Binding Tips and Tricks

Quilting friends,
I meet with the most wonderful small group of quilters (we call ourselves Women of the Cloth) and I am always delighted to see how much everyone helps and encourages each other. If you do not belong to a group, I would highly recommend you find one. I always look forward to our meetings and having some quilting time with my friends. I have also learned so many things from them!

Just a few weeks ago, we were discussing binding issues, so I brought in some quilted samples and fabric strips, and we all enjoyed a demo from each other on our different binding techniques. In this blog, I have tried to summarize what I learned from these wonderful fellow quilters.

 The below techniques assume you already know the basics of binding - there are videos on YouTube by several instructors on how to do this. It would probably be very confusing to try to follow what I am telling you here without understanding basic binding application techniques.

I have struggled off and on trying to make sure those bindings are filled and corners great, and have occasionally wondered why my corners look at bit funky. After trying the tips I learned from my group, I am now delighted to have perfect corner miters - and no empty bindings! Think of these tips as extra information that you can decide whether or not would work for you.


The orange pin is the start point.
Proceed to wrap the binding around,
folding the corners properly
and pinning into place until
you can see where the binding
 seams will end up.

A thank you to Donna Findley who embroidered
this cute baby quilt and has allowed me
to use it for this demonstration.

1) It really is irritating to me to have my binding seams end up at the corner, but if you do a quick check by putting a pin in your quilt where you intend to start, leaving your tail above (typically 8 to 10"), then wrapping your binding around the quilt, you can determine roughly where your seams are going to end up and make adjustments at the start point if necessary.



Some tools you may have to
mark your corner.

I use my right triangle,
lining it up with the edge of my quilt,
and mark with tailor's chalk.

2) Begin sewing your binding at your start point. As you approach the corner, take whatever you may have available to mark a 45 degree angle into your corner, a little over a 1/4". When you have sewn to the chalk mark, that is your stopping point. Pivot the quilt, and sew directly out to the corner on the marked chalk line. This will help you to obtain the crisp corner miter.

Binding folded to seam line, using a
gauge to measure the width.

3) Pull your quilt slightly away from the needle. Now fold your binding up to the sewing line. You can either eyeball this, or measure it to determine the width of the folded binding. This dimension will vary according your binding width and other minor variables.

This is the dimension you will want to use when you fold your binding up at the corner. Measure from the seam line to the edge of the fold - this is one of those little secrets to obtaining a good miter.


4) Continue sewing all the way around your quilt, stopping at least 12" from your start point, and leaving an 8 to 10" tail.

Now, I learned that there is a new gadget out there - The Binding Tool - you can put this into your search engine to find one, and there is also a demo of how to use it on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ex2PajesRvU

The directions for using it are printed right on the ruler - pretty handy! It makes the finishing up a piece of cake once you get the hang of it - but if you do not have one of these, here is a good method to use:

a) open up the end of the finishing tail (or use a piece of fabric the same dimension as the width of your binding - sometimes I will snip off the end of my tail if I have enough left over and use it.) Lay it across the top of the starting tail, right where the tail begins. The starting tail will be underneath, and lined up to the right edge.



b) bring your ending binding over and lay it across the top of the open piece. (This will also be over the top of the starting tail of the binding.) Now you have the dimension you will need to finish - snip off the excess tail of the end binding at the left side of the open fabric, being very careful to cut only the top piece of binding.

c) Open each of the tail ends and carefully lay them at a right angle to each other, matching up the top and sides. Draw a diagonal sewing line across and pin. Check to make sure you do not have the binding twisted in the wrong direction before you sew on the chalk line. Sew across the diagonal chalk line.

d) Before you trim the seam, check once more to insure you have not twisted the binding wrong. Trim ~1/4", and iron or finger press the seam open. Pin the remaining binding into place before sewing so as to avoid any stretching. Finish sewing it to the quilt.

5) Now to finish up, fold a section of binding over to the back side and finger press into place. Unfold and measure from the crease to the seam line. This is the dimension you will want to trim your batting and backing to, (with maybe just a smidge more - a little extra will just mean it will be folded under, but you will not have any empty binding!)


