Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Tuesday’s Tip, August 24,2010

As promised here is Part 2 of my binding tutorial.

It seems as though every website I visited this week had a binding tutorial. Most of the steps are really the same; I guess great minds think alike.  All I can say is what I do works for me.

First off-two important items: an even feed food and a full bobbin (the bobbin thread should match the binding).  The even feed foot (or walking foot) keeps the layers feeding smoothly through the sewing machine.  As for the full bobbin, well, if you have ever run out with just a few inches to go….(insert favorite expletives here)

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I always trim and square up trim my quilt after quilting.  Some experts like to have all that extra fabric when putting on the binding.  I think it just makes for more bulk when sewing-and a full size quilt is bulky enough.  I also attach my binding to the front first.

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After attaching the binding I go to my ironing board. (btw, you really can’t do the next steps with a polyester batting-it will melt.  I use all cotton or 80/20 cotton/poly batting)

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Iron the binding away from the quilt.  I use alot of steam.

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Don’t worry about the corners yet!

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OK, after ironing, flip the quilt over.  If you have sewn a corner by hand you should know to fold the corner opposite of the way it is folded on front.  This makes for a smoother corner.  Fold the binding toward the quilt near the corner and press.  You will get a 45 degree angle.

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Then fold the other side and press.  Make sure that the binding meets up neatly at the corner.  (This step is the same as when you stitch the corner by hand. DSC01583

Use one of your longer, heavier pins and pin the corner.

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I do not press the binding to the back of the quilt.  I find it gets wavy and I miss spots when sewing.  That is just me; feel free to press the binding to the back.  I also do not use fusible thread or anything like that.  With practice, I have gotten better (LOTS of practice!)

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Go back to your sewing machine.  The quilt will be right side up.  I always start right before a corner.  Your needle should be right next to the binding.  Swipe you finger under the quilt and feel that everything is straight and start sewing!  Turn your corner with the needle in the down position.

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I sew a few inches, adjust the binding to the back, do a finger swipe and sew some more.  I do not sew very quickly,  a big quilt will take me about a half hour to sew.

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This is the quilt’s corner on the back.

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Back of the quilt.  There is a seam there!

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Front of the quilt.

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Done!  Hey, Adrienne-come get your quilt!

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2 comments:

Peggy said...

Great tutorial - I've never been brave enough to machine sew the last step of binding, always do it by hand, maybe I'll try it on a few of my smaller pieces that I'm keeping for myself, and see if I can get it looking as good as yours!! Thanks!

Holly Knott said...

Great tutorial! I have machine sewn them all the way but often find I miss spots EVEN with pinning. GRR! The last tablerunner I made a pattern for, I machine stitched it to the front as you do but hand stitched the back, which I absolutely hate doing, even tho I thought I had enough folded over the back to make machine stitching be "safe." I just posted on my blog about your folded bowtie tutorial.