Binding Tutorial Take 2!

Take 2:  a second look at Joining the Binding Ends and there are 2 TWO tutorials here.

When I did the binding on Uncle Frank's quilt I took pictures at each step of the process in the hopes that this will be it.  Clear!  Almost everyone, lol, said the binding tutorial on Auntie Joyce's quilt was really good.  I do think that UF's binding fabric is easier to see right and wrong side of fabric, and I broke the joining the ends part down even further here (so there are a TON of photos).  However, if you are new to binding, new to joining the ends in this fashion, or new to using the glue and pressing, this is one of those things that you must DO at the same time as you read through the tutorial.  When I was first taught this joining method many years ago, I wrote down the instructions as the teacher showed another student (she'd already showed me) so that I could refer back to it, which I did, for many many quilts.  It's not every day you bind a quilt, right?  Eventually it will become second nature to you I promise.

Notice the length of each tail of binding; there is a LOT. I've left a good 11" of each tail and I have about 18" open on the quilt. The pin is to show you that is the beginning tail end.

Overlap the end binding tail on top of the beginning. Note that pin.

Overlap the ends by the width of your binding; mine is 2 1/4".  Make a chalk mark at that 2 1/4" point on the end binding tail.

Either cut with scissors or use your 5X7 Olfa mat between the two bindings so only the top layer that you wish to cut rests on the mat, and cut on the chalk mark.

This is what you will have.

Orient the two tail ends as shown, end binding tail right side up and open, beginning binding tail also open but wrong side up.

Align those two ends as shown. You may have to scrunch up your quilt top in order to do so.  Place the 45-degree angle line on your 6X12" ruler along one straight edge so you get the cutting edge of the ruler on the diagonal oriented as I have it here.  Draw a line with your marker along that edge.

Either pin as shown here, or....

put some dots of glue on the line and press the two pieces together as I had them in the previous photo.  I have pulled back the one binding so you see the glue; you press them flat, right sides together as the previous photo.  Stitch on that line. I like to stitch one needle width to the inside of the line so the binding fits snug against the quilt top.

Before trimming the just-sewn seam, lay out the binding to be sure it is not twisted, and that it is the correct length.  THEN, trim the seams to 1/4" so you will have two little triangles of fabric left over...which can be paired with previous cut off binding triangles for use in minis, right?!

That ends the Joining the Binding Ends Tutorial.  Now follows Finishing Sewing Down the Binding.  You can do it, as I prefer to, by hand, but stitching it down by machine is just so fast, and durable, that I'm doing more and more this way.

I prefer applying my binding to the front of the quilt and stitching in the ditch on the front, catching the folded edge on the back with my stitching.  You can do it in reverse, applying the binding to the back, and topstitching it down on the front.  It's a personal preference.

Press the binding away from the quilt top

Fold it and press it again to the back of the quilt.  Let's take a closer look at mitres on the corners.

Press the binding down up to the corner and off the edge of the quilt, so binding folded on binding (this is clearer when you are doing it) and you will automatically form a 45-degree angle where it starts to go around the corner.  Fold the binding down over the next edge; you may have to finagle that fold a little so both folded edges meet as you see here.

Notice the difference from right side to the wrong side of the quilt at that corner:  the bulk of the folded corner is on the right here between my index and third fingers, and in the previous photo the bulk is to the left.  This means the corner bulk is evenly distributed and the corner will lie nice and flat.

After you've pressed the binding to the back all the way around (or you can do one side at a time), then put a tiny amount of glue on the quilt back inside the seams.  Less is more.  I find taking the time to iron first, apply glue, and then iron again, keeps my fingers cleaner!

Press that binding down, setting the glue.  Stitch by hand (see why less is more; it's hard to poke your needle through a glued fabric edge) or by machine.  I've hauled quilts around on car trips like this, binding by hand to pass the time and it is the GREATEST thing EVER! No pins, or clips get lost!

Stitch in the ditch from the front of the quilt using your walking foot.

Here you can see what the back is looking like, nicely caught by the ditch stitching.  You can also see how hand-sewn-down the front looks since the stitching disappears in that ditch.

There you have it!  I hope this helps newbies, or teaches some experienced quilters a new way of doing something or a new tip.  I started using glue not even 2 years ago, as I was pretty skeptical at first. Now I wouldn't have it any other way.

AND!!!!! Desire to Inspire Challenge Update!

