What do you like about binding?

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08-25-2012, 04:50 AM

#81

Buckeye Rose

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: Monroe, IN

Posts: 2,283

For me, binding is like frosting a cake....when it's on and sewn down, the quilt is done!.....a great feeling of satisfaction....yes, sometimes it's a PITA, but I sew down on the backside, flip to front and machine sew with a decorative stitch....it's a fast and easier finish (and I feel a much sturdier edge).....

08-25-2012, 04:54 AM

#82

LivelyLady

Super Member

Join Date: Dec 2010

Location: Western MA

Posts: 2,720

I'm with the others who enjoy the binding process, especially now that I do the invisible ladder stitch which involves no pins, glue, nor clips.

08-25-2012, 05:46 AM

#83

vanginney

Senior Member

Join Date: Aug 2012

Location: Saskatchewan

Posts: 351

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebraK

My favorite thing about binding is watching old movies. I line up a few in Netflix, set up a comfy corner on the couch, with my needles, thread, scissors, and a glass of wine on the end table, and go to town. I have a sip of wine every time I start a new thread. I have a grand ol' time binding. *hic*.

I use to hate hand sewing but got into creating a a few Celtic knot pillows. Love binding now and find it relaxing. But I love DebraK's method and will SO be trying that next time!!!!!!

08-25-2012, 06:50 AM

#84

laynak

Senior Member

Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: N. California

Posts: 323

It's my least favorite part of quilt making. But, it's not bad when sitting in front of the TV on a cool evening, hand sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. I'm saving a few bindings to-do, waiting for cooler weather.
For me, sewing on the binding is painful after more than an hour at a time. I do 1/4 of the quilt an evening so my hand doesn't hurt the next day (or for many days after).

08-25-2012, 07:03 AM

#85

Chasing Hawk

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Pacific Northwest

Posts: 9,268

I hand sew all the bindings on my quilts. When I have hand sewing to do, my husband and I watch movies together. In a few weeks we will be watching a lot of movies..lol...I have at least 3 quilts to bind, after I get them off the LA.

08-25-2012, 07:07 AM

#86

Chasing Hawk

Super Member

Join Date: Jan 2010

Location: Pacific Northwest

Posts: 9,268

Quote:

Originally Posted by DebraK

I wonder ................exactly how long of a thread do you use?....haha

08-25-2012, 07:59 AM

#87

purplefiend

Super Member

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Round Rock,Texas

Posts: 6,135

I sew my bindings all by machine. I make double fold straight grain binding, sewn to the back of the quilt first and then turned over to the front. I stitch it down with either a straight stitch or a decorative stitch. I learned to make binding by watching Kaye Wood on PBS. My corners always come out just right using her method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uf7Mm_mkbCc&feature=plcp
Sharon W.

08-25-2012, 08:03 AM

#88

iwillquilt

Junior Member

Join Date: Nov 2010

Location: Mid-Missouri

Posts: 246

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chicca

For quite a long time, I hated to do the bindings. But, knowing I can not afford to pay someone to do it for me and I love to gift finished quilts; I began to do some research. My first discovery was using Elmers Washable School Glue instead of pins...it makes everything so much faster and neater in my opinion. The second was learning how to make Continuous Bias Bindings. There are several videos and posts about it, but I was really inspired by this one.

http://www.mccallsquilting.com/mccal...ontinuous_bias

for some reason on my screen, the video is about halfway down the page....so you may have to scroll down.

Little by little, my bindings are looking prettier and I am enjoying the process more all of the time.

I just learned this way. IT was so simple. I have not completed my hand stitching on the back yet. But it looks so nice and even and is going quickly. I did not feel like I was fighting the quilt and the binding fabric like I always have before. Yes, the ironing can be tedious. But it is only ironed in half. That goes quickly too. My binding on my latest quilt will look much better than my fmq'ing. But my daughter will love it anyway.

08-25-2012, 08:12 AM

#89

Stitchit123

Super Member

Join Date: Jul 2010

Location: Lebanon Missouri

Posts: 2,668

I use to dread binding. I always felt like it was a wrestling match. Now I hand sew all my bindings I find it to be quite relaxing. They look better and for some reason or other its faster.

08-25-2012, 08:32 AM

#90

jcrow

Super Member

Thread Starter

Join Date: Jan 2011

Location: Small town in Northeast Oregon close to Washington and Idaho

Posts: 2,795

Quote:

Originally Posted by maviskw

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 really exciting!! I have so much trouble at the end of binding. So I kind of get what you are saying. Both pieces need to be the same length as width, right? Now, that makes complete sense. I would never have thought of that in a million years. I would love to see a step by step instruction on this method though, just to make sure I have it right. I understand not to cut it after I sew to make sure I sewed it side to side and not up and down and also to make sure it fits snugly.

After reading all those posts, I'm kind of excited to bind my 9 quilts. Well, not all 9 at once. And I think it's 10 now that my king is finished. And I have one coming back from the long armers really soon and have a baby quilt I have to hurry and make. So, I do like the hand sewing on binding better than machine sewing and I do watch TV at night, so there is the perfect time for me. I don't drink, so no fun wine to go with it. I guess I could have hot flavored tea. Yummmm! What I want to do is my king first and I probably shouldn't start on such a big one at first because I'll get burnt out. I have one that I already cut the binding, attached it, ironed it in half and it's sitting there. All I have to do is roll it up on my Simplicity's The Winder. OMG! You all have me wanting to bind, and hand bind at that!

Thank you all so very much. I didn't think anyone could talk me into wanting to bind but you all did. And if I decided to machine bind it to the front instead of hand bind it to the back, I will be happy as can be because I will be binding just the same. Thank you thank you thank you! Truly!!!!