Hate Binding Quilts!
 

I love to quilt but hate doing the binding. I have tried 3 methods (including the Binding Thingy) and I keep reverting to
the old tried and true overlap method. But then I don't like the way it looks unless I hand sew it. I made 6 quilts for the Holidays and still have 4 more to bind. I have worn a blister on the middle finger of my right hand because I am thimble challenged. How do others cope with binding blues?

Well, I'm just learning how to apply binding entirely by machine. Someone suggested making a bunch of potholders to practice, so that is what I will be doing. I have bursitis at this time of the year, so there is no way I can apply it by hand this winter. I wouldn't be able to even hold a rotary cutter due to the swelling.

I really don't mind binding once I get going on it. But for some reason I seem to put it off when my quilt is finished. I have several waiting for binding right now!

I here you on this one. I hate binding also. In fact I am know to hold off on binding something when I know my Mom is coming for a visit in a short time frame. She likes to do hand work and there has been times that I have asked her to hand sew on the binding for me. When this option does not work, I have found that I like the "Thimble-It" product. Here is a link to Hancock Fabrics website that offers it to let you know what it is. http://www.hancockfabrics.com/Thimbl...VVviewprod.htm.

It sticks to the spot on your finger where the needle would go. I do not like or can use thimbles and this is the only thing that has saved my finger when there is a LOT of binding to do. Hope this helps.

Hum well I love to bind my quilts. That being said I understand not wanting to finish the binding. I have 2 suggests. I hope will work. First one is Pat Sloan has a tut for machine binding. She never ever hand sews binding check it out. Second I look at binding as the final act to finishing my quilt. I enjoy hand work. I watch/listen to TV as I work and before I know it I am done. Yes the mitered corners are a challenge. I use The Binding Gizmo. Since I started to use it I have no lumps or bumps in the binding and usually I have good corners. I hope this helps.
http://www.nancysnotions.com/product...ok+and+tool.do
Luann

http://http://www.craftconn.com/Main...roductID=14988Since I found the jelly thimbles they're the only ones I use. <http://www.craftconn.com/Main.asp?Task=Custom&Step=Notion+Details&productID =14988>

Kathryn,

Sorry you are hitting a wall with binding your quilts. If Dallas was close to New Jersey, I'd drop by your house and do the binding for you -- I love binding. I struggled with bindings when I started quilting and read every book I could find. When I took Betty Cotton's course in Cotton Theory, she demonstrated how to do binding and it's been a snap for me ever since. Betty demonstrated the same thing I'd read in all those books, but seeing someone do it made it easy for me to understand. I do all my bindings by machine because I have arthritis in my hands, so hand bindings would never get done. I admire hand sewn bindings on other quilts, but I know that's not my reality.

I just want to encourage you to keep trying, keep experimenting until you find something that works for you. The nice quilters on this Board encouraged me to keep practicing with my FMQ and sure enough, I am getting better at it. One of these days I will be able to say I enjoy FMQing -- but that's a long time in the future!

Happy binding to you!

Many of us (and more every day) machine bind with very good results. I didn't learn from a tutorial, but I'm sure there are many. One thing that really helped my binding was to only pin a bit at a time of the binding to the quilt when first sewing it on. It sews on nice and flat and you don't have to "scrunch" or pull it to fit. Sew it to the back first, fold it over and use a decorative stitch on the front:[ATTACH=CONFIG]295281[/ATTACH]

jelly thimbles are good, like them, and the thimble it is great, use them also...but i think the main thimble problem is that many people use a thimble too large for them.... try a thimble that sits on your finger like a hat, leaving a little air pocket inside... then take off at specific points for a few minutes... to change the channel or stir the pot... but don't let your thimble touch the top of your finger...that is full of nerve ends and will get irritated every time... as to just hating the binding process....don't think of it as 'finish quilting', think of it as 'pre-using'... also when pinning binding on for the second seam... push binding STRAIGHT over at the point where you are pinning. do NOT let any slack go east or west with the fabric....push straight north and fold straight south, pinning at THAT point. when you go a few inches down for the next pin, do the same thing, never bring the fabric with you.... do each pin section as one separate thing. any tiny slack can be worked in as you sew if you don't slide it down letting it get bigger and bigger.

I don't like binding a quilt either but dislike it less since I started doing both sides by machine using some of the decorative stitches on my sewing machine. I've even though of going into business doing bindings since so many quilters seem to hate it so much. But i don't know if there would be a demand in my area.