6) Trim out your corners and iron your binding up, paying attention to the miters. Sew the binding to the back of the quilt with whatever method you choose, making sure the back corner fold is on the opposite direction from the front corner fold. Your corners should have a nice miter and line up perfectly with your sewing line on the back of the quilt.

mitered corner at front of quilt

mitered corner at back of quilt

I hope this was not too confusing and that you did get a few tips that you can use. And, to each member of my quilting group, I am so thankful for you!


Until next time, Happy Quilting!
Cathy












The General's Wives Civil War Tribute Quilt

Dear Quilting Friends,

I cannot believe we are approaching the end of January already! I think the reason this month seems to slip by so quickly is we are busy putting our Christmas stuff away, then trying to get our lives back to "normal" again, and before we know it, it's the end of the month.

One of the great things about the winter months is that it does give us plenty of opportunities to get our projects done. As I write this, it is cold and snowy outside, a perfect day for some sewing, providing you do not have to be somewhere. (This is one of the reasons we quilters have stashes - we must have something to work on whenever the opportunity presents itself!)



As I mentioned in my last blog, I have been working on a quilt titled "The General's Wives," a king size quilt that took over year for my client to complete. Since this is a Civil War tribute quilt, I tried to keep the quilting consistent with the period, and incorporated as many feathers and stars as possible throughout the quilt. The fabrics used are fairly busy, so since it is a little difficult to see the quilting on the blocks, I have tried to show you portions of the back of the quilt as well. The center of the quilt has 5 appliqued stars to represent the wives of 5 Civil War generals. A star was quilted into the pentagon center with stippling in the background to allow the stars to stand out. Feathers in the outer blue star points help the center area to look like one big star.

For the outer 4 corner blocks, to make it look general-ish (is that a word?) a feathered wreath with a star in the center was quilted. The feathered sashing can also be seen here.

The outer border area is also a feathered pattern, as well as the inner border blocks. Lots of feathers in this quilt for those of you who are crazy about feathers!

It is difficult to see the quilted patterns, so here is a shot of the back of the quilt.

For the various pieced colored blocks, I used continuous curve, feathers (of course), curls, and stars wherever possible. In this block, the stars are in the center and corners.

Below is an overall photo of the back of the quilt so, although they are small,  you can get an idea of the various quilting patterns:

As you can see, there are feathers everywhere! I hope you have enjoyed looking over this quilt with me.

 I had thought things would slow down at bit, with Christmas being behind me, but then again - it is still winter, (when we quilters quilt), so I am as busy as ever. I am currently working on a card trick block quilt, so you will be seeing that one next!

Until then, happy quilting! Cathy

Destressing With A Couple of Recent Quilts

Happy January, dear quilting friends!
As some of you know, I have experienced a few problems with Louise (my longarm) lately. Well, I think all has finally been resolved, and she is actually behaving herself now. Both my computer and my machine are up and running again. Here are a few recent quilts for you to check out.

This one is a child's quilt that was supposed to be done

before Christmas, but Louise was uncooperative. (ARRGGGH!!!!)  I am so thankful for good, understanding quilting friends that try to help me de-stress! My rep was here for one day, ordered new motor wheels, and we both thought I would be up and running as soon as they arrived and I installed them. Well, we were wrong - I started this quilt, and all looked fine, at first. As the sewing continued, the pattern moved down the quilt, so that by the end of the row what was supposed to be at the top was actually almost 4" down from the top! It is a good thing I am such an expert with my seam ripper - have had lots of experience there!!
My rep was back out for a couple of days as we tried to solve the problem, which seemed to puzzle all involved. I finally had to resort to the old (low tech) method - a paper pattern hand guided - to get an  edge to edge angel wing pattern on this quilt, and completed it the day after Christmas. Again, I am sooooo very thankful for understanding quilting friends!

The next time my rep arrived, she brought her motors with her. When these were installed, all was well. We ended up replacing the wheels on my motors with the ones from her motors and this solved the problem, so the factory sent a different kind of wheel. (Thank goodness for warranties!)This did the trick, and I am thankful to say that all has been well since.