The Henry Glass Fabrics fabric arrived at my daughter's house on the Michigan side of the Detroit River yesterday afternoon.  MacGyver hopped in the SUV and went over for a visit once she was home from work, and then brought it to our house on the Ontario side last night!  I waited until the sun was up this morning to take the photos to show you:

My package-eeep!

Fabric inspector, photo bomber, and quilt tester Bella takes a sniff

Lush colours, no?!  Those are fat quarters of woven plaids and two twill weaves!

 Now to put some of my ideas into fruition toute suite, or as my friend Lara, who also lives on a Great Lake, Ontario to be exact, of Buzzin'Bumble likes to write, 'toot sweet'.  :-)  Fabulous giveaway, not lake but sea-themed over on her blog until this weekend.

Remember my pattern is on sale until this weekend!  Just $5 will get you a copy here on Craftsy in my pattern store.  You can also be taken there through the My Pattern Store button on my sidebar. :-) After this weekend it will be $7.

Linking up with My Quilt Infatuation.

Small Finishes

I can show one finish, now that it has been given to the recipient.

At the front door in Kingsville

This is another of Joanne's Snowalong paper-pieced snowflakes, #3 to be exact.  I made it back in October, knowing it would go to my daughter, Dayna.  You can purchase the patterns for all 7 snowflakes through her website link to her Craftsy store.  They are a mere $3.

Here it is after I quilted the front of the cushion cover. Wow, what a difference from under my Ott-lite to outside, no?!

A last shot of it with Lake Erie in the background (we were leaving for Florida the next day).

We'd already had a bit of snow at that point, but it had melted.  I discovered, and rediscovered two very handy tools during the binding of this cushion.

I followed Sharon Schamber's binding tutorial exactly this time, and as I mentioned before, I am pleasantly surprised at how well I was taught: outside of the glue and the ladder stitch she uses, I do my bindings exactly as she does.  It pays to take classes at your LQS!!  Or now online, lol, as mine was nearly 20 years ago...

Anyhow, first discovery was glue: I glued the binding down (look, no pins, ma!), and the rediscovery was beeswax: I remembered a tip from an appliqué class I also took at my LQS way back.  Run the thread through beeswax to help reduce tangling.  This time I tried Sharon's ladder stitch, and quite liked it.  After trying out the new techniques, I then went full-steam ahead on the binding on Savannah, which, as you know, I mostly stitched on the trip down here.  Having no pins to worry about in the SUV was a most-welcome perk!

Bella gave the cushion her customary stamp of approval

Not my best side, lol

I nearly didn't include that shot, but she is so darn adorable in the way she is so fascinated by pretty much every part of the quilt-making process.  This time she was especially intrigued by me hand-sewing the binding down! She didn't grab for the thread, just watched intently. And would gaze at me every once in a while...

The back.  This shows the richness of this gorgeous batik.

A another close-up of the quilting.  Again, I used Sulky Holoshimmer for sparkle!

My second small finish is using the Riley Blake fabric Lara so kindly sent me a few days ago.  Did you guess what it was I was making?

Two make-up bags.  I used The Cake Clutch pattern on Moda Bakeshop.  I made a couple of changes. First, instead of top-stitching the polka-dot piece onto the red main piece, I pieced it in.  This way I saved fabric (of course!) as well as reduced bulk.  Second, I edge-stitched the centre piece along the zipper to help keep it from catching in the zipper.  I'd do that before I sewed up the sides next time I make one of these, so I could stitch along the entire length of the zipper.  I love this fabric combination! So happy.

Best of all, I worked with the laminated cotton she also sent me.  Nice touch for the inside of a make-up bag, I'd say!

I used Gutermann 50 wt cotton in white for the quilting I did in the polka-dot sections.  No marking, just aimed for the centre of the dots for the cross-hatching pattern, and for the other I did straight lines and a gentle wave (no marking, qué sera, sera feel, aka 'organic' feel) all with my walking foot.  In the red fabric, I centred 3 lines spaced 1/4" apart using Sulky Blendables in 12 wt.  Easy.

And now I'm behaving, getting back on track by sewing up my trellis blocks for Fleurs.  Hope to have this flimsy done asap!

Linking up with TGIFF hosted today by Sarah at Things I Make as well as with a different Sarah of Can I Get a Whoop Whoop at Confessions of a Fabric Addict.