Quilting Tip of the Day
 

Quilting Tip of the Day: When joining binding on the diagonal, press the seams open BEFORE trimming them to 1/4". This is so much easier than trying to press seams open after trimming.

Great tip. I struggled with opening the seams up on a top yesterday.

Hmm...I haven't had any problems opening them up after trimming...and you only need to cut once that way as well.

Or am I misunderstanding something?

Same here for straight of grain binding. For bias, I simply sew them together using a 1/4" seam allowance so there is no trimming involved. I don't think I am understanding the tip. Or are we talking about that final join done while attaching the binding? If that is the case, I still trim first and finger press open.

I totally get it. I've come close to burning my fingers more than once trying to press seams open. This would be much easier. Tks, Nan.

That's a good tip!

This is a great tip. I was making a bias binding yesterday and tried this. I found that after I pressed the seams open I could fold them back together to cut them - used my small add 1/4" ruler to measure and cut with my rotary cutter. After I cut the excess away they folded back open with no more pressing necessary. Thanks so much for suggesting this. I'll never cut and then press again.

I do that all the time. I hate getting burned fingers

I still trim before pressing seam open, I finger press open before using the iron. I never burn my fingers. Also I always cut WOF.

I've been teaching this for years. It really works. After pressing open well you can close them up while you trim those seams. -Sew, open seam, trim.

And here is where I learn I've been doing it wrong. I cut my binding join seam allowances down to more like 1/8th inch and I don't press them open. I don't remember who I learned that from. I never thought twice about it, with all the folding and stitching that happens to the binding I figured 1/8th was enough!

Oh well...I always tell everyone that my quilts come with lifetime warranties, so hopefully if seams start to go they'll come back to me for some repair!

QuiltnNan is so right. I made the mistake yesterday by trimming first, then had a hard time opening the tiny seam up. How easy it is to forget when you are used to pressing toward one side...

Good tip Nan. I'll do this .

That's the way I do it. Sure saves burned fingers.

That is an excellent tip, thanks for sharing.

Brilliant! Thank you.

Thanks for the tip...