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I was able to get my binding made last night. It is wrapped around an old paper towel tube waiting to be added to the quilt...now if I could just get the backing fabric in the mail I could finish up. Waiting for something to be delivered is always so hard!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scissor Queen

I don't know where you got the idea you have to use bias binding to miter corners. You don't. You need bias binding for curves. As long as your quilt has straight edges straight grain binding is fine.

Some people say that bias binding wears better than straight grain binding.

:shock: Well, I'm certainly going to have to try out a straight grain binding on my grandson's quilt then! I've got a few strips of the border fabric left but it was going to be a major pain to cut it in diagnal strips and sew together four hundred little strips to get my binding. This way I can simply cut long, straight lines. That sounds much easier!! I think this will be the first straight edge binding I've ever made so this should be interesting. It's good to know that after 18 years I'm still learning new things! :lol:

I always make my own binding. I use 2 1/2" strips and piece them together. The hardest part is sewing the binding to the front of the quilt if it is any bed size. My husband has to stand facing me when I am doing it and hold the quilt up so that it doesn't pull against the machine. You should have seen us when I was putting the binding on my older daughter's king size 20th anniversary quilt. I always finish them by hand. I can usually complete the task while watching a few TV shows in the evening.
I recently tried finishing the binding on a couple of Linus quilts on the machine because they will get a lot of heavy washing. That was harder than the king size quilt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpspeedy

I recently tried finishing the binding on a couple of Linus quilts on the machine because they will get a lot of heavy washing. That was harder than the king size quilt.

You might like the machine method in this Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3n

I use straight grain too but across the WOF - it's a tad weeny bit more stretchy than the length so sits more nicely. I'd say jelly rolls would be perfect for a scrappy binding. I'd join them on the bias then fold them raw edges together and right side out. The only 'tools' you need are an iron and your own two hands! Oh, and a can of spray starch. :D

i use the length of the fabric exactly for the opposite reason. it pulls the quilt into the correct measure and doesn't stretch out of shape.
Tiffany

butterflywing wrote:
i don't know what others do, but i cut my binding on the straight grain, unless i specifically want diagonal stripes for the effect they give. the straight grain makes a much squarer and flatter quilt edge, imo.

Tiffany wrote:
Do you miter the corners on your binding? If so, how well does that work with the binding cut on the straight edge? I know it is like a quilting commandment that if you miter corners you need bias cut binding, but I can't help but wonder if it would work just as well with straight cut binding.

butterflywing answers: i have always mitered the corners. well, not always, but mostly. it works just fine. i especially do it on wrap-around bindings.

Thanks for the link. That was educational. I always use a walking foot. I did learn one thing about my corners. When I retart the seam I need to start a 1/4 in. I am just used to doing it by hand and don't mind. In order to use the machine I had to do a lot of pinning for the second side. One more step just isn't fast enough for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nativetexan

i use 2 1/2 inch strips for binding. but i have no idea what size binding maker you should buy. i just fold my strips in half and lay raw edge down onto raw edge of my quilt and sew on with a 1/4 inch seam.
good luck.

this is my method also....I don't think you can use a bias maker on 2 1/2" strips....