Monday, March 24, 2014

Thinkin'!!

 Good Monday Morning!!  TGIM!  Above is a quilt I finished a few years ago.  It was in the binding pile.  Well, I thought...I will bind that by hand, of course...everything should be bound by hand...NOT!!  It was just lingering, and lingering, and lingering there, and no one was getting any good from the quilt at all!  So...this morning, I made a two color binding and applied it...by machine.  And it is just great!  Now why do I think I have to hand quilt and hand bind every quilt? For a quilt that will be used and thrown in the washer repeatedly...I think a machine binding on some of my quilts is very appropriate. So I am going for it!  Done is better than perfect, sometimes!
 The machine binding...it is fun, and I like the contrast.  It took three hours to cut binding, sew it all back together, press it, apply it to the back, and bring forward to the front and stitch is again.  It took 12 strips of 45 inch wide fabric to do this...I would have been FOREVER binding it by hand...so yahoo!  The quilt is now on my bed with fresh linens...it will be heavenly to slip in those sheets tonight!  I do have quilts that it is very appropriate to hand stitch the binding, and I love to do this, but life is slipping away faster and faster...geterdun Julie, already!
 I am making more melon pieces to put in my quilt from last post...anything goes here...any little scrap will do!
More of them. I want to make 120 in total.  I have 29 done, so almost 25% done.  Fun, fun, fun!!  NO matchy matchy, no seam allowance worries...just going for it on the sewing machine!  And I am using up precious pieces of friendship fabric...I love that!!


Have a great day, everyone!!

Julie

26 comments:

Janet O. said...

Your binding looks great! I have never learned that method with the "piped" look. Looks like it works out well!
Sounds like you still have a long way to go, until you say you are almost 25% done. That sounds doable. Looks very fun and free!

Nancy said...

I've seen this binding used on quilts throughout Cyberland, and I love it. Have I tried it myself - no, but someday soon.

Enjoy your gorgeous blue, yellow, and white quilt. It says, Spring is here!

Quilter Kathy said...

What a terrific finish! Enjoy sleeping under this wonderful quilt tonight! I can just hear the quilt being so happy to be adorning a bed :)
Love the spring string petals!

Dasha said...

Your finished quilt is lovely Julie. So pretty with the yellow/blue combo

Leanne said...

Love your colourful melons.

Sherrill said...

I just cannot bring myself to machine bind anything. The couple that I've done just looked like CRAP! LOL So mine will continue to linger until I get em hand done. Glad you can do it!

Leeanne said...

Looks great! I make & attach my binding by machine, then hand stitch in place on the back of the quilt.
Those little scrappy crumby petals are very pretty.

regan said...

That binding is perfect! I love the piping effect! Awesome! I've seen a tutorial for the process, but haven't tried it myself yet! But you're so right.....these quilts in the stack need to get done and on a bed so they can be used and loved! Well done!

And I'm loving those scrappy melon pieces! Awesome!

Lesley said...

Congrats on your wonderful quilt finish. The quilting and binding are done so well! Enjoy using this gorgeous quilt!

Chantal said...

I love that quilt. I'm happy I can have another look at it and with that wonderful binding, it looks even better then before. Great job, Julie. I machine-sew my binding on front and hand finish it on the back. Don't know why ... I just do. :)
Thanks for sharing.

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

It's a gorgeous quilt ...love the cheerful blue and yellow colors..perfect for spring! :)

Ada Plouvier-Kopitopoulou said...

Lovely quilt. Great binding. I usually sew one side with the machine and the other by hand.

Kim said...

Beautiful binding, how do you do a two color binding? And could we see a close up of how you stitched it down on the front please. I have never tried it this way and it looks perfect! Like you say done is better than perfect :0).

Happy Sewing on those scrappy melons, are you machine appliqueing them down?

Deanna said...

LOVE the blue/yellow quilt. Is it from a pattern? And those melons are happy looking.

ladydi said...

It IS perfect! Welcome to my world of machine binding. As you said, it is much sturdier and looks every bit as nice - nicer sometimes!

Ruth said...

Sewing the binding on by machine sounds like a good idea and I need to find a good tutorial for it. I always sew it down on the back by hand, but it makes sense to do it by machine. Why would most people care, anyway? Unless it's a quilt judge or the quilt police. It's a gorgeous quilt, BTW.

Lori said...

Nothing wrong with machine binding, but when I've tried it mine is very sloppy and I hate it! Maybe I'll try again on a small quilt.
How fun to be using up your scraps on the melons.

Kyle said...

That was a great choice for your binding. And better yet, you're done. Your quilt looks lovely and the piped bonding really added to the effect. Your scrappy melons are lookin' good.

Unknown said...

I cut and make my binding before I even begin quilting my tops. It's nice to get through and there it is just waiting to be put on. Binding is one of my favorite parts of quilt making. I like to sew it down by hand after putting it on. Someday maybe machining all the way on a baby quilt or something. But I love the hand look.

Helen in the UK said...

I always apply binding by machine for donation quilts. Kids and the laundry at the care home give them tough love and they survive beautifully! Loving those scrappy melons :)

Pat said...

I finally caved and did some bindings by machine, too. I still think I do a better job (as far as LOOKS go) doing it by hand, but...as you said...done is better than sitting in a pile. Also, if a quilt is going in the washing machine a lot and gets a lot of use, machine binding is more securely attached. Your quilt is lovely and your melon pieces are so colorful...love them!

hetty said...

Your quilt is stunning! Love how you did the binding. I am sure you were smiling as you slept under your perfect quilt, but I can see your quilt is smiling too, happy to be finished!

2ne said...

Lovely quilt :-)

Karen said...

I sew the binding to the top side of the quilt by machine, fold over and then stitch by hand. I am no good at doing the second part by machine.

AnnieO said...

Just beautiful, Julie! I'm going to try that binding method on some placemats. Love your colorful melons!

Linda O said...

Such a beautiful quilt, now done and able to be used!! I love doing bindings, but I have done a couple big ones by machine just to get them finished, and once they are done, I don't give a second thought to how it was done! I do want to try your method with the little flange. The little pop of color looks so great!

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