I have finished my first quilt...a king size...handquilted. Now it's time for the binding which I'm scared to start. It's just so big, and I did make a wallhanging that was 25 x 25 and I messed up the binding on that. My corners weren't pretty, it was kinda warped and there was even a 2 inch spot that the machine didn't catch, and I had to re-do that. So I have been putting off starting the binding for over a week. I kinda wish I had left enough backing to bring to the front.

Try try again! Google some tutorials on making bindings...I found a lot of help for those corners.

You hand quilt a KING SIZE QUILT, and you are scared of the binding??
Girlfriend, you are nearly done, bite the bullet, read some of the tutorials, view some You tubes and get it done!!! ;)

I've watched Sharon Schamber's binding video, which also scared me. It just seems to me that trying to glue and iron 110 feet of binding to a king size quilt will be almost impossible. I just have a regular ironing board.

I too was terrified of binding, but I tried Sharon's way. It really is easier. The glue binding is great. It really isn't going anywhere once it's glued. My miters came out really well and the binding looks really good. Don't be nervous about it. After all, you just done a KING size quilt. That really terrifies me!!

Don't try to use your ironing board for this. Throw a blanket over your table. It'll make it easier.

If you can hand quilt a king sized quilt, you can certainly do this! Take a deep breathe and go for it. (Perfect corners are highly overrated anyway...)

My sentiments exactly....you've done amazingly well, so just go for it. If you get stuck we will be here to help you out.

oh my...I hear ya..it can be intimidating on such a large quilt...BUT...make you a practice sandwich...pillow size (16") and just baste it all on...paying close attention to how you lay those corners....

if it works you have a visual reference..if it is still ugly, pull the threads and go again til it does work....you CAN do this....corners are my down fall...I have finally learned to cut some of the batting out on the edges before trying to miter my corners!

You'll get it. Just takes a little practice. Practice on small quilted squares. I learned from Nancy Zeimen, Sharon Schamber, and Missouri Quilt Co tutorials. Went over them again and again and it finally clicked! The corners get very easy as long as you remember to sew up to 1/4" from edge, do the angle, flip up, flip down. (shown in any tutorial on binding) A binding tool is very helpful to piece the ends together. With a King sized quilt, I would sew the binding to the front, fold over then hand stitch the back binding using a blind stitch.

Can someone list the link to Sharon's binding video?

Thanks

this is for part one..there are 3 parts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PE0Yq9iGlc

I love those MO quilts tutes as well!

If u can do a king size quilt u can do binding. U tube has great tutorial. Just jump in use glue if u have to! Good lick and keep us posted!

Also check out the binding instructions (if showing now) on www.quilterstv.com (on the internet) under Quilters Cafe.

I found the Missouri Star Quilt company to have the best tutorial on binding becuase it was fairly uncomplicated. You can google it and then go to tutorials.

I too used to be scared of binding ... my first quilts, I even had the quilter put the binding on.

Then I started to think there's no reason why I can't save tne $ and do it myself. Now I enjoy binding and love putting that finishing personal touch on a project as I finish it up.

Practice ... and practice some more ... and you'll soon wonder why you had the fear!

PS ... remember that FEAR is merely
False
Evidence
Appearing
Real!!!!!!!!!

You go girl. If you stayed with it long enough to hand quilt a king size quilt you've got what it takes to finish the job. Congratulations. Would love to see a picture of your quilt.

Hey, I'm rootin' for ya! If I can do it, so can you!
Please show us when you're finished.

I just did a queen size, if I can you can *LOL* my corners wern't perfect either but who looks at the corners?.......

Don't think about the 110 feet of binding. Just take it an inch at a time :lol: and maybe it won't sound so overwhelming.

Aww, you don't want to do that. Many quilts have wavy lettuce-leaf edges because it was self-bound. The quilting slightly shrinks the quilt...but not the outer edge if it is turned for binding! Go ahead and use the same fabric, but for Pete's sake cut it off and make it a proper binding. There are some good tutes you can watch to help you. Finishing the binding is one of my favorite parts of making a quilt. And corners are so SO easy!
Oh heck, just send the thing to me, I'll do it

I iron the binding up after I machine stitch it on, then I turn it over the edge and use just 2 binding clips to hold it while I hand sew it down. My corners are perfect. I haven't yet found the need to use glue

I agree - get going!! I hate binding, but its the downhill run to finishing!! Read read read, watch watch watch, and do do do!!

