Frequently Asked
Quilting Questions Got a
question of your own?(you
will also get your name added to our drawing for a free pattern)Q: Good
morning, OK., I guess we don't learn if we don't ask: I am not understanding
how to "start binding",
and then finish it.
"tucked into folded start". My starting/ending point continues to be wider,
and lumpy, and this happens whether I start with a slanted start or a
straight start. What is a good, no-fail way to start/finish binding?
A:Start your binding on the longest side of your quilt, leaving a good 12"
tail and begin sewing close to the corner. Work your way around the quilt,
and when you get back to your starting side, stop sewing shortly after
turning the corner. (I use these dimensions when making a baby quilt. On a
twin size, I would probably use the smaller side.)
Now lay a piece of your binding cross-way across your sewing line and pin in
place. Take the beginning tail, lay it down the way you would if sewing it.
It should cross the piece you pinned. Cut the binding tail off, even with
the opposite side of the pinned piece. Opposite from where your binding is
coming from. Move it back out of the way, and take the binding from where
you just finished sewing, bring it down and across the pinned piece. Cut it
off even with the opposite side of the pinned piece. Remove the pinned
piece.
Lay both ends of binding flat on the quilt, right side down on the quilt.
Pick up the ends and match them exactly. Hold right hand steady, and turn
left hand holding binding, one-fourth turn to left. Pin corner to corner, to
make sure you are sewing the correct way. You should be able to see exactly
how it comes together with the pins, before sewing. After sewing, clip your
seam to a quarter inch, finger press open, and complete sewing down your
binding.
This will work every time, as long as you use a piece of your binding as a
measurement. Good luck. Pat Collins A: I
learned a new way that is almost perfect every time. I start out by marking
my binding 10" from the beginning and that's the 'tail'. I then mark a spot
and then again 20" from that first spot on the quilt. I proceed and sew the
binding on until I come to the first marker...stop. I lay the 'tail' flat
against my quilt and then lay the rest of the binding on top of the 'tail'.
Measure the remainder of the binding part the measurement of your binding
and cut off the remainder of the binding. Example: If your binding is 2"
wide then that's how much you overlap the 'tail' and cut off from the
remainder of the binding. Now attach the two ends as you did making your
binding (diagonal), trim the excess off. You should now have a continuous
binding. Go back to sewing the binding onto the quilt. There is no tucking,
lumps, etc. Using a walking foot as you're sewing the binding on is also a
great help and you don't end up with any 'tucks', etc. Since I started using
this technique I can't ever tell where I started and ending the binding on
my quilts. Good luck. LaNan Eldridge A: Instead of the folding, tucking
etc. of your beginning and ending binding. Leave tails of about 4" at both
beginning and end. Do NOT sew up to the beginning. Instead leave about 4"
un-sewn. Take the binding ends (beginning and ending) and pin them together
just where they meet to finish the binding on the quilt. Sew that seam, cut
off the excess and fold and finish the binding. You will never know where
you started or if this is a regular seam in the binding as it goes around
you quilt. I have used this tip and read it in several magazines, but Alex
Anderson showed it recently on her Simply Quilts show also. NAYY HIH
Sharon
Got a
question of your own?(you
will also get your name added to our drawing for a free pattern)
