Binding (Groan or Hurray)
After completing the quilting portion of a quilt, the next logical step after trimming all the excess backing and batting away from the top, is to bind the quilt.
Binding to some is a dread. To others, it's one of the favorite quilting activities. For me, it's both.
If I have the time and am not too rushed, I love to throw in a movie (or three) and just chill out on the couch and bind away. If I am rushed, binding becomes a chore and a necessary event I just can not avoid.
I use two methods to bind with only minor changes to step one (back versus front sewing).
The first method is to machine sew the binding onto the back of the quilt all around the edges and then roll the binding back over to the front and sew it on with my machine using any of the hundreds of decorative stitches I have on two of my sewing machines.
The second method is to machine sew the binding onto the front of the quilt and then roll the binding onto the back and hand stitch the binding secure using a blind hem stitch.
Of course, the second method takes up way more time, but the look is more polished and has to be done when making a quilt that may end up in a quilt show. I also hand bind the quilts that are of "heirloom" quality.
For the hand binding method, I have recently discovered that instead of taking my quilt into the living room and throwing that movie on, it's actually quicker to do it on my pressing table where the quilt can lie flat and I can more easily maneuver it around. Many quilters often pin their binding down to assist in sewing it on, but I have found it works just as well as long as you only do an inch or two at a time, without having to pin it down.
Here is a pic of how hand binding is accomplished on Andrew and Laura's quilt. See how the binding is rolled over from the front to the back and then secured with needle and thread by hand?
I don't stand at my table for four or five hours hand binding, but with an hour or so each day, it will be completed before they are due to arrive is less then two weeks. It's easy to move if I'm working on any other projects and to put back again for the next round of hand stitching.
Having said all that, I am pondering whether to hand or machine bind that beast still hanging out on DW's take-up roller. I think it is nearly heirloom quality and it would be nice to put in a show, but, but, but...decisions, decisions.
What do you think? Should I hand or machine bind Amish Stars? You be the judge!
Binding to some is a dread. To others, it's one of the favorite quilting activities. For me, it's both.
If I have the time and am not too rushed, I love to throw in a movie (or three) and just chill out on the couch and bind away. If I am rushed, binding becomes a chore and a necessary event I just can not avoid.
I use two methods to bind with only minor changes to step one (back versus front sewing).
The first method is to machine sew the binding onto the back of the quilt all around the edges and then roll the binding back over to the front and sew it on with my machine using any of the hundreds of decorative stitches I have on two of my sewing machines.
The second method is to machine sew the binding onto the front of the quilt and then roll the binding onto the back and hand stitch the binding secure using a blind hem stitch.
Of course, the second method takes up way more time, but the look is more polished and has to be done when making a quilt that may end up in a quilt show. I also hand bind the quilts that are of "heirloom" quality.
For the hand binding method, I have recently discovered that instead of taking my quilt into the living room and throwing that movie on, it's actually quicker to do it on my pressing table where the quilt can lie flat and I can more easily maneuver it around. Many quilters often pin their binding down to assist in sewing it on, but I have found it works just as well as long as you only do an inch or two at a time, without having to pin it down.
Here is a pic of how hand binding is accomplished on Andrew and Laura's quilt. See how the binding is rolled over from the front to the back and then secured with needle and thread by hand?
I don't stand at my table for four or five hours hand binding, but with an hour or so each day, it will be completed before they are due to arrive is less then two weeks. It's easy to move if I'm working on any other projects and to put back again for the next round of hand stitching.
Having said all that, I am pondering whether to hand or machine bind that beast still hanging out on DW's take-up roller. I think it is nearly heirloom quality and it would be nice to put in a show, but, but, but...decisions, decisions.
What do you think? Should I hand or machine bind Amish Stars? You be the judge!
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