Repeated mistakes
 

Do you have any mistakes that you repeatedly make when quilting? For me it’s cutting too many borders. I prefer to miter my borders and I prefer cutting them lengthwise, but it seems I can never remember that I only need to cut 2 and not 4, you’d think I would know better by now!

Do you have one that you do over and over?

I am a hard study on keeping long strips straight when sewing them together. Generally, I will sub-cut the strips if I can. I'd rather keep only 20 inches straight through the feed dogs. Careful pressing and not ironing with the curved edge of the iron helps too.

Won't you still need 4 borders for your quilt even if you miter them?

I cut too many strips for bindings. And I almost always get my top crooked when sandwiching, so I end up having to add a little more backing or batting as I quilt.

:(Starting a little project with scraps, deciding I love it and have no more of the fabric.

Too many mistakes to list here. I tend to wear out those little rippy things!! :)

Cutting too many strips for binding- even though I always do the math to figure out how many I need. Forgetting to write down what batting(s) I used when quilting a quilt that I intend to show is another mistake that I make a lot. You’d be surprised how hard it is to remember a few months later.

But the main mistake I repeat over and over is getting a twist in my binding when I join it up after sewing onto the quilt. Happens nearly every time:rolleyes:

Rob

I'm another that often gets a twist in the final binding tail. One time I ripped out and redid that final seam five times before I got it right! First the twist was on this side, then the other side twice, then the first side again....Sheesh. I should have quit after the second rip out and come back to it the next day, which is what I usually do. That day I was really stubborn, I think I was on a too-close deadline (like the next morning, lol).
I recently discovered the Magic Binding tutorial on YouTube, and when I follow it to a T I have no more twists. Those ladies tell you specifically: open up the right side tail face up, open up the left side tail face down. I have used this method more than a dozen times (because I made 10 mock ups for a demo at my guild) and have not had one twist yet.

I always just guess how many binding strips I will need for a quilt. If it is bigger than my usual size I cut a couple more. They can always be used as leftovers in a scrappy quilt or piano key borders, etc. Not as bad as not having enough strips and having to add more. A real pain.

When I want to change the top thread on the longarm, I am supposed to cut the old thread near the cone, join the ends of the existing thread and thread from the new cone, then pull the thread through all the tension discs and thread guides until the new thread is at the needle. But sometimes I forget one of these steps. It never turns out well.

I do that, too, and end up making a bed-sized scrappy quilt. It is amazing how a small project can grow, all by itself!

When I'm going to cut the binding fabric, I measure the quilt. Two sides and top and bottom. Put those numbers into the calculator and add them. Write that down. Now measure the fabric piece. If it is 44 inches wide, you need to count that as 42, to be sure you have enough after it is seamed. So divide the number of inches around the quilt by 42. That will give you the number of strips you need. No, you don't have to add anything for corners. They don't take anything extra beyond the actual measurement of the quilt. You really need only 2 and a half inches (or the width of the binding) beyond the total number of inches around the quilt. That is the overlap to seam the ends.

If the piece I have chosen for the binding looks like it's almost not large enough, I measure the fold of the binding fabric and divide that by the number of strips I need.
That will tell you how wide you will be able to cut your strips. Sometimes I make a "lining" with trash fabric and put it on so you can't see that.
I never have a whole strip left over.

I always make extra binding and save the extra for binding other projects. It always comes in handy and saves time.

I have twisted seams on every single quilt it seems! No matter how careful I am I always end up with some.

I forget what I've purchased, such as patterns, books, rulers. And I see it again in the store, or on line, and I buy it again. When I get home, or get the mail, I've got two of the same thing. At least I am a consistent person.

Sometimes my binding on the corners is more rounded and not a nice square turn - what am I doing wrong?

My suggestion is to make sure the corner is square and then, when you get to the corner, miter it carefully. Open it and make sure you are happy with the result and then sew it down, using tiny hand stitches if you have to.

Thanks so much, carolynjo, I start a quilt dreading to have to bind it. Now I have a new method to try. It gives me hope.

Wide binding make better miters corners. I lay out strips for binding all around the quilt and then add one for good measure. The repeated mistake I make is not reading the pattern right.

I invariably start quilting a quilt, decide I don't like it and end up tearing out a bunch of stitches...sometimes a lot of stitches...like hours of ripping stitches...before I settle on the quilting pattern I end up with.
I also can never find my tape measure even though I have three and my sewing room is only about 12 x 12.

Watson

I have a problem with reading the pattern right the first time. So I have to read & re-read it before I start & as I go along, otherwise I will for sure make something wrong. This happens to me a lot with recipes also. I started noticing this about 10 years ago when I reached around 65 years old. Must be an old age thing with me....yikes!

"Magic Binding tutorial on YouTube"

I also run into binding problems. I searched YouTube for "Magic Binding" but a few choices came back. Which is the one you referred to? I sure would like to simplify doing the binding so I don't dread it. Thanks in advance for your help.

I Still have trouble getting an accurate quarter inch - It is my issue, not my machine. I'm pretty good on cutting accurately but for some reason veer hither and yon while sewing. I want to spend a day with Sally Collins, who is the queen of accuracy but even if I were able, I'm sure I would induce a stroke or heart attack in her when she saw me sew!! I am very inspired by her.

binding gets me a lot.... when I sew the binding to the quilt and its comes time to join the ends. Sometimes I get it slick as can be and then many many times I just can't get it right! have to try it 5 or 6 times before its right :)

I do the way more binding then I need thing also. Every time!

When straight line quilting I forget to go the other direction on every other row then I end up with pleating on the back. I also forget to reset my machine to what setting my project was previously on.

The one by "Shabby Fabrics" , with two ladies doing the demo.

Donna Jordan has a great tutorial on binding on Youtube.

My most frequent problem is not recognizing when the fibro fog has set in and I don't realize I am doing simple math wrong... then I end up cutting wrong. I've decided since I don't have a warning bell that will go off and let me know I'm foggy, I will just look at those mis-cuts as more scrappy quilts in my future. LOL