putting on a binding.....
 

I have a quilt that needs binding....and i just wanted to ask...does the binding need to be put on all at one time? all around the 4 corners. or can i do Left/right...top/bottom? I have so much trouble doing the corners on the all one piece binding , i thought maybe ; do all the sides seperate...What do you think?? Just an idea.....

you can do that....it just wont be a continous binding like normal but then what in life is normal..it's your quilt...and nothing wrong with doing it your way

Just do the binding, whichever way you feel comfortable doing it. IF anyone says anything negative about it, just tell them you prefer it that way! That said, there are tutorials, which show how to do painless corners. Just takes a bit of practice and before you know it, you have a nice, mitered corner!

BTW, if binding corners really, really upsets you, you can simply add a border, then round off those corners a bit (use as small saucer, ribbon spool, or whatever, as a pattern) and use bias-cut binding, around the whole thing. The curved edge will be fairly easy to finish neatly. :)

It's YOUR quilt, you do it the way you want!!
I used to have the worst time putting bindings on, but then I joined the Doll Quilt Swap. That enabled me to try different things and that's how I FINALLY learned how to do a continuous binding.

I"m sure lots of quilters do individual bindings on their quilts. just be sure to fold the raw ends inward before you stitch them down. have fun!

No quilt police here ... do it your way! Quilts are made to enjoy ... for both maker and user.

You can certainly do that. However, for myself, I have never been able to get the corners to look good using that method. I find it actually more difficult! With practice, I have gotten the corners to look very good using the traditional method with mitered borders.

One thing that many people do not realize with the traditional binding method is that where you*stop* when getting to a corner -- that is, where you stop sewing and backstitch -- must be the exact distance away from the edge as your seam allowance. If, for instance, you are using a 3/8" seam allowance when sewing on the binding, you must stop 3/8" from the edge when you get to the corner. If you use a 1/2" seam allowance, stop 1/2" from the edge before removing the quilt and folding the binding for the corner. A mistake I used to make was stopping 1/4" away even if my seam allowance was more than 1/4". When I did that, the corners would never work out!

The other thing I learned to do when folding the corner is to simply make sure that the binding's fold lines up exactly with the old binding edge, and that the new binding edge lines up exactly with the quilt edge.

I remember being very confused and having to consult diagrams multiple times to do binding corners. Now that I have practiced enough to have memorized a few simple principles, binding corners actually come out just fine.

One thing I would recommend is not starting with too narrow of a binding. It's easier to work with a wider binding and not try to "fill" the binding too much. Although the result is a slightly larger binding than I would put on a show piece, I find it easiest to cut 2.5" binding strips (I *always* heavily starch the binding fabric before cutting strips; makes it much easier to handle!), use a 3/8" seam allowance, and stop 3/8" before the corner. I also sometimes ***very*** carefully nip off a little of the batting at the corner -- not the binding! -- to make the binding easier to miter neatly.

Edit: I wanted to add that it's worth it to make several 12" sandwich squares and practice attaching binding to them until you get the corners right.

Yes, it is your quilt, and yes, you can do whatever you want. But if you are unhappy with the way your corners look when you use a continuous binding strip, you will probably be even more unhappy with the way they look when you do each side individually. You will be turning the binding under at each corner, and that adds bulk, which will make it very difficult to sew that corner and make it really square. Chances are it will stick out in an awkward manner. I would say - try it on one corner. Just sew one piece of binding a few inches down the quilt to the corner, and then sew another on the side that meets that corner and try out your technique. If it works for you then continue to do the rest, and let us know whether it works or not.

Prism99 is right on the money. When I started quilting a year ago, I tried to follow all the directions on the web and in the books and they just didn't work. So I started practicing on 9 inch squares (which became nice pot holders) and I do exactly the same as she does. Her directions are perfect and yes, I like either a 3/8 binding or even better for me is 1/2 inch. They look nice when I get done and I have gotten very good at this with the 11 quilts I have done - hand quilted 6 of them (3 were baby quilts and 3 were twin size).

I saw a tute somewhere where you sewed the sides of the binding first including sewing it to the back, then add the top and bottom. You finished off the top and bottom as if you were finishing off the waistband of a skirt enclosing the side binding edges. It was very easy. I'll see if I can find the tute or link for it.

You can do it, but it's actually harder than just going around the corners. If you have a lot of problems going around the corners, either go to a quilter's day at your LQS and get personalized instruction OR look online for binding videos to improve your technique. I get it. I am learning to apply both sides of the binding by machine because I can't do it by hand very well anymore. It doesn't just take practice, it takes having someone show you HOW to do it right.

As mentioned, practice on potholders.

Honestly though, nobody, and I mean nobody, that I have given quilts to have ever noticed how screwy my corner bindings are. It's just me.

Also, no matter what I or anybody else says, unless you are trying to enter the quilt into a show, do what YOU like and can do well.

I love every aspect of quilting EXCEPT binding so I feel for you. I usually send my quilts out to be bound by a gal who machine sews them on (cheaper) and I give them away so no one cares that they aren't hand sewn. I know how to bind a quilt, I've done it many times, but I just dread doing it. I don't like having to cut a bunch of 2 1/2" pieces and then sewing them together and ironing them in half and then sewing them to the quilt and then turning them over and sewing them to the other side. I have a bunch of quilts unbound waiting for me to do something with them. I was thinking I would actually try doing them myself, but really I know I won't. So, I need to send them out. It cost me about $35 each quilt (which is a lot of money) but at least they get done. And that includes the gal cutting the pieces and sewing them together, the whole process.

I do straight sided binding when I have a piece that I intend to hang. This kind of of binding allows the quilt to hang straighter. The other important tip is that when doing SS binding, use a single thickness strip - not double folded. There is a great book I have used for years - Happy Endings. If you can find it, it is invaluable.