I have been working on a quilt and it is all ready to put the binding on. I have had more trouble with the binding than I did with the whole quilt!! I swear I am not doing this again without my mom present and willing to help. My seams were not all on the same side, so cut and redo.. Then the stupid cat kept attacking the other end. Oh man. Never again!!

Take a DEEP breath.. take a 15 minute break....relax , and try again... Bindings can be frustrating , it takes lots of practice...
Sharon

I actually cracked open a beer and am taking a break. LOL. (I'm out of diet Mountain Dew.)

I have to have this done by Saturday, so I will have to keep at it. Also, I bought a walking foot for my machine and it seems to pucker. I tried to smooth it out and the thread broke in the middle.. Had to re-sew. Calgon take me away!

If we lived close I would do it for you. I love putting binding on it is relaxing to me.

Sybil

Once the machine sewing part is done, I'm sure it will be a piece of cake. I have never done this by myself before. My mom has always been there walking me through it.

She tried over the phone, but... That's different.

I thought about calling the church ladies and asking one of them... I think it will go ok now. It's all pressed and ready to put on. Finally..

Binding is suppose to be exciting....it's the finish of the quilt. I wish I could help!!! After your break things will go better. As long as it was only 1 beer.. :lol: :lol: :lol:

I might have one more when I'm done, in celebration! :D

i love doing the binding!!! So, pack up your stuff and drive over (i live in Maple Grove) and we can have a binding party!!

That would be so great! But I cant now. I've had a beer! :lol:

ahhh shucks! well I guess tonight would be rough anyway...kids get home in about 40 minutes then off to hockey practice at 5:00....we will have to keep each other in mind for sewing quandries! Where are you (besides 1 hour N of MSP?)?

Isanti

Maggie

Take a look on the Quilt in a Day website. There is a video tutorial that I followed there, I think it's in the Techniques section. When you actually see it being done it makes it easier to follow. Even shows you how to mitre the corners. I watched it twice I think before I bit the bullet.
Good Luck.

Tisha

WOO HOO!! The binding is on the quilt! Now all I have to do is the hand stitching on the back.

Binding can be difficult, but I actually enjoy it also, because after that it is only the label. And I can do labels on the computer and print them on fabric ironed to freezer paper! Sewing them on is a breeze! :lol:
Good luck with the hand sewing, and don't forget a label for the quilt with a real name, because generations later who is Nana? or Mom? Which side did this come from, which grandma did the quilting, etc. Date and at least the state where it was made. (And not the state of insanity!)

Binding always seems to take sooooo much time. I do the back by hand. I want it to be done and usually have someone waiting not so patiently for the quilt for their bed. Right now it is my son.

Hi,

I see by reading your post that there are a few of us from MN on this forum.
I'm on the Iron Range up by Hibbing......originally from Duluth. Do get down towards the cities quite often as our son lives in Princeton.
I get to the Elk River, Rogers, and Princeton quilt stores quite often.

Hope you got our binding attached.....I have a huge one to do the binding on, but not in a hurry for it so am stalling.

Good luck with it!!

Bev

I love doing bindings...... maybe I should have everyone send their quilts to me to bind then I could be doing only what i love to do! lol :)

Bev - my sister lives in Hibbing and my mom lives in Princeton. Small world isn't it?

I detest binding! One reason why I will machine sew it on. I've also done the "pillowcase" on the quilt to get around no binding. My hand sewing is REALLY, REALLY bad!

Shadowdancer I just might take you up on that offer. :lol: I hate binding also but i'm getting pretty good and machining it on and having everything hit just right. I'm far from perfect yet but it's getting better everytime i try. As for handsewing I don't know how to do it. :lol:

I enjoy putting on the binding. I do the back by hand while watching mindless TV, waiting in Dr office, while hubby is driving etc. You can get a lot done while just "sitting".
Connie

It would be great if I knew how it do it. :lol: I think when I get this quilt quilted I'll go to the quilt store and see if they can teach me. :oops:

I use to find the binding very frustriating myself...then I figured there is no wrong way to bind a quilt..as long as it is binded there is no correct way to do it...so just play with different ways, till you find the one that your comfortable doing....

Maggie,

Does your sister quilt? I work at the quilt shop in Chisholm, maybe I have cut her fabric for her!
How about your Mom, does she go to Coles Country Treasures in Princeton? (think that's the name of it) I remember when my son moved there we drove down main street and I saw there was a quilt store and chewed him out cause he hadn't told me!
Have a great day in this small world....how true!!

Bev

No, my sister doesn't quilt. My mom may have been there though, because they have a cabin near Calumet.

The fabric for the quilt I am binding all came from Coles in Princeton. I love going in there. They have so many beautiful quilts on display. They just put up a new one and I am trying to decide if I can afford the kit. (I'm laid off right now.)

A tip I learned that made binding part so much better is to use a zig zag stitch around the edge of the quilt before sewing on binding. It really helps by keeping the quilt raw edges flat making sewing the binding on easier.

I agree--I love the binding part! it means the quilt is DONE and I can move on to something else! To have someone else do it can be expensive. I sew my bindings on with the machine, don't hand stitch a lick if I don' t have too!

Rose Hall

Wish I could come help. I love doing binding (I love all parts of quilting, but anyway). It's the light at the end of the tunnel.

If you've only done it a few times, I understand your frustration. It's definitely a practice thing.

Drink your beer, eat some chocolate, take a deep breath...

Good Luck,
Kara

I am going to try this tomorrow as I have a baby quilt ready to bind and have taken it off twice because I “slipped” off the back side twice while trying to machine bind it!!

I was at the LQS today and she was telling me that to get a good machine binding was to sew it to the front as most people do when they hem it on the back by hand. Then turn it over to the back and machine a decorative stitch (zig zag or something fancy) and then it will catch on the front and the back too.

Has anyone tried this way?

I just tried a small one by machine stiching to the back and then machine stitching on the front with a buttonhole stitch mirror image. There is a UTube video showing this.

You are to funny....if you had a beer you'll have that pot licker done in no time....:-)......I'm one of the odd ones I love the whole process of making a quilt...enen binding....once you learn the tricks it is easy.....:-)......funny girl hope you have success!!!

Ok, it's finished. And I am sticking with my original statement, no more binding without Mom!!

great job! it looks like it was worth the effort!
Rose Hall

I enjoying putting the binding on my quilts as well. That means that I have finished. I have a question for you about the labels. You stated that you just iron fabic (muslin) to freezer paper and print. Does this actually go through your printer without any problems?
chamby :?:

A good web site is:
http://quilting.about.com/od/binding...ing_strips.htm

It has the pictures and walks you through the process.

Sorry to hear that, binding is one of my favs. At lease you cat had a great time. :)

I didn't know that you could do the binding without hand-stitching. How is that done?

A recent article in a quilting magazine reminds us to also include our maiden names on our quilt labels...in case any future descendant wants to research the ancestor who made the quilt. As an amateur genealogy research person, I agree with the advice.

That would be great to print off labels for a finished quilt to sign them, Can you tell me more>

I agree with the breathing - and lock the cat out of the room!