Hung and admiring....
My Mary Ann Pettway quilt has found it's home on my wall. I hung it up, stepped back and then realized just how similar the painting is to the quilt! The little red square in the upper right hand corner, the Greens, browns, purples and black... This quilt was meant to live here!
Quilts as Art... It fits right in!
Here's a close up shot on the quilting and binding. It got me thinking about how people bind their quilts... Mary Ann Sews her binding to the back and folds to the front. with the stitches visible.
How do you BIND?
When I started out quilting I only did what I learned from my grandmother, which was rolling the backing fabric to the front, or the "pillowcase method" (sewing the backing right sides together on three sides, and turning out right sides out and hand sewing the final edge.) the whole thing, so you didn't have any binding showing.
Then I learned to "Properly" bind, using online tutorials about 4 years ago! LOL! I made many errors, but eventually learned... I sew my continuous binding to the front and turn to the back usually a double binding just because I like the look of it when it's doubled.
Now, sometimes, I bias bind, depending the print of the fabric.
Other times I cut it with the grain to take full advantage of the print on the edge... I nearly ALWAYS will sew to the front, and hand stitch it down on the back. I usually like really tight small bindings, but am seeing that in many older quilts they do 1/4" bindings, and currently I'm a little obsessed with them! Although I do like a big 1" binding as well...
Picking the right binding has become a fun part of quilting, that I had not ever really thought to much about before. I usually get it just the way I want, but I have ONE KING size quilt that is really bugging me... I chose badly, and I really hate it, But the thought of taking off and redoing it on a KING size quilt is making me think twice... LOL! I'm afraid it will just stay that way!
And lastly, Machine binding... When I am in a real hurry, I will machine bind, But I really don't care for it. Mostly because I'm not super great at it...and, I really do enjoy that last amount of hand work to finish a quilt. I find it very relaxing and rewarding.
Do you have a favorite way to BIND your quilts?
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Be sure to VISIT these sites today for a chance to win MARIE's New BOOK!
Friday, April 27
*Michele - With Heart and Hands - http://www.with-heart-and-
*Melissa - Lilac Lane - http://www.blog.
*Michele - With Heart and Hands - http://www.with-heart-and-
*Melissa - Lilac Lane - http://www.blog.
and
Saturday, April 28
*Melissa - Sew Bitter Sweet Designs - http://blog.
*Kim - Crafty Apple - http://kimscraftyapple.
MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT IN MY LAST POST TO WIN
A COPY OF MARIE'S BOOK. WINNER SELECTED MAY 2nd.
*Melissa - Sew Bitter Sweet Designs - http://blog.
*Kim - Crafty Apple - http://kimscraftyapple.
MAKE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT IN MY LAST POST TO WIN
A COPY OF MARIE'S BOOK. WINNER SELECTED MAY 2nd.
My Husband's book is released!!! Yippee! I'm so proud of him... You can get a copy here:
Happy weekend!!!!
Happy weekend!!!!
I went to both, but I guess I was too early.... I hope I get the chance to try again later in this busy Friday.
ReplyDeleteYou came home with a very special little quilt. I never do bias binding because I don't like making it. I LOVE bias stripes but again, avoid doing them myself. Happy sales for your husband's book!
ReplyDeleteLooks like your little quilt found its "heart home" on your wall. Congrats on husband's book too!
ReplyDeleteI bind like you do, machine sew double binding to the front and hand stitch to the back. I also don't like my machine stitched to the back, turned to the front and machine stitched. Just not neat!
ReplyDelete: )
What a great post - love seeing the quilts. I'm traditional in my binding, like it small. I did do a reversable binding once - fun! Congrats on your hubby's book- wow!!
ReplyDeleteMy copy of Michael's book arrived yesterday and I will bring it to my art class Tuesday ... we had a discussion of the value of art just last week. Like the size of the book in my hands .. Prestel books are neat!
ReplyDeleteGreat little quilt on your wall. as for binding, I sew it on the front and handstitch to the back, unless it's a quilt that will be well loved, and then I sew it on the back and use my walking foot to sew it on the front with a matching thread. I'm getting better at that.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you do a single binding on top of the original on your king size quilt? That way you still get the same look with something you actually like. AND You won't have the terrible work of removing the first binding.