This was my next quilt once my computer was back up and running, sent to me by an out of town client. I am not normally an orange person, but I thought  the color combination in this quilt was well selected and very pleasing. This one just has an overall feather pattern, and I am so relieved to say that I did not have a single problem with my machine during the entire quilting process! I am currently working on a quilt titled "General's Wives", and hope to post that for you to view shortly.

 

Until next time, may this new year bring you much joy as you quilt away!
Cathy

Batting for Children's Quilts

When we think of batting, we think about things like dimension (loft, thick or thin), cost, warmth, etc. I keep quilted samples of the batting I carry on hand so my clients can determine the look they might like best. However, there is another vital thing we need to consider for use in baby, children, and invalid quilts.

When I am given a cute baby top for quilting, my first question is always "what are you considering using for batting in this quilt?" Years ago, I had a co-worker whose daughter was badly burned by sleeping too close to the fire with a non-fire retardant blanket. This memory is one reason I am biased as to what type of batting goes into a child's quilt. (I do tend to make very strong recommendations.) Children tend to drag their quilts around for years, and that favorite "banky"
being drug around is more likely to find a flame to ignite it.

You may not be aware that the worst batting you could use for a child's quilt, or an invalid's quilt for that matter, is polyester or a polyester blend. Put a match to either of these, and they will burn very quickly and melt. The melt is what actually sticks to the skin and causes the most severe burn damage. Children who have suffered from polyester burns go through very painful therapy, including debridement (scrubbing the polyester from the body).

A couple of years ago I found an article by Beth Kurzava in IMQA (International Machine Quilters Association) magazine. The full article can be read at: http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/2011/11/17/files/BattingArticleFall2011_1.pdf

Beth performed burn tests on several types of batting. In each test, she lit an 8" square of batting, taking photos for 3 seconds. Below are her findings.

Polyester burn - 3 second lapse from start to finish
 

Cotton/poly blend - 3 second lapse from start to finish


I have had some customers who have believed that 100% cotton is the way to go, but Beth's testing shows that this is not the best choice either: (100% cotton burn sample - 3 second lapse from start to finish.)





So, I am sure you want to know what is safe to use. Well, there is 100% cotton, flame retardant batting out there, and the one I carry and recommend for use in children's and invalid's quilts is Dream Angel (by Quilters Dream Batting). The burn sample below is a 100%cotton fire retardant batting, but the manufacturer is unnamed in the article. (These photos also show a 3 second lapse from start to finish.)

 

Below is a photo quilt that I made for my granddaughter Emily - you can bet that I used a flame retardant batting for this quilt. Life is too precious, and she is too cute! (Sorry, but I could not seem to make the program display this one upright.)

 

 

So, next time you consider batting for that special loved one, consider carefully what you choose! In the meantime, Happy Quilting!

Until next time,

Cathy

Photos are courtesy of IMQA Magazine, Fall 2011.
http://www.imqa.org/media/uploads/2011/11/17/files/BattingArticleFall2011_1.pdf

 

Merry Christmas Applique

Christmas Blessings to Everyone!

Border View

A Glimpse of the whole quilt.
It is large, 88 X 110

Pear Tree Block
"and to all a goodnight"

This quilt both challenged and delighted me - It was so much fun to work on! Thank you, dear one, for giving me the opportunity! It took me a long time to complete it, (the results were well worth the time!) and I was so attached to it by the time it was finished that I did not want to give it back! The pictures do not do this justice, but wouldn't you just love to have this one displayed in your home during the wonderful holiday season?

Center "Merry Christmas" block

Star block

I am often asked how I decide what to quilt. There is not an easy answer to this, but basically, this is how I typically work. While I am working on a quilt, I hang my next one on a clothesline near my machine so that I can look at it every time I walk into the room or glace up. It keeps me thinking, and little by little a plan begins to take shape. I look for clues within the quilt to guide me - allowing the quilt to "speak" to me. This will extend from what colors to use (I find myself often trying out various colors) to what I might do in each block, section, sashing, border, etc. For a quilt like this one, I find myself thinking: " If I were a (holly, stocking, leaf, ornament, star, menorah, etc.) how would I look? Or, what background fill would look best here? I am more of a traditional quilter, although I do modern quilts as well, so most of my ideas have more of a traditional theme.

