jarenie

You are in good company with all of us other weirdo's. I have always done binding by machine as my Grandmother taught me. My fingertips crack very easily and this makes hand work something I do only whem I need PAIN (JOKE) Each quilt is one of a kind and whatever you do is right. There is no wrong. I pitty the people that think there is only one way to do things (THEIRS) Keep up the good work.

wildyard

I guess there are quite a few of us who don't do hand sewing. Mine is also because of physical limitations, but I like it done on the machine.

lakekids

I think 'hand' stitching is a dirty 4 letter word and I avoid saying it (and using it ) as much as possible.

NUBQ

Thanks everyone for this discussion. Looked up Sharon Schamber's method.. OM Gosh, I'm trying this on this practice quilt I'm doing.. Yay!! Here's her link. I folded a strip of paper to try get it right in my head... Ya well...that's my method, it has to be visual..

.http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

BarbaraSue

I love this board for this very reason. Just when you think you're outside the norm, you find that you have alot of company.

I know many quilters who do not hand sew. their quilts can surpass the most. Stick to your guns and do what you have been. that vendor needs a reality check if she wants to stay in business. Quilting isn't an either/or type of craft. It includes it all.

DJinSC

As you can see from the length of this thread, there are lots out there like you! After 9 years of quilting, I didn't know you could machine stitch the binding. From the way everyone describes it, it makes sense. After you stitch the front by machine, then fold it over to the back and stitch down by machine, the only stitches you will see are the last ones. I originally thought you'd have two sets of stitches on the back and that would be ugly. But the first set would not be visible because they are turned to the inside. I'm a little slow to catch on. I once hand stitched the binding on a queen size quilt and thought I would never finish. It was monstrous. I avoid applique like the plague because of the hand stitches. I've never tried machine applique--it scares me. I guess it takes practice to get the stitches uniform and flowing smoothly. I do admire those who can applique, though.

sewbizgirl

I also bind by machine, and I'm quite skilled at it, if I do say so myself. I can catch just the edge of binding on the back side, and hide the stitching in the ditch on the front side. It's very old fashioned to think that good bindings have to be hand stitched.

For those that enjoy hand stitching a binding... more power to you! I will do it by machine.

The only hand work I do is the little blind sts in the corners to keep the miters in place. Very quick.

mimiof4

I enjoy quilting with machine and also hand work I can take it along where I go, and it (the handwork) keeps me awake in the evenings to spend time with DH. I also have run into a quilt snob at a quilt show who only quilted by hand, as I recall she didn't win anything either. My philosophy is if I take the time to hand piece I hand quilt. No police here though love it all.

IdahoSandy

I am just the opposite of you. I love to hand quilt and do all my quilts that way. I do sew my binding on the front by machine then turn to the back and hand stitch the back. When I see machine stitched quilts, they make me think of factory/assembly line work. We each have our own likes and dislikes and no you are not a weirdo. It is good to be different and can you imagine what this world would be like if we were all "alike" in all things that we do. You quilt it your way, after all it is your quilt. Variety is the spice of life.

doris.meek13088

I agree with the whole hand work thing. I have not gotten good enough on the binding to do the front by top stich but I am working on it. I also think that the stress put on the binding when the quilt is being used is so much better handled by the machine stiching (but that is just me)
As far as quilitng police vs quilting snobs. A police officer should have a set of rules (laws) that should be followed at all times. From what I have read and heard there is no set of rules that MUST be followed at all times. I don't know about you, but at my age (old enought to know better but still young enough to try again) I find that there are just some rules that must be customized to my own life (expecially in quilting) My ONLY two concerns is that I only give quilts to people who will use them and I make them the way (and colors) that I want to make me happy. Quilting snobs are those who seem to have more fun passing judgement on the works of others than than passing the muchie plate when they get together with others to learn new things about every subject under the sun (a lot of which is sewing related if I can manage it) They should just lighten up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!