Puckering In Binding
 

I have been following Jenny Doan's way of putting on binding. I use 2 1/2 inch binding, fold in half, press and attach to quilt. When joining ends I measure 2 1/2 inches and cut the top strip, then make a diagonal seam and press the seam open and the binding down on the quilt. At this point everything is fine but as I am attaching the binding the first thing I know is there is a small wrinkle on the top half of the binding and the further I sew the bigger it gets so at the end I have a nice little pucker. What could be the problem since it lays so nice before I begin to sew.

I make mine really snug when I make the join. Even an extra quarter inch is going to show up later. Another thing, your feed dogs are what pulls the material through. You can get puckers on the top if both parts don't pull through equally.

Question, are you sewing all but the final foot of binding down before you do the join? That only gives you 12 inches for any extra anything to show up. Easy to see if you are going to have any extra. FYI...I still hate that join. I always have to sew it several times. I'm very good at ripping!

i have found this as well... but just recently. i think, in the future, i will cut the binding at the connection just a bit shorter.

Did you use a walking foot? I would give a walking foot a try if you haven't already.

Yes, I do use a walking foot. I have no trouble with the binding as I am attaching it to the quilt but when it comes to that last 12-15 inches is where the pucker happens. It is almost like the walking foot is not working properly, but it is OK on all of the rest of the binding, so I can't figure out what is wrong.

I'd try sewing a little bit bigger seam rather than cut it off shorter to begin with. It's a whole lot harder to add that little bit back than to cut off a bit more after you get the adjusted length correct.

Yes, I am sewing all of the rest of the binding down with a walking foot before I do the join. What do you adjust to get the walking foot to feed evenly with the bottom layer. It puzzles me that all of the other binding seems to go on without a problem. I am wondering if the diagonal join is giving that little bit of binding too much give as you sew it down. I wonder if a straight seam at this point would help any.

Be very, very careful to not pull the binding as you're attaching it to the quilt. I've learned this the hard way and got puckers too. I also second the recommendation of a walking foot.

I found that even if I am careful, the binding does tend to stretch just a tad bit. I cut my binding 2-1/4 wide, but cut it just a bit over 2 inches to allow for that tad bit of a stretch. This has worked well for me.

Are you pinning your binding to the quilt sandwich before you sew it on? I don't. I almost always use bias cut binding; just my personal preference. I think it just hugs the edge of the quilt better than straight of grain. I also use diagonal joins. When I am sewing my binding to the top of my quilt sandwich, I lay the binding on the top and start sewing it on. As I am sewing, I will just keep laying the binding on top of the sandwich without pulling or stretching it. I stop 1/4" from the edge and then I do use a couple of pins to place my corners correctly. Works for me and I haven't had any issues with puckers. I also make sure that I don't have any joining seams anywhere near the ends of my binding.

I loosen the tension on the presser foot. My default is 6, when I work with walking foot, I loosen to 4. I use straight grain cut, diagonal joins...so far no puckers... But I also do NOT tug as I sew, just lay together and let walking foot keep layers going together.

Funny, I was going to recommend that you maintain a firm hold on the binding when sewing it on. I don't mean stretch the life out of it, but just hold it firmly as you sew. When I don't do this I get puckers. To each his/her own! Ann

I take a few seconds and pin the binding to the quilt. When I sew the binding on, I do provide a bit of tension. I don't have puckers.

Another thing - don't iron your binding in half. It actually wraps around the raw edges of the quilt better if you don't.

Try a walking foot. I hope you find the solution to this. That is frustrating.

This does happen to me on occasion also. When you fold it over you cant see it.

I think on my next binding I am not going to iron it in half.

I am assuming that the method you are talking about is joining the two ends of the binding with a seam before it is attached to the quilt. when I have tried this I was not happy with the results for the same reason. I start my binding with a good 1/2 inch folded back like a seam allowance on a bias angle. Then I attach the balance of the binding to over lap my seam allowance at the start, fold back as before and finish. Then I hand stitch the join before turning the binding to finish.

