newnana

OK ladies, I have machine quilted the layers together~ Im so excited , I am now ready to finish the edges... YIKES! :) Any pro's want to walk me through it?? I have to tell you a little something , when I went to JoAnns to buy my quilters foot attachment for my machine . I told the lady that works there that I had you wonderful quilters to talk to and that you had literally quided me through this process, She Could NOT believe I hadnt take a class at all before tackling this quilt, I had my quilt ( had basted together ) with me and she was impressed! :) Yeah!!
Anyway I only have untill the 22nd to finish, ( that s the date Im giving the baby shower , I want to present it to them then. )
PS I saw binding you could buy already pressed ready to use ) But I bought a "Quick-Easy mitred binding tool.. ( she suggested it) Now what?
Thanks ahead for any help I can get... So far WE have made a great team!! :P

newnana

Some of you had ask me to post more pics as I progress through my quilt, so here is the latest. ( I realize that not all my stitches through the center of the squares are going the same way) but I caught on more as I went . It is my first ...

Mousie

well, newnana, i can't tell anybody else how to put on a binding. I'm thinking that ppl went to bed, but when they see your post tomorrow you'll be back in business.
I can understand why the lady at the fabric shop was impressed. I would have been scared to death to wing it with reading 'puter, for something that means as much to you as this does. you are a brave soul, but you have done great. I'm impressed too. :D

Celeste

It is looking oh, so pretty!

k3n

It's looking really pretty. Here's how I do binding.

Cut strips across the width of the fabric 2 and 1/2 " wide until you have enough to go all round the edge and a few inches extra; Join them together right sides together with a quarter inch seam. Press these seams open. Then fold the whole strip right sides facing out, ironing as you go. With the top of the quilt uppermost, machine the raw edges of the binding around the quilt with a quarter inch seam. I start a few inches away from a corner and leave half an inch of binding at unsewn at the beginning. When you get to within quarter inch of a corner, leave the needle down, lift the foot and turn the quilt thru 90°, kind of pleating the binding as you do it, then put the foot down and carry on. When you get back where you started, trim the binding to half an inch to match the bit you ledt at the beginning then hand sew this seam RST. Then with a thread to match the binding, fold it over to the back and slip stitch down as you go. As you fold the corners over they kind of mitre themselves, sometimes you have to fiddle a bit. Hope this helps.

K x

newnana

Thank you ! Now my question is , should I go and buy a little bit of different fabric to do my binding? I usually see cotton fabric on the demos I have seen.. OR should I use any of what I am already using so it matches.. Last Q: Can you not just fold over the backing and make a binding around the quilt? Im guessing not since no one has ever suggested that.. the obvious question has just been bothering me..
Oops I do have one more ... do I go ahead and trim the quilts layers even with the top now? And leave the edges raw?
Thanks again!

k3n

If you've left enough backing you certainly could turn it under and blind stitch down to the front. Or you could turn the top under a 1/4 inch and the backing under slightly behind it then blind stitch down. I've done this once on a wall hanging, must I must say I prefer the look of a separate binding; If you go that route then yes, you trim the backing and batting to match the top; Although I read on here someone who leaves a bit of batting extra - probably about 1/4 inch to pad out the binding and I plan on trying that myself next time i bind something. As for fabric - if you've got enough left then use that, otherwise buy something which tones. I seem to remember you took binding into account when buying the backing?

K x

newnana

Ok , I have my binding ready to sew on the quilt.. Do I change back to my regular pressure foot on the machine now? I'm a little nervous , Im so close to being finished , If I mess up now.. there will be some tears shed!!!!

newnana

FYI I used the backing fabric , but not going to fold over , went ahead and cut the strips and did it the regular way..

k3n

Hi newnana - sorry can't advise on the foot cos my old machine only has one so it doesn't get changed! The binding will be fine single width, all my early quilts were done this way until I read about the double method. I still go single too if I'm short on fabric! Can't wait to see it finished.

K x