Serge before you bind?
 

I am wondering if those of you that have sergers use them on your quilts before you sew the binding on. I saw someone on the web (I'm sorry I have since forgotten who) serge the edges to flatten and trim THEN sewed on the binding as usual. I am tempted to try this but I am a serger newbie and somewhat nervous. After all the work on a quilt, I don't want to mess anything up at the end of that sometimes long road.

sounds like unnecessary work to me, unless you're going to let it sit around for awhile before you bind.

I do - that way I get all three layers 'together' before I put the binding on.

Before I started to use the serger - I would stay-stitch the three layers together

Stay-stitching (as used here) is a row of stitching about 1/8 inch from the raw edges that gets covered by the biding and is left in the item

Ditto. I have a serger and did this once. I didn't really think it helped or added to the quilt any. A lot of longarmers will request that you NOT serge the edges, also.

sounds like a case of whatever works best for you ;-)

I like to square up my quilt and cut it with my rotary cutter so that's perfectly square, before putting on the binding. I don't see how you could use the serger to cut it and get it square so it hangs just right.

I've heard and read about doing this, and think I'll try it on the baby quilt I'm working on, now. First, tho, I'm going to serge around a piece I did to practice FMQ on. Better safe than sorry!

I just got a serger, so, will try this with a practice piece and see if it makes a difference to me.

I always do before I put binding on....works like a charm and takes only a few minutes.....i don`t serge before I send it to a longarmer...only after it is quilted.....I love this technique and makes it easier to sew the binding on....

I've heard that it's supposed to give you a crisper edge when applying your binding, but I've only done a little bit of serging and I'm not confidant of my serging abilities that I could feed the quilt through accurately - I'm worried I'd slice off too much of the edge.

I do sometimes use my machine and my overcast stitch if the border had a lot of seams along the outside edge. I also find that using my iron when I bind works great. After stitching on the binding, I press the binding out (so you're getting a good fold at the seam line). Then I fold the binding over to the back (or front, if doing my faux piped binding technique) and press so that the edge gets a good fold. I find doing this helps me better sew the binding down, whether doing so by hand or machine.

If my serger is threaded with a neutral thread when I finish quilting, I will use it before binding. I use my serger for finishing seams on garments all the time. I'm comfortable with using it and can just trim the ravels off the edges as I stitch. I like the way the serged edge behaves while I apply the binding. I don't need to pin as much.

Serging might be more advantageous on pieced borders/edges where you have lots of seams coming up to the edge. I also think it could be an additional way to secure the quilting stitches at the edge.

I have never serged before doing binding....but I just might try it! Thanks for the inspiration! :)

Well here is my report on my practice piece. My serger is new and I haven't taken the class. I might have to adjust something, but the pressure of the serger knocked my piece out of square. I'm not going to do anything to it, because it isn't a real quilt. It was fun to just skim the edge and make everything even. If there are some hints regarding tension, type of stitch, etc. I will await them. I am using the 4 threads and have a pretty wide stitch.

My thinking as well!

How wide do you make your binding? I make mine 2 1/2 inches. Do you think that is wide enough to cover the overcasting sistches?

I never trim the batting or backing before applying the binding. The extra batting makes an even surface for the feed dogs and presser foot. Also I like to leave a little extra batting beyond the seam so as I turn the binding to the back side to hand finish I can be sure the binding is full of batting. It is my understanding this is one thing judges look for. That is my goal to enter a quilt in a show someday. I have also heard fuller binding lasts linger.

You can adjust the length and width of serger stitches. You can either drop the cutting blade or just barely skim the edge to clip any ravels without removing fabric.

If the tension settings are correct there shouldn't be any pulling out of square. I always practice first on scraps. I have a quilt that needed binding, but I couldn't find a fabric that I liked. It has had an exposed serged edge for 8 years and gets washed about 3 times a month.

I never trim the batting before applying the binding either. I just think triming with the serger would be so quick and I think I would be easier to get the binding on in a straight line. I always seem to trim (after the binding is applied) a little wonky.

