I really like this advice.... :thumbup:

You can use the zigzag stitch as a decorative stitch....I finished some of my big quilts this way.....It turn out great for my standarts but ....I must admit .they are not too high....( :lol: :lol: :lol: )
Enjoy whatever you are doing and good luck

While at youtube, check out the Sharon Schamber technique.
She has excellent videos on preparing the binding, sewing it to the quilt, and turning it. This video shows it stitched by hand (for very important quilts) but she also has a power point presentation on turning and stitching by machine. She is a prize winning quilter and this method does work.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PE0Y...eature=related
http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

i fold my binding back, covering the stitching line, then insert a straight pin from the front, pinning along the "ditch" where i will sew. the pins face the machine foot and i pull them out as i go. i hold the binding a bit after pulling the pin out and 99% of the time i catch it all. just pin corners well. works .

I think you'll find this helpful:

http://www.youtube.com/user/SharonSchamberNet

Leah Day did a tutorial on this. I tried it, but I didn't like the way it looked. I'm back to the old-fashioned, hand-sewing way. The only quilts I machine bind are my Downy quilts (and they require it).

I have that problem too. Need help.

This is what I do also. Hand sewing is a painful proposition for anyone with arthritis, and I just refuse to do it. But sewing the binding on the back with the machine and then turning it to the front and finishing with a decorative stitch works so well. There are so many ways to skin a cat, aren't there!!

:lol:

I sew the binding on the back, bring it to the front and then stitch using invisible thread in the BOBBIN. When you wind the bobbin, wind slower than usual and wind less on the bobbin than normal. Works for me...............you can barely see the bobbin stitches.

kwiltnutt

I just tried sewing it on the back and bringing it to the front today for a table runner I did. It worked great. I did a decorative stitch and had no problem.

I sew binding either/or to back or front depending on the design I want to create... Frame the back or match the front. I then do a serpentine stitch and it finished nicely.

Friday evening I attended a quilt night at the church 6:00 to midnight. One of the women sat and pinned her binding on while we all chatted. She too asked this question. Her binding was the same fabric as the backing. I told her.....I don't cut a separate binding. I leave about a 3" piece of the backing longer than the front the quilt. Have the quilt..quilted and then I fold the backing over to the front front of the quilt and stitch it using a simple decorative stitch.

Have you seen the Ricky Tims video 'Grand Finale'? He demonstrates a super way of attaching the binding to the WS first and then stitching in the ditch on RS, having put a very narrow 'piping' on the binding strip first. (Sorry, that sounds a bit longwinded!) But I've followed his instructions and it works beautifully, with no handstitching!

I have tried on several occasions to put the binding on with the machine. It just doesn't look as good as by hand. Guess I am of the old school. I think I will try the decorative stitch on a mini quilt.
Peace and Blessings

watch sharon schambers video on you tube. She makes it look so easy.

Here is the link
http://quiltinggallery.com/2008/05/1...s-school-glue/

Best wishes
Chris

Sometimes, IF my project is not too heavy, I use the zipper foot. Stitch the binding to the front, fold to back so it's a (scant) 1/8" wider than the front. Make sure it's even.Pin. Stitch on top side: Line the edge of the zipper foot snugly against the binding. Stitch. You'll hardly notice the stitching in front and the back should be nice and even. Is that the Quilt Police knocking at the door...

You could use invisible thread on the front of the binding with an machine applique stitch. It wouldn't be too noticeable that way. Good luck.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so I hope I'm not repeating anything. This is what I do: I cut the binding strip a little wider (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wider depending on the thickness of the batting). Fold in half as usual. Sew to the right side of the quilt. Roll over to the back. Here, you will see that the binding on the back is a little wider than on the front. On the front, machine stitch as close to the binding as you can get. The "fluff" of the binding and the quilt will usually hide the stitching. In so doing, the back binding will be caught in the stitching and looks neat.

