Perkins Dry Goods

One of the things I love to do when I’m finished with a quilt is the binding. When I finally mastered making the end and the beginning invisible, I felt that I had arrived! I thought I would try to show you how I do it:

And there you have it.  Give it a try – it’s easier than you thought.  I just know that’s what you’re thinking !

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This must be binding week.  Right after I posted about the fusible thread, I crossed paths with a link to some free videos by Sharon Schamber an award winning quilter and author.  One of the videos was her technique for binding application using glue.  Sharon likes to use Elmer’s School glue and has these cool tips that keep the glue under control.

 They look kind of like this. 

Then I read Pam’s comment on the fusible thread and she mentioned using Roxanne’s glue for binding.  Have I had my head in the sand all these years?  I had to give it a try.  I even did it on curved binding.  A little messy, but not too bad.  Both techniques have their drawbacks, but I sure like having choices.

Here is a tip that has saved me a ton of time plus reduced my stress level when getting ready to go to market.  I love nothing better than sitting with my family and hand stitching the binding on a quilt.  There is something about it that is relaxing and very satisfying.  BUT  then there are the times when you have a deadline and need that quilt DONE!  That’s when I dig out the fusible thread.  I also do the fusible technique as prep to hand sew.  It is soooo nice to have the binding wrapped in place, ready to stitch…..no pins, no pokes! 

I like the YLI Fusible Thread, it runs about $4.99 for a 150 yd spool.

• Sew the binding on the quilt as you would if you were going to hand sew it.  Use regular thread.
•  Wind a bobbin with the fusible thread.  Don’t wind it full, just about 80%.  If you wind it too full, the thread falls off and makes a mess.
• Stitch:  Set your machine to a zig-zag stitch that is a hair narrower than the binding seam allowance and not too short.  I set mine at 4.1 wide and 2.6 long.
• Tension:  Loosen the upper tension.  I set mine between 1 and 2.
  

1. Put the bobbin in the machine.  Now, I have a drop in bobbin on my Janome 6600 and it does not like it when I put the thread in the tension clip thing.  I put the bobbin in so that it unwinds counter clockwise.
2. Sew a zig-zag stitch in the seam allowance so that the fusible thread is on the back side of the quilt.  You will wrap your binding to the back and fuse it.
3. The first fold goes like this; lay the quilt on the ironing board back side up and fold the left side over.  Press.
   
4. Fold the top down, making sure that you have a nice miter at the corner.  Press binding to fuse all the way across.
   
5. Turn the quilt when you get to the next corner and repeat.  When you are finished, the binding looks totally finished.
6. You will eventually need to stitch it to the back, I don’t think this would hold if it went through the wash!