Peckish

Yes, the binding is the classic double, and yes, you're stitching through 2 layers. It's folded in half, not pressed in half.

When you press it in half, the act of pressing gives the fabric memory. A crease is created, and that's where the fabric wants to fold from that point on. But if you think about a running track, the inside lane is shorter than the outside lane, right? So when you fold the fabric around to the back of the quilt, the inner layer of binding is shorter than the outer layer of binding, and the binding will not lay as nice and flat.

When I first learned this technique, I thought to myself, oh good grief, how much difference could that tiny amount of fabric really make, especially in something as narrow as binding? But it's one less step, and pressing is not my favorite chore anyway, so I tried it without pressing. And holy cow, it made such a huge difference that I vowed never to press bindings again.

Jeanne S

Like many others, I use 2 1/4" strips for my double fold bindings. I lay the binding on the quilt about 1/8" inside the outside edge of the quilt and sew with a 1/4" seam allowance from the edge of the binding wich is 3/8" from the edge of the quilt. My binding folds over tightly on the other side and is full.

RST

Thanks for the explanation, Peckis. I'll have to give it a try.

Onebyone

My hand stitches never get anywhere near the ironed crease. I don't understand how they can be.

Friday1961

I read a lot of angst about bindings but I don't mind them, either. The only thing I really dislike is the sandwiching, mainly because it's just a lot of trouble. And, frankly, I think borders are a boring job.

I do most of my bindings as Tartan describes, though occasionally, I will bring the backing over and do a self-binding.

cathyvv

I do similar, except I don't hand bind the back. The last time I did that was about 6 years ago because it hurt my hands so much.

It is true that my binding will never win prizes, but I'm ok with that.

Jo Anne B.

I am thinking I need to try the "don't iron" technique. I have three quilts to bind soon...
Does anyone have any advice how I can hand sew the mitered corners better? My stitches seem to always show and those stitches for whatever reason are especially unattractive. Thanks in advance!

ArchaicArcane

I've been told recently too not to press my binding in half.

The first binding I did, I was taught as mentioned elsewhere in this thread to put the binding about 1/8" in from the edge of the quilt and stitch it at 1/4" - so 3/8" from the edge of the quilt. That's for a 2.5" strip.

The other thing is just because you had it work with those settings for one quilt, doesn't mean it will for the next. I changed battings and my binding's "fullness" changed - and its satisfaction rating too as a result.

Lastly, I did this binding once - it requires some adjustments if you don't use the 8mm Bernina foot that she does but it does work. She uses a Flat Felling foot. It's probably the best binding I've done so far - not competition caliber but I'm a long way from that for so many other reasons anyway. Right now I'm happy with "It stayed on." http://awomanaday.com/2013/01/17/hap...nding-edition/

If memory serves, the main difference when using my Pfaff with a 6.5mm foot is that I can't move my needle "as far to the left as it can go" because that's out of the range of the fold. I had to tweak a little for that but I think otherwise it did work. I'll be doing a binding tomorrow probably and can update if I find anything else that needs to be changed.

DonnaFreak

OK...I've read through all of the responses here and I can clearly see that I'm the oddball of the bunch. LOL! When I did my very first binding, I was taught to cut my binding strips 4 1/2". The strips are ironed in half, then attached to the front of the quilt using a 1/2" seam allowance, folded over the edge, and hand sewn to the back. Since that's the way I was originally taught, that's how I've ALWAYS done my binding. I don't leave more than 1/4" of extra batting around the edges, and my bindings have always turned out fine. Of course, it might make a difference in the fact that I DON'T pre-wash any of my fabrics, preferring to wash the entire quilt after it's finished. ☺

Donna

Sewnoma

Huh! I've always ironed mine in half, going to have to try it without the ironing. If nothing else, it saves a step that's a pain in the rear.

My bindings are often pretty sloppy, I just use the "galloping horse" rule to make them feel acceptable. They aren't TERRIBLE - they're structurally sound and I'm convinced that non-quilters don't notice anything amiss at all...but I think even a beginning quilter would notice some irregularities! I've improved a lot though, some of my earliest quilts have bindings that are pretty cringe-worthy, even by my low standards! (But they haven't come off after repeated washings, so that's something.)

In examining my grandmother's quilts, I think she had a similar attitude towards binding, LOL! She didn't even fuss with mitered corners; all her bindings are simply the backing brought over to the front and sewn down with boxy corner seams. I NEVER noticed or thought about it until I started making quilts myself.