Wreath Block

By the time I am ready to work on the quilt, I have sticky notes pinned all over it to remind me what I was thinking. (With my feeble mind, the notes are vital!) This also helps me keep a consistent flow to the quilt, since I can only see a small portion of it at a time.



poinsettia block



Menorah Block

That's it - not much of a secret, is it! But, it is what works for me. As you can see in this quilt, there are all kinds of stitched additions - oak leaves added to the border pattern, ribbons added to the wreath and stockings, flames added to the menorah, star "light". There is also quite a variety of fill patterns: echo quilting, swirls, paisley, feathers, curls, etc.


May each of you and your families know the most blessed gift of all this Christmas.
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (I Cor. 9:15)

Blue Marking Pen

Happy Holidays, all you quilters!

My baby is down and I am waiting for parts (not the best thing to happen at this time of year!) so I thought I would supply you with one of my tips this week. Many of you (mainly you applique-ers)  have asked how I get out those blue marks that are supposed to disappear simply by  wetting the quilt. I have found that water by itself does not always work, so this is what I discovered some time ago - I am not sure where, but I may have found this tip in one of Linda Taylor's books.

To 16 oz. of distilled water, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. As you can see, I have this solution in a spray bottle to use as needed. I have yet to see this not work. I keep my spray bottle labeled with the formula, since so often my mind takes too long to wind its way around to what I am trying to remember.

Sometimes the marks are close to an area of possible bleeding fabric. (Red and purple are usually the worst, but if you are in doubt, test a sample of the fabric wherever possible by lightly dampening it and then blotting it with a white cloth. If there is any color on the cloth, it WILL bleed.)

 I try not to get to close to these areas with my original marking just to avoid any problems. However, when this is the case, I dampen a sponge with the solution and then  carefully dab at the blue marks. Do not go any closer than necessary to the suspect fabric to avoid any possible bleeding.

I hope this helps out some of you. In the meantime, I will try not to get too frustrated with my backlog while I am waiting for parts, and hope that when they do arrive, my husband and I will be able to get Louise going again!

Happy Quilting!!

A Christmas Sampler

Happy December!

 

We really enjoyed our Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoyed yours as well. Holidays are such a wonderful time for family gatherings, but unfortunately, our family is so scattered that we were not able to get everyone together. As a replacement, our wonderful daughter sent this photo, and I just had to show off two of our cute grandchildren! (Our daughter Sarah with Samantha and Emily)

 

 

As for that Black Friday shopping, I don't know about you, but I chose not to brave the shopping the last couple of days and decided to remain in the safety of my home. I enjoy Christmas shopping, but I certainly do not want to be around crowds of crazy people who are in a trampling mode!
I love this time of year - the music, lights, family fun, children's pageants, laughter, decorating, baking, etc. I love most of all to watch children's faces - they are all so full of wonder, joy, and excitement - which is really what Christmas is all about. After all, the very first Christmas gift was a child, so it is only natural that children should be the most excited.
 

A Christmas Sampler Quilt

For me, this time of year also means lots of quilting, so here is a Christmas sampler for you to check out.

The Poinsettia Center block



A sample block - Path Through
the Woods - with continuous
curveand feather swirls

Christmas Star  block

The quilt border as a busy fabric, so the pattern would be hard to see. This is the back of the quilt, which allows you to see the Ivy pattern, and some of the feather sashing. 

I really enjoy working on samplers, and this one was no exception. Some of the block patterns in this quilt I had not seen before, and sometimes it was a stretch for me to determine what to quilt, but I do so enjoy the process!

 

Well, its time for me to get to wrapping all those gifts that have to go into the mail. Have fun with your Christmas projects - I am sure all who receive them will be delighted with the special effort you have put into them. Enjoy the season!!!  

 

"...and unto us a child is born, a son is given, and the government will be upon His shoulders; and His Name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."  (Is. 9:6)