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.

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!!

i've never liked the way machine applied bindings look- so i do it the old fashioned way- for me it is the greatest part of the quilt process---because it means it's finally done! i usually wait until there is a good movie on or something like that=sit on the couch and just stitch away- usually by the end of the movie i am almost done---and feeling very good about it...as for your blister---try to pace yourself---don't try to do them all at once- plan to work on one for about an hour----then take a break-give your fingers a break- and give them some nice lotion---a few hours later go back and work for another hour---repeat---when one is done give your hands a couple days off---and also be generous with nice lotion- one of my favorites is "gloves in a bottle"
after a couple days off- start the next one---and again-take breaks--you will find you will be more productive- and get further if you give yourself breaks during the process.

I also am not keen on hand sewing the binding. The last 2 or 3 bindings I did, I did by machine and was very pleased with it.

I sewed the binding to the back and then pressed it to the front. I then cut some very thin strips of visflex? (the stuff you use for applying an applique, that has the peel off paper on the back) and I used that to fuse the binding into place on the front. I was able to place it so that the edge of the binding was held in place right on the stitching line. I then used a blanket stitch that I have on my machine and was able to make it very narrow and barely visible. A blanket stitch (or any fancy stitch) as in the blue quilt posted further up is very nice too. I intend to use this process for any quilts I do in future.

On the other hand, the ones I have hand stitched didn't take as long and weren't as bad to do as I had thought. I, like others, sat in front of the tv and just took my time and it was soon done. I still prefer to machine stitch the bindings on though :)

I just completed my first hand sewn binding last night and love the look of it. BUT it takes too long. This quilt was hand pieced and quilted so I did hand sew the binding down (though cheated and used the machine to sew it to the front) but I don't crease my binding or pin it fast, I sort of eyeball it. I think it has a nicer edge when there's no crease pressed in it. But I do use a thimble and learned how to use one when I started hand quilting, now I have a problem sewing without one, but I found one that fits perfectly and panic when I can't find it. When I use my other not as great fitting one, I can only do a little at a time before my finger hurts. Good luck!

I know this is against all 'rules' but I trim the fabric from the back to about 2". Trim the batting to about 1". Bring the back around the front and fold. I stitch it on with a machine stitch or by hand. I just have to tweak the corners into a mitered look by hand. I can't figure out why the back is trimed off just to add something. I make sure the backing fabric complements the quilt top. Merry Christmas everyone!

It's not cheating to use the machine to sew the front OR the back - whichever way will get it done the best is the way to use. :) The main thing is to get them done and have them be neat and sturdy.

It's not cheating to pull the back around to the front, either. If the backing coordinates nicely with the front, it's a great shortcut. I have only done this a couple of times, but when I do, I try to double the thickness of fabric that protects the edge of the quilt. Mitering the corner is tricky but it can be done. And if you don't want to fuss with it that much, use an Amish-style corner and it will be attractive, too. :)

Whatever gets them done - do it. Even if you have to do it by hiring (or bribing with chocolate) someone else to do it for you. ;)

I feel one machine stitches the quilt and machine quilts it so what is wrong with machine sewing the binding. I do it on the right side with a very slight wavy stich and unless you are doing it on plain fabric it is very difficult to tell it is even machine stitched.

I love machine binding. Have a favorites button on my Bernina that I save the settings so I don't have to think about it. Just sew. Hope you find an easier method to help you. Tuts here are great.

Say it loud and say it proud! This is my thinking also. If the quilt top is machine stitched and the quilting is machine stitched and the first seam of the binding is machine stitched, why not finish the binding with machine stitches? I know that traditionally seams are generally hidden (at least that's true with clothing), but all the quilting stitching is right out where you can see it.

Tate

I don't like binding and have plenty of unbound quilts to prove it. I bind in an emergency only (quilt going to someone.) I have a friend who machine binds and she loves it. I see from the examples here that it can be beautifully done. Oh my gosh, another thing to learn! LOL

love to do binding!!!
 

If you really hate to do the binding and don't mind the expense of someone else doing it for you, send me a PM and we'll talk. My passion is hand work and my work is good. Madeline

I like to bind my quilts. And my LA Quilter gives me a little off the price, because she doesn't like to do bindings either. LOL Just send them my way and I will do them. Again LOL

I hate to bind my quilts/wallhangings. When I do bind I use a leather thimble which I find is the best for me. I couldn't use a metal one or those little dots.

Why wouldn't you sew it on to the front and then decorative stitch it to the back? I think it looks nicer that way.

There is a tutorial on here for glue basting binding. I think amma did it. I use it all the time! I have factory hands. Always sore. Since I started doing it this way I don't mind it at all! :)

I always machine sew on the front and hand sew the back. There are many great tutorials for the binding. Is it really the binding you hate or the connecting of the ends of the initial binding that you hate? Are you using bias every time or sometimes straight grain? Straight grain is easier if it's just square. Bias is necessary if you're edges are scalloped. Look for tutorials on the entire internet not just here. There are many great ones.

Crafterrn1 - Thanks for the info about Pat Sloan tut! I checked it out and I think I will give it a go! 3 quilts to finish before Christmas, this will definately speed things up!

I do not like to sew anything by hand so I pay my friend to hand sew the binding down. I know that's sad but it's the only way I would ever see a quilt totally finished.

You should go into business. If there was someone around here, I would love to have them do bindings for me. I love to sew, quilt...everything but doing the bindings. I usually let them pile up until I have a bunch to do and then I have no choice but to do it :(

You can actually hire it down for a very reasonable price (smile). I think many people don't like this.

If I were next door, I'd do the binding for you. Ideal TV watching job!