Perhaps this will work for you as it does for me - only pin first 6" or so of the binding to the quilt. Continue just laying the binding onto the quilt as you sew. You can pin 6-8" ahead as you go. I learned not to measure and try to fit binding. Leave long and just "lay it on". Never ever had a wrinkle or pucker this way!

I sew my ends together with 1/4 inch shorter than they should be. This will take care of the extra you get when sewing. Just have to pull it taut while sewing that last bit down. It works well for me.

I use the same method you do... starting 12"-14" from the end of the binding (leaving a tail not stitched) sew all the way around and stop about 12" from the first stitching. Overlap the ends and somewhere near the middle mark the center point on both "tails"...then cut one at the center point and the other 2 1/2" longer than that (or whatever the width of your binding is). Then make a diagonal seam to join, trim press and lay it flat (pin if you need to)...here is where I differ...I turn the quilt over and sew that last 12" with the binding on the BOTTOM! Little tip is "baggie on the bottom" (like "feet on the fold" when embroidering on a pillow case or on the binding with words, etc) baggie bottom allows the feed dogs to ease in any excess fabric, ends up perfectly smooth. This works on the serger as well, when joining two pieces that need to be eased sew larger piece on the bottom!

You know I think that might just work for me. I do know if you are piecing and one block is a tad bit bigger than the other, if you put the bigger block on the bottom it will ease in very nicely. Since I know this to be true I think the same principle would follow for the binding. I have a quilt ready for binding now so I am going to try your method. Thanks so much for sharing this "baggie on the bottom" tip.

I might try pinning down the quilt too if you're getting this significant of a pucker. I get a teensy pucker from the mild stretching that happens when you attach the binding to the front of the quilt - but usually it's so small that when I fold over the binding it's invisible and you cannot feel it so I don't worry about it. Somewhere the binding is stretching even if you don't realize it...I would suspect it's in an area where the weight of the quilt is pulling on the binding even though your hands are not. Maybe next time also take a moment to look at your surroundings and the table you're laying it on and the weight distribution of the quilt when you apply the binding. :) It's always the smallest thing that throws us off! :)

I think you might be stretching it a little bit as you sew. Even if it is a minute measurement to begin with, it will multiply over a longer seam. Just try to let the machine take up the material instead of pulling it into place. I really like the speedy methods that Jenny Doan has to make quilts. However, one has to be careful with the bias edges that are often associated with her methods as well. On the other hand, they can be very foregiving as well and allow you to fudge a bit if it is not quite right. Good luck with findin a solution.

I don't have this problem nor do I use my walking foot to attach the binding. I find this a very easy method to use; but since I like to be in control, I do not sew very fast.

I always use a walking foot to attach my binding and I never press or pin my binding. I just fold it as I go along and guide it along the edge of my quilt. I do stitch the edge of my quilt before hand using a 1/8+ seam. This holds the layers of my quilt stable. Sometimes I will use a bias binding and other times a straight of grain. I start with a 2.25" strip. The width of my walking foot is 3/8" so I use that as a guide rather than 1/4" seam. This means that I am stopping 3/8" at the corners to miter them. I use a different method to join the final ends in a miter. The method I use has leaving a tail at the starting and ending point and folding each tail back so that there is about 1/8" gap between the two folded ends. You cut at one fold and then use that cut piece the width of the binding (in my case 2.25") to measure from the other fold to cut the other tail off. You then bring one cut end perpendicular to the other and sew a miter. I know this sounds confusing but the bottom line is that my unsewn strips of binding after I cut them are a tad shorter to allow for the stretching that occurs when you join your miter. This works for me every time and I don't have puckers.

