and ending. Not sure where it is on this new site. I made it a word document so if anyone is interested PM your email address and I can send it to you in an email.

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. last night, I hunkered down with a rubber finger (Staples) on my thumb, put in the BBC DVD of Bleak House (10 hours long) and finished my hand binding about the time I finished Bleak House (yawn). I do find hand work relaxing - I prefer hand quilting to machine quilting but I think it was just doing too much at a time that it got me down. I still have 2 sandwiches to quilt and one quilt to bind for Chanukah. I hope to hand quilt on the 12 hour flight. Think I can get through security with the needle/

I have found the new Clover Wonder clips to be helpful. I saw a review and bought some. I tried them on a project and they are great. I had tried the gluing method (using Steam a Seam) a quilt teacher showed us, as well as the binding clips.

Saying that, I still have several that need binding. I did machine bind a baby quilt and it worked wonderfully using the wonder clips. I think I will say that for me physically I prefer machine binding, but I do like how hand binding looks.

Cloudshadows... It's not cheating to bring the backing to the front of the quilt for your binding. Many of our
"foremothers" did it this way and I for one still do... It is considered a very traditional finish :)

I spent a bit of time working to get the machine binding to where it was exceptable. It was time well invested as I really hate doing bindings.
Machine binding does not enhance my love for this part of the process , but it lessens the time I spend doing it.

I hate binding as well. I cannot use a thimble, I've tried all different kinds but just do anything with a thimble on. I have tried the little metal circular ones with limited success. Usually I tough it out and just get it done, my middle finger always gets sure but I consider it to be an unenjoyable part of quilting..

i just finished putting the binding on 4 quilts...you should see my poor fingers...as you.....it is my least favorite part of quilting, but it is all that was needed to get them ready for xmas....now to take care of my poor bobos lol

I don't mind binding at all. What I do is cut 2-1/2" wide strips from the width or length of the fabric (I only do bias for scalloped binding), sew the pieces together using a diagonal seam...press the long strip together lengthwise, and that's my binding.

I attach, using a bit more than a 1/4" seam and turn my corners by sewing to withing the seam allowance amount (about 1/4" or so)of the end of the row, then I sew off diagonally to the corner. Cut the thread...the diagonal seam allows me to turn up the binding along that seamline, fold it back down so the raw edge of the binding is along the raw edge of the next side edge of the quilt...then sew along that side...starting with my seam at the edge...sew down to the next corner and repeat.

To connect the sections, I have left about 10-12" in the start and end of the binding strip. I put a little mark in the seam allowance of the quilt where my seam join should start. Fold the end of one of the sides (either the start or end) diagonally..press...trim leaving 1/4" seam allowance...fold over the seam line I pressed...lay that side on top of the other side of the binding..mark the seamline... and trim 1/4" from that marked line.. put right sides together and stitch. When you match two diagonal seams, you will see an overlap of 1/4" on each long end of the diagonal cut...you start and end your stitches in the "V" formed..and your seam will be perfect. The main thing to remember is that your seam starts on the line you drew on the quilt seam allowance. Sounds hard...but once you do a few, it will be 2nd nature.

Turn to the back and either machine or hand sew the binding down.

Do practice a bit on little squares ...pot holders, table mats, etc. I think people make it harder than it needs to be. I used to have issues with turning the corners also..but finally realized how easy it can be...and am now a happy stitcher.

I also bring the backing to the front and machine stitch using an applique stitch (looks like a blanket stitch to me, but the manual calls it an applique stitch). I've done the binding separately and just get frustrated! This way it takes no time at all. Have a friend who prefers the more traditional - machine sew to the front, pull over and hand sew to the back. They're wonderful. But ... when she's in a time crunch her quilts come over to me and get machine stitched. Whatever works. The quilt police aren't welcome here!

(I trim the batting to about 1/4 - 1/2" with scissors. Then use my ruler and rotary cutter to trim the backing to 1" all the way around. Fold that in half - it touches the edge of the quilt top - then fold it over, pin and sew. My corners miter nicely. I read on here a long time ago - finished is better than perfect and before I settled for this method I was drowing in UFO's. Now there's only one of those in the house - that for some reason I cannot make myself finish! The current projects I'm working on - one being pieced, one waiting to quilt, and some placemats that need to be sandwiched - will all get finished. I started last summer with about 11 pieced tops that I just hated the thought of finishing. Ahhhh - growing up is fun to do!) :)

try some tape if you can't wear a thimble

I dont mind binding. It means I'm almost done!!