Edit: Oh, I see that Hevemi does the same thing. And yes, I agree about the QP.

how does the material move evenly if not using a walking foot?

I thought "skinning cats was a Texanism!" And here you are using it in New Hampshire. Small world!

Hey!!! I thought we fired the QP! I live on a private lane and my dogs won't let them down here. I have a rottie and a great dane so the quilt police will never get past them!!!

go to Pat Sloan's website. She has a tutorial on machine binding that is really great. She has a video and then a PDF that goes with it. Very informative!

I loved this tutorial! It was clear and easy to understand.
Thanks so much!

I do this for quilts that are for my grandkids. But for the big ones or gifts, I will take the time to hand stitch them. It takes time but it looks so much better.

Glad you liked it. Hope your project goes well.

I used a binding which I have Named Binding for Security. I was asked to quilt a top and then put binding onto a top made by a teenage girl. I knew this would never become a family heirloom and that it would get lots of "hard use" So I cut binding 3 1/4" wide instead of 2 1/2". The extra width allme after I had sewn binding to the top side, to turn it to the back side and "Stitch in the ditch from the front. You could not see the row of stitching on the right side and just saw a line of stitching on back side. Hope this helps. Karen K.

I used a binding which I have Named Binding for Security. I was asked to quilt a top and then put binding onto a top made by a teenage girl. I knew this would never become a family heirloom and that it would get lots of "hard use" So I cut binding 3 1/4" wide instead of 2 1/2". The extra width allowed me after I had sewn binding to the top side, to turn it to the back side and "Stitch in the ditch from the front. You could not see the row of stitching on the right side and just saw a line of stitching on back side. Hope this helps. Karen K.

Hi,
Here are some pictures on my blog of what you are asking about. Hope it helps:
http://meinca-mainer.blogspot.com/20...le-quilts.html

judee

I found Sharon Schamber's video wonderful. On another thread we are trying to figure out how to get the tip she uses on the Elmer's School Glue. I was totally amazed. Would never think of using school glue and a hot iron to glue down the binding before sewing! Learn something every day on this board.

She has a link on her website to purchase it. However, shipping costs as much as the tip does so if someone finds a reasonably priced tip, please share.

Try looking in a crafts store. I got one a few weeks ago with something I ordered, but darned if I know where I put it....

Second I just used the idea somebody posted the other day where you made the two strips and stitch them together. A seam ends up on the edge and you topstitch the front and back at the same time. First try and it turned out good and it was fast. Plus you can have different color bindings on the front and back of the quilt.

This exactly how I do it, mainly because I am very impatient and by the time I get to the binding I want to be done w/ that paricular project. Love the u-tube link, thanks for sharing, I always forget to use the walking foot-makes the method so much easier if I choose to use that method.

When I do a binding completely by machine I sew it first to the back, then bring to the front. I use a small decorative stitch on the front as I think it looks prettier than a straight stitch.

Sally

Where is this tutorial?

I used by blind stitch foot and adjusted it to the width i need, a few spots didn't catch, but for the most part it looks pretty decent without spending hours on it

This is a great way to do it. I also use water soluble glue to tack it down (press with iron to dry the glue fast and more securely).

How about doing a blind or hem stitch instead of the zigzag? Just a thought. All the best

I have also done it this way. Just make sure the back portion of the binding is a tiny bit wider that the front part so the stitches will catch the edge of the binding. Mine came out great (only missed a few spots and they were easy to fix!) Looked just fine.

My very favorite method of binding a quilt is how Kaye Wood
does it. Your miter is sewn in and it works every time.
I cut my binding strips 2 1/2" and sew them to the back and turn over the front and stitch down with either a straight
or fancy stitch.
Sharon W.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7Mm_mkbCc

If you can get Ricky Timms DVD on how he does quilts it is worth it. On the DVD he shows you how to do a binding with a piping and it only takes me about 3-4 hours from start making the piping to the finished quilt.