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Quote:

Originally Posted by katei (Post 5461221)

I love the binding stage 'cos it means the quilt is finished. I find sewing on binding really relaxing (especially when accompanied by a glass of red! I always add the binding to the front of the quilt by machine and then relax and hand sew to the back. Go for it and when you see all your lovely finished quilts, you'll be hooked.

Me too! On all of that including the wine!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by maviskw (Post 5464071)

I LOVE putting the binding on. It's the finishing touch. And I have come to REALLY LOVE putting the ends together. First I press a triangle at the beginning. Starch this and maybe pin it, too. I start sewing it on leaving a loose tail 8 - 10 inches. After you have a few inches sewn, put a pin in the quilt 8 - 10 inches beyond the beginning of the binding. That would be 16 - 20 inches from the place you started sewing. That is where you will stop when you get around the quilt. Then I pin down the binding exactly as I want it when it is sewn. I usually stretch a binding just a little. That prevents the edge of the quilt from becoming wavy. Then lay the ends one over the other, with pressed triangle on the bottom. Cut the other end EXACTLY at the bottom of the triangle. You will have the two layers overlapped exactly as far as the binding is wide. Take out all the pins, open the triangle and open out binding. Place ends right sides together, and twist so that the binding pieces are at right angles. Sew across the ends on that fold you pressed in at the beginning. If the fold is going from top to bottom, just twist it the other way. The seam has to go from side to side. Now snap open the binding to see if it fits. Then open that last seam and finger press. (It's kind of hard to press with the iron here unless you have one of those little things.) Then cut off the triangles of the seam allowance and continue sewing down the last bit of binding to your quilt. You will never be able to tell which binding seam is your last one this way. I find it very exciting to see how nicely this finishes up my quilt. HAPPY BINDING!

This sounds so easy but I would LOVE to see a couple pictures. I'm a little confused about which direction to fold the triangle and also about the part where you mention the seam going up or down or side to side. Thanks!

PghPat, I wish I knew how to post a picture. I have the technology, but not the knowledge.
When you start your binding, the beginning is laying on the quilt. Fold down the top left corner to make a triangle. Some call this the Magic Triangle. This is what you carefully press in place. Then fold your binding in half and start sewing 8-10 inches down from that point.
If you take any two strips and sew them together with the 45 degree seam we usually use, hold them up so that one end will go left and one end will go right. You sew horizontally so that the sewing starts and ends on the sides. You can see the top point is pointing up, and the bottom of that is an angle also. If you sewed that way, from top to bottom, it won't work. That's why I always snap the binding to see if it fits before I cut anything off.
Kay Wood (no relation) does this, but she doesn't pin the ends on. I'm sure I would not get it right if I didn't pin.
Somebody gave us a paper at our quilt club, showing us how to do this, and I don't know where they got it.
I hope you can make sense of this.
HAPPY BINDING

You can check youtube for tutorials. Try "attach continuous binding" or "continuous binding." (With the second one, just scan to be sure you aren't getting instructions on making the binding but rather putting it on the quilt.)

Directions are also available on laminated cards @ quilt shops for about $5 - I have one that was from Fons and Porter called "Perfect Binding". Same info is also in Quilter's Catalog, which is a poorly named (in my opinion) reference book - it's not a catalog as in buying, but a catalog as in book of quilting instr

Binding is one thing I really enjoy. Wish you were closer and I would do yours for you. To me, like many of you, I enjoy the process of hand sewing the back down. It is very peaceful and relaxing. I, too can do it while we are watching a movie. It seems to go so quickly. Sometimes even a big quilt will only take a couple or 3 nights at most. I use those hair clips now to hold a section ahead of me down instead of pins. Sure saves a lot of getting poked.

I was just looking at Bonnie Hunter's Double Delight, and about half way down the first page is a picture of two binding strips sewn together. and the scissors is about to cut off the extra seam allowance. It shows how the strips are sewn from side, not from top to bottom.

i like the fact that it means i am done with another quilt and ready to start on a differant one

Quote:

Originally Posted by maviskw (Post 5465590)

Thank you Mavis......I think I've got it now. I'm going to make a little sample and keep it so I remember. I've done my binding ending something like this but I never ironed that triangle and that seems to make it much easier when you get to the end. I know it is so simple but every single time I get confused all over. I always end up "getting" it but only after a bit of frustration.....LOL.

Practice on some small items until you get good at it. Don't give up. It's always more fun to do what you do well.

I put the binding on with the machine on the front. Then I hand sew it to the back. I find it relaxing hand work while I watch TV. I also find it warm in the cooler weather to have a finished quilt on my lap. (I have not done too much binding this summer, too HOT) Hand sewing my binding is just like eating a big piece of apple pie.