I don't know if I learned it from Jenny Doan but, when you have sewn down all but the final tail of the binding, overlap the tail the same amount as the width of your binding. EX, if your binding is 2 1/2 over lap the tail 2 1/2, if your binding is cut 2 1/4, overlap the tail 2 1/4, make sure you cut the tail that overlaps, it works for me every time, but I do check to make sure it fits before I sew it down.. There is a tut on Utube somewhere about sewing on binding.

remember that if you are sewing your seam at a 45 degree angle, you are dealing with a bias seam. I cut mine just a titch smaller than my measurement to factor this in. I also have had this problem and have found that the tuck is just in that layer of the binding. When I fold it over, the tuck gets hidden in the binding. Then I had trouble finding it again!

I have had that problem at times and have found that if I adjust the pressure on the foot, it seems to alleviate the problem....good luck....:)

When I overlap to measure the end, I sung it all up a bit, until there is a bit of a wrinkle in the quilt itself. It is much easier to stretch the quilt to fit the binding then fit on a too long binding to the quilt. Hope this makes sense.

I am in the no ironing the binding in half group and have been much happier since I started using this method. I do use the 2.5" binding width and I stitch the layers together on the edge of my quilt before I bind. I know it's an extra step, but it saves me ripping out when that sneaky bottom layer slips out of line. I use a long narrow zigzag stitch for the edge.

I do leave a tail at the beginning and end for joining, but apparently here I depart from the group, because I do NOT do the miter seam at this point. I do a simple straight seam and find it works great for me. It's much easier to measure accurately and I never have a problem with the bias or puckers.

[QUOTE=QuiltnNan;6719161]i have found this as well... but just recently. i think, in the future, i will cut the binding at the connection just a bit shorter.[/QUOTE


i have been cutting the binding top piece about 1/4 inch short, and quit having this problem, but I still don't understand why it happens. I found my solution and ignored the problem.

This is where elmer's school glue really comes in handy. Since I started using it my bindings no longer pucker. Before you start to stitch that seam lay it on the quilt where you want it to lay to see if it is too long if it is looking good glue it where it is and it will not shift while stitching it to the quilt.
Good Luck Suzy

So if a 2.25" strip will make a binding with 3/8" seam, a 2.5" strip and a 1/4" seam will make a binding with nothing in most of it. Some like a really padded binding, and the 1/4" seam will not make a full binding.

I always stretch my binding as I sew it on. Not really stretch, but lay it on taut and hold it there while I sew those few inches. My bindings do not get wavy. And no puckering either. (That will happen next time.LOL)

If you press a triangle into the beginning of EVERY binding strip, this will give you a line to sew on. No plus sign criss-crossing. Just match edges. Saves fabric. Then the end seam is done the same way. Cut off the last strip at the base of the first triangle and sew it together the same way you sewed all the other seams in the binding. No eye-balling, no stretching, no cutting off a little shorter. It should fit as you cut it.

As others mentioned..make the seam a tiny bit (thread width or two) tighter. If it seems a tiny bit too short...stretch the quilt to get the binding to lie flat.

I also struggled with puckers until I started using the Fons &Porter method--2.5" binding, folded and press; start with about a 10-12" tail, miter the corners. About 10-12" before you get to where you started, stop and lock stitch. Now, lay the unsewn binding on the quilt edge and midway along the unsewn side, fold the ends so there is a 1/4" gap between the folded ends. Finger press both folds. Open and either mark where the pressed X is on both end tails, or simply match the centers of both ends folded X's so that you are sewing the binding together on the diagonal/bias. (right sides together!). Before you trim the two tails, flip your binding to check that you did not twist it--it should lay flat.

I also use a walking foot to attach bindings. Never have a pucker problem. Also, I don't pin them, just guide it through the machine as I go.

Blackberry, if I understand you correctly the puckers you get are when you are sewing the beginning and ending tails together. I had that problem too until I did what Auntie V, cjsews and fangman did. I have used each of their suggestions with good success. Just depends on which one works for you.