I don't think you'd mess things up. I have a friend who serges just because then it marks her quilt as being done except for the quilting process. She knows in a glance that's all it needs to be done and it also keeps it all together. When I get things together I'm getting my very old serger out and see if it still works and if I still remember how to use it and start. I've even bought the book by Nancy Z. on serging and quilting. Go for it.

You don't have to use the blade when serging; you can serge without cutting. Sqareing up is a good idea then serge.

I always square up my quilt when I get it back from the quilter's and see that she's sewn a line about 1/16" all around the outside of the quilt and I usually have to cut a lot of it off to square it up. I don't sew it back down. I just bind it as usual. But I do sew my binding together so they don't drift apart when sewing. I learned that trick a few years ago and it's made a world of difference. Takes a little extra time, but it's so worth it. I sew 1/8" of the raw edge of the binding edges to each other before sewing them to the quilt.

Seems like a waste of time and thread to me. Besides, it would take away that puffy "the binding is full" look, I like my binding to have some weight to it. But, seems like it is a matter of personal preference.

Makes it easier for me and sewing the binding on is a piece of cake. thank you for sharing Have a blessed day Ellen

serge the seams
 

I always serge the the seams on all my quilts. I makes for a nice clean edge and makes it easier to turn the binding over.
I would try it and if you don't like it than don't do it again. Good luck in what ever you decide to do.

I just sew about 1/8 inch from the edge all the way around before binding. It holds the edges together. That's how I was taught.

Yup, I do it all the time. It just seems to make the ends neater and easier to work with.

on the baby quilts and the doll quilts I check for square, trim if less than 1/8 of an inch (find the problem if more than that) quilt then check for square again, then serge with the blade disengaged, then bind.

when binding as in piecing it is good to use a single,straight needle throat plate...the zig zag plate is just not able to produce a really nice straight stitch.....this is when my SINGER 301A really shines.

do not my BERNINA hear me say this

I always serge the edges after the quilt is quilted. For me it is easier to get the binding on.

I sometimes do a very loose slip stitch all around a sandwich to keep the fabrics stable to do binding. A serger might serve the same purpose.

I also sew my binding edges together before sewing it to the quilt. It really does help to make it go on better. Especially with bias cut binding.

I also DO NOT press the binding in half - because by the time the binding has made all it's turns -the half-way line is 'off' where the fold line actually is by the time the binding is ready for it's second stitching.

I do makes it easier to put the binding on an faster

I was wondering if anyone would mention this. Thanks! I hand baste around the edge as I hand quilt to hold the three layers together, but remove the basting after I machine stitch on the binding so the batting can fluff up and fill out the binding, making it nice and full and give a finish matching the thickness of the quilt.

I just stitch around the perimeter of the quilt , just under 1/4 inch from the edge. My serger make too wide of a stitch just over 1/4 inch from edge( its an older machine), and most of my bindings are sewn on at 1/4 inch.

I sew the binding on before trimming the batting and back. After the binding is on, I trim around it with pinking shears.

I just purchased a serger last week and the first thing I did was use it to cut and overcast the edge of my current wall hanging. It made it a breeze and kept all my layers in place for the binding. I think this is the way I will be working on all my quilt edges from now on! Good luck with your project.

ME TOO!!! It really makes a HUGE difference in how my bindings look. Even my husband can tell which of my bindings were pressed and which ones were not.

I tried sergering the edges one time. I didn't like the feel after the binding was put on.

I've heard about not pressing your binding in half bc after you sew then turn, the edge is not at the exact half way. I think I'll try not pressing. Wish this had been posted yesterday before I sewed the binding on. :p

I serge around each of my quilts so that the binding lays flat and all three layers are nicely pulled together. I went to a quild open house of various quilters and at the last home was asked if there was anything I saw missing in any of the quilting areas....my response was 'not a serger in the bunch'. Thought they were going to run me out of town on a rail!!! Was then told that 'a good quilter would never use a serger on her quilts'. Hummm, yesterday's Fons and Porter's show on PBS showed that THEY SERGE. As for me, I'm still serging the edge just before attaching the binding and it works wonderfully....

I always serge mine--after quilting. It makes the edged so much easier to work with. Try it--you
ll like it!

Just extra work for nothing.