I used to be but something has changed and it's a little annoying sometimes to have to sit and sew. I hope to get back to the "pleasure" of binding rather than the "torture" that I sometimes feel. I think I feel constricted and that I "shouldn't" start cutting or piecing a new project until this one is done.To help me keep going with binding, I have a little head trick I play (which I cannot take credit for -- I saw it on a quilting blog a year or so ago but can't remember whose blog it was).
Because I'm most motivated when I first sit down to bind and to take advantage of that binding mojo, I do each corner first. I am more apt to take my time with the mitering and making sure that the corners are square and as perfect as I can make them. I have to say there is a sense of relief when the corners are done -- it's straight shooting after that. My other head trick is that I bind both the long sides first and then it seems so much easier to just do the shorter sides.
In order to have more options (and more speed), I know I need to keep practicing on machine binding. Right now, I can't bring myself to try it on anything other than NICU quilts. Certainly one of the blogs I follow regularly suggests a 2.5" binding should wrap around 3/8" and 2.25" wraps around 1/4" when binding -- with the 3/8" wrap being easier for machine binding.
The two pix that you see here are 2.5" binding (top) and 2.25" on the bottom. The bottom quilt has a pieced back so it's a little nauseating when you look at all the fabrics -- it looks much better on the front (and it's done and ready to be shipped to a friend -- HURRAY!). I cut the 2.5" black binding with the full intention of doing it on the machine but decided I didn't want to experiment with this gift quilt -- and so, I'm playing head games again (and have the duplicate quilt ready to bind when I finally finish this one). I'd rather be piecing right now but deadlines are preventing that so know that I'm plodding along through the weekend!
I'd love to know your binding tricks -- and head games! Keep binding, Jan
2 comments:
I kind of enjoy binding because there isn't much thought or decision making that goes into it. Just pick a thread color and go. I really don't even mind the corners. I just sewed the binding on one yesterday that is a bit bigger than the last three I've finished, so I may change my tune after I sit and hand sew that one. I do try to start pretty close to a corner so after I've finished my 4th corner, it isn't long until I'm done. I would like to learn to finish off binding by machine sometime.
Call me crazy but I love binding. And for a finished 1/4 in binding I only cut my strips at 2 inches. I can sit in front of the TV and mindlessly sew for a few hours and voila my quilt is complete. One thing that has really improved my speed is always using a thimble on my sewing hand, middle finger. Saves me from getting a hole in my finger from pushing the needle.
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