Today I am at the binding stage of the John Wayne quilt.
This is the quilt I’ve been working on for my great-niece. I can see the end or it might be better to say, the finish line is within sight. To read more about this quilt check out my earlier post The Riley Blake John Wayne Quilt.
Until more recent years, this was the stage I hated because I struggled so to get it done.
When I returned to quilting in 2015, I was determined to learn how to bind a quilt correctly. Youtube is a wonderful place to find video instruction on so many DIY projects. I watched a few different videos and the one that made the most sense to me was “The Ultimate Quilt Binding Tutorial” with Jenny Doan of Missouri Star Quilt Company.
This is where I learned to join the strips together on an angle, how to do the corners well and how to join the beginning and end of the binding. And I had to watch this video every time I was at the stage of binding a quilt for a while. It really made a big difference in the finished look of my quilts. So if binding is something you struggle with, then I recommend finding a video or a written tutorial where the instruction makes sense to you. Ask questions if you need to as most people that post tutorials are willing to answer them.
Some additional things that I’ve learned about binding is to take my time. This is the finishing touch and what seals the layers together. Make it look as nice as possible.
Pinning the binding in place before sewing it down doesn’t work well for me. So I’ve found that binding clips are very helpful. If for some reason I’m having a tough time keeping it rolled over to the front or back (depending on which way you like to
put your binding) I will use a thin line of Roxanne glue. The glue holds it in place. I also pull my bottom thread to the top like most Free Motion Quilters do and then it doesn’t bunch up underneath.
Then after the binding is on and sewn down, I lay the quilt out on my spare bed and look everything over. This is my chance to clip any thread I might have missed and make sure I don’t see anything coming apart.
My final step is to wash the quilt in cold water with a couple of color catchers.
I always use color catchers to ensure my dark colors do not run onto my light colors. Washing the quilt also makes it shrink up with the free motion quilting.
I’m excited that this quilt is on it’s way to my niece and I can move onto my next project. Thanks for stoping by my blog today. May your weekend be filled with sewing.
Blessings,
