Today’s quilting tip is about binding. And I can’t believe I figure this out only now, in my 15th year of quilting!
So what could it be?
Prepare the binding as soon as you finish the quilt top! Don’t wait until the quilting is done!
So you just finished a quilt top. You clean up your sewing space, fold all the fabrics used and put them back in your closet.
You are now anxious to see it quilted. You quilt it. Then maybe you wash it (I wash my quilts all the time).
And after that, you have to square it up and bind it. It shouldn’t take you too much time!
But then you remember you have to piece the binding! And you want a scrappy binding and you have to search again in your (extensive, I bet!) stash and find the fabrics used in this quilt. And then you realize that meanwhile you made another top and you ran out of some fabrics!
By now you are already tired so you decide to bind the quilt tomorrow. Or maybe you give up of the idea of piecing an AWESOME binding and you will bind the quilt with a simple fabric (like I did just today!).
Does it happen to you? It happens to me all the time!!
But what if the binding was previously done? With great enthusiasm you will proceed to bind the quilt!
So, the PERFECT time to piece the binding is right after the top is done. All the fabrics are on the table, the sewing machine is there and, if you made a patchwork quilt, you are in the “piecing mode” anyway. Why not piece the binding right now?
What do you think? When do you prepare the binding?
Do you know other productivity tips? Let’s learn from each other, let’s sew smarter, not harder!
Geta
Binding can really add that extra punch to a quilt. Love your thoughts about it and love these sweet ideas. I need to learn to be a bit more creative with my bindings. Thanks.
I have also learned through experience that preparing the binding as soon as the quilt top, backing and batting are all ready to be quilted is the ideal way to do it! If I have not chosen a coordinating fabric from which to make the binding, sometimes I will just piece any leftovers from the quilt top into a square big enough for the amount I need and then make the binding from that. It's so nice to be able to apply the binding as soon as the quilting is complete without having to get the whole mess out again!
MGM
Love your idea about sewing fabrics together first then cutting them into binding strips….such a time saver..
Thank You for this tip!
I have a basket with about 6 lovely bindings all ready to go – comes in handy when you need to do a quick quilt as a gift – when you see some fabric that you love as a mix and match binding and you have enough for the current project plus a few more – go for it – after all when your mind is thinking bias and double and folds and the lengths and you are all set up for it – is a great time to make a few – roll them up nicely pop in a zip lock bag and you will feel spoilt when you need them. Cheers Anja (AnjaA@Live.com.au)
and I love binding….. no really I do…maybe now I will have time for quilting again…I do have a gingham red and white that could use my attention…love this post..you write so well Geta. x
Thank you, Geta. I love your posts and tips. This one is terrific as I'm just starting out and wouldn't have thought about only binding later.
Wow! love all these ideas! Great post!
Great tip . Great ideas for binding .I think I will play around with some of those ideas for the baby quilt tops I have stashed away .Thank you Geta.
I’ve only made one scrappy binding that was pieced. I love the one shown above. When I make (usually solid color) bindings I cut an extra strip. I use the left over binding pieces on placemats, mug rugs, pot holders, etc. I can also sub cut them and piece together in the future. I keep them all in one box.
That’s a great idea to have some extra strips at hand.
I disliked making binding so much – that length of fabric all over the place to wrestle with, try to roll up, try to keep the cat from playing with it, etc. so I bought a new toy to make it a bit more fun. First I got a manual binding winder which worked ok. THEN I bought a Simplicity Binding Winder, battery operated or plug in, and wider than the manual…how pleasant to have the thing roll up my pressed binding with little effort and then have the binding in a neat roll, ready to go. I even make binding for charity quilts ahead of time and have TWO DRAWERS full of wound binding!
Can you send me a picture of your simplicity binding winder? Or if you know the name and from where I can purchase the same. Many thanks. Pramila.
I always make my binding as soon as the quilt top is finished. Patchwork or strip fabric from the quilt doesn’t matter. I like to sew it together, press and fold in half, then I roll it and put it in a zip lock bag, so it’s ready to go when I pick up my quilted work at my local quilt shop.
My preference is to wait to decide on my binding until the top is completed as often the binding will determine a more dominant color and the top will determine which way I choose to go). I always keep my fabrics out until I have decided on my binding.
I Love your tips…do you prefer a bias binding? You mentioned you wash your quilt..before you bind.. how do you deal with the edges for washing?
I am very new to quilting. How did you make the binding in the first picture? I love it and I am sure there is an easy way to do it. Right.
I cut my binding when I cut my quilt top pieces. That way I make sure I have enough fabric for binding. Once my binding is assembled and pressed, I wind it around an empty toilet paper roll which I’ve cut in half. When I’m ready to stitch it to my quilt, I place it in a bowl where it easily unwinds only as much as I need. It keeps the binding from getting all tangled.
What a great idea Debra!!easy solution ur so helpful and I Mercer thought of it
I cut , iron in half and roll before I finish making quilt as soon as I have decided what size I need. I roll it around my hand a half dozen times and put on a light elastic band, I wrap some more and add more light elastics. When I have finished rolling it all, I put on the last elastic and tuck in a zip lock bag. When I am ready to sew it on, I undo 1 elastic at a time and sew that length on. Much easier to handle as the rest stays all contained and neat. It will sit neatly on my machine or table and not unwind and be messy and tangled to handle. It works easily for me especially when binding larger quilts.
What a great idea, thank you for sharing! Sometimes I roll my binding around a big, empty spool of thread.
I regularly buy striped fabrics that catch my eye for bindings. I use bias binding 99% of the time. I just looks better to me. Also lasts longer as there is no straight of grain thread on the fold to wear out over the years. I don’t mind making binding or doing the binding. Especially since I’ve been using Sharon Schamber’s glue basting techniques after she published them many years ago. You can find a good example on You Tube by searching for “Sharon Schamber Binding the Angel”. She shows you how to easily piece all that binding and then to sew it on.
Thank you for your comment, Karol.
I use Sharon’s glue basting technique, too, especially for wall hangings. I love it.
Some of us cut the binding first; when the fabric is yards long. That way you can get length of fabric binding easily with way fewer seams. Sometimes I use the trimmings from my long-arm quilter.
But last fall I had made the binding for a quilt while it was in progress; as soon as I knew what color that binding was going to be. When the top was finished, I hung it on the design wall and it hung there for at least six months. The binding was carefully pinned behind the top, or so I thought. When it finally came time put the binding on, it was nowhere to be found. After a few more months of looking, casually and actively, I broke down and made more binding. I thought I would find the old stuff just as soon as I had made more. But no; the quilt is finished and washed and that binding has not been found.
Your totally correct! I let the quilt sit if I don’t have my binding prepared to go when the quilt is finished. thank you for the reminder!
Geta, thanks for the tips and I absolutely love the stripe pieced binding. I have a quilt that got lost in packing/moving boxes for about 10 years and when I found it was disappointed that I had not finished it. The stripes will work perfectly and I can’t wait to get started. ALSO, like one respondent above, I love the binding process…after all the other work is done, hand finishing the binding is my theraputic end to the process as I plan the next one. Thanks for sharing your creativity!