diogirl

ok I just pressed my binding in half..... did I just screw up? I haven't added to the quilt yet.. I'm just confused...

Prism99

I think people are misunderstanding when to press and when not to press.

To start at the beginning, you cut a strip of fabric for the binding and press that strip in half, right fabric sides showing, so that the raw edges are together. That is where people press and starch their binding.

You sew this strip to your quilt, matching raw edges with raw edges. (Whether you sew to the front first or to the back first is a matter of personal preference and also depends somewhat on how you plan to finish the binding. Traditionally, if you are planning to hand sew the binding in place, you machine sew to the front and hand sew to the back. If you plan to machine finish the binding, it is often done the other way.)

You do *not* press the strip before folding it to the other side. You want to leave the binding edge full and puffy, not flat with a knife edge. Also, quilt judges look for the binding to be nicely filled with batting and not just flat.

HTH!

Luv2Kreate

That is how I do it, and mine always turns out just fine :)

butterflywing

thank you for explaining it better and simpler that i did. with a lot less words. :mrgreen:

GailG

Hmmm -- have never heard this before, but it surely makes sense!!

What I usually do is:

If I sew to the front and fold over to the back, I hand-stitch it to finish.
If I sew it to the back and fold over to the front, I top-stitch by machine.

tuesy

I always press the binding, stitch to the front, press after sewn folding over to the back and hand stitch it down. Then press that again.

k3n

I've always pressed and starched, machined to front and hand stitched to back but I'm going to try NOT pressing next time! :D

BTW - if joining strips for binding, you should do it on the bias so you don't get bulk at the join. I set my stitch length shorter for this then press the seams open. I also make a bias cut at the beginning and fold and press a 1/4", to make a pocket to tuck the tail into at the end. I used to swivel the quilt round on the needle at the corners but now I stop a 1/4" from the edge, turn, run the stitching up back off the quilt, cut the thread, fold the corner into a mitre then restart down the next side. This has improved my mitred corners enormously. :D

Piedmont Quilter

This is how I do my bindings. Works every time!! I do cut mine 2 7/8 like Eddie. :D :D


http://sharonschambernetwork.com/fre...gel/index.html

Michelle

Like most of the others, I press my binding, sew the raw edge to the front, then hand stitch the back.

A great tip I saw on Fons & Porter's show... As you're ironing your binding strip, wrap it around an empty spool of thread, then as you sew it on have your spool on a spool holder (I set mine in front of my machine, to the right so it's out of the way) so it rolls off the spool holder as you need it. You never have to worry about a wad of binding falling on the floor or sitting in your lap. This is especially helpful when you're finishing a large quilt & have what seems like a mile of binding.

wishiwerequilting

if you go to you-tube, there are a number of tutorials on binding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INh6sVKJRrA&NR=1 is one, and there are others.

I personally stitch to the front of the quilt and turn and stitch by hand to the backing, and I use a 2 1/2" bias binding folded in half which I press with starch before I use it.

If you decide to stitch by machine, which I use on utility pieces and shop samples that have to be done in a hurry, then I use the sharon Schamber method. She has a free tutorial on her web site and it is a great piece to watch and learn from.
http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

If you are entering a quilt in a judged show, binding is very important and they will expect it to be stitched to the front of the quilt and hand sewn to the backing, with perfect mitred corners. If you are just quilting for your personal use, do what is easiest and most comforatable for you and still gives a nice result.

Good luck! :-)
Lisa
Quilter's Paradise, NY
www.quiltersparadiseonline.com