Binding is my favorite thing! Go slow and try again....you can do it :-D

You CAN do this!! Let that be your mantra as you work on it. NanaCsews2 suggested what I was going to suggest – practice on small quilted squares. You could take a 6” square and machine sew and ‘X’ like you would for a rag quilt and then put a binding on it. Once you get the hang of it you'll realize how easy it really is.

is there a quilt shop or a senior center with quilters near you? i'm sure someone could help.

If I'm uncertain about any binding I use Elmer's school glue to secure it and then do the sewing. You put little dots of glue, no you don't need a special tip, to the turned down binding and heat set with an iron. This gives you a chance to play with the corners and then no pins in your way as you sew. It will give you such satisifction to have a really neat finished quilt. Glenda

Renee - I sent you a pm.

You can do the binding! I know you can! I got a little miter tool from my LQS that really helped me with my corners. I can't remember the name of it right now, but if you go in and ask for it, the staff might know. Go for it girl! And let us know when you're finished!

I love your acronym!

I agree with Marie.. You've got the hard part done.

I always refer to my Quilting Basics book before tackling binding. I used the double fold method and pin, pin, pin. But only pin one side at a time. It makes it easier to handle the bunching and make the corners smooth.

I never try and pin or glue the whole binding.

Good Luck.. Take your time and it will be OK.

I have a business of binding for people who are afraid of binding! Just send it to me and I will bind it for you. You can see my charges at my website quiltingbymarie.com
I love to bind quilts! sounds crazy I know but I do. If I were closer to you I would even teach you how to do it so you wouldn't have to be afraid.

Well, if one of us had a 100 foot long ironing board to use, then I'm sure they will step up and offer it. Don't look at the whole picture! Consider this that the longest journey starts with just one step. ;)

I put a thickness of tape at the width of the binding that I need to sew, so that it is straight.

On those corners, fold it like the diagrams say. Then check is the fold at the top right on the edge of the quilt, not over and not under. Where the binding is overlapped are those edges right on top of each other. Is the binding that is going down the new side of the quilt straight with that edge.

Do you have a friend that does good corners that can make you fold yours in front of her to see how you are doing it?

Then there is the subject of who in the world cares or even notices if those corners are square. If it is being hung in a quilt shop or a quilt show, possibly, but that is the least noticed part of a quilt

Done is best

Keep on 'practicing'. I have bound my third quilt and it has improved tremendously from my first. As the saying goes, "try, try, try again."

Start in the middle of the side and leave a 12" piece hanging. sew around to the corner, make a 45 degree fold back on itself and then fold it back on itself with the fold even with the edge, sew thru the fold and on down to the next corner. Repeat all around. When you get to the end leave another 12 inches and cut the extra off. Fold one corner of the edge at another 45 degree and press, now put the other edge into the fold and trim so there is just a little under the fold. and sew thru it. now just turn to the back and hand stitch. Be sure you get a mitered corner and I sew that down so I get a nice sharp corner. I cut my binding at 2 1/2 " and sew it on with the
1/4 ". Jan

I too..wonder why you'd be scared..if you hand made this quilt..you can bind it..I for one find binding easy ..we were just talking about this in my quilt group..what scares some of us and what is easy for some..I panic on the quilting of them..find mitered corners and binding a breeze..so BITE THE BULLET you'll be fine!!

When I turn my binding to the back, I iron it over, making sure it is an even width all the way around. I go ahead and fold the miter on the back, give it a shot of Magic Sizing and iron it too. (Don't leave the iron on it too long...ask me how I know!) Makes it easy to do the back and have it turn out nice. On the front, I do it the same as everyone else. I still have problems joining the tails so they are "invisible", but I'm getting better. Just keep practicing and don't be afraid to try.

I have used Sharon's method many times now and find it to be the easiest. Gluing the binding on is so helpful, and you don't have to mess with pins. You can either hand stitch or machine sew down the binding after you attach it on. I machine sew since I don't like to hand stitch. I just glue that into place too. I then finish off my binding with a decorative stitch to hide any flaws from sewing the binding down. The decorative stitch is very cute on baby quilts.

The Missouri Quilt Co has AWESOME tutorials for this. The best finished look, IMHO, is to machine sew on the front and hand sew, w/ invisible stitches, the back. If you had the patitence and fortitude to hand quilt a King Size quilt putting the binding on will be a breeze. Of course, sometimes we are sad when projects end and this is the final step. Rejoice in finishing!