ReplyDeleteGREAT IDEA FROG MOMMA!!!! Love it!
ReplyDeletebias stripes = delish.
ReplyDeleteon another note, my sis is interested in the exact topic that your husband book addresses - she wrote her senior thesis in college on it!!!
first I am a HUGE fan of bias binding! It is SO much more durable on a quilt that is going to be used! I had a baby quilt for one of my kids and she had not used a bias binding and one little thread and the whole binding fell apart! But if that same strand only ran as part of the bias...
ReplyDeleteI think front or back it is a personal choice! I thought you machine stitched it to the back and hand stitched on the front that way if your hand stitches went all the way through they were on the back!
Oh, well! I think the quilt police will look past my errors! LOL
I'm a heathen. I machine bind all the way.
ReplyDeleteI love your Gee's bend quilt! What a wonderful memento of your trip south. Gives it super-special meaning when it comes from someone you know.
Yea! Your Mary Ann piece looks perfect with the paintings, like it was meant to be.
ReplyDeleteI bind like you do, and also depending on the print, if it's bias or not. I really like a small binding, never more than 3/8" wide.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your hubby on his book! Yay!
I first learned to do a double fold binding machine-stitched to the front, turn and hand stitch to the back. That hand work is one of my favorite steps in the quilting process. I'll say it publicly, I really dislike machine binding, but that's me.
ReplyDeleteLast year at Gwen Marston's retreat I learned how to do a single fold which is more common on vintage quilts. The single fold reduces bulk. I'm liking the look of it, but find that it is almost harder to do because you have a raw edge that you have to turn under on the back and it has much more "play" than the finished edge you turn on the double fold.
I like skinny bindings, and use the same width regardless of the quilt size. It probably ends up being about 1/3".
I mainly sew the binding to the front, turn and hand stitch. Tried sewing it down by machine once; wasn't real happy. I also do faced bindings on some art quilts when I don't want the binding to show.
ReplyDeleteWould you mind posting a photo of the king sized quilt's binding that you despise? It would be interesting to see it, and hear any other reason why you hate it so.
ReplyDeleteI usually cut my binding 3" wide, fold in half, sew by machine and finish by hand. I also machine sew when mitering the corners - I don't care for folded miter corners. I cut my binding 3" wide because the leftovers I use to make patches for scrappy zig zag quilts. I know it is a wide binding, but that is what I like. On many of my more artsy quilts I do a facing style binding that doesn't show on the front.
ReplyDeleteI love bias bindings when the fabric is a plaid or stripe. My bindings are 2 1/4 to start, folded, stitched to the front and turned to the back and hand stitched. It's not the size of the binding, it's when the binding is flat and not stuffed. I like full bindings.
ReplyDeleteI always make a border and pull it to the back for my binding. I enjoy hand sewing it at night while I watch tv.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
Thanks for the chance to win the book!!!
ReplyDeleteGmama Jane
I love your quilts. hugs
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! What a timely post. I am ready to start binding my largest quilt ever - ever so slightly big for our queen bed but our toes will never stick out and we can't pull it off each other! Despite the 10 or so quilts I've made, I haven't perfected binding yet. I machine stitch to the front and back, but don't get the measurements quite right and you can see the stitches on the front. I'm going to watch some youtube videos before i start this one. The book sounds great! Congrats on your hubby's book. It looks like quite a treat!
ReplyDeleteI have a question about Michael's book: are there full color photos in it? I'd love to read it but have to steer clear of books with lots of photographs.
ReplyDeleteI am dying to see your Mary Ann Pettway quilt in person! Does she do commissions?
ReplyDeleteILove your new quilt, what a treasure. I always bind using bias binding and apply to the top and hand sew down to the back of the quilt with a very small double binding, I just love that look.
ReplyDeleteI have done the pillowcase method and a few others over the years but this is my favorite.
sometimes they each have their place, doing an art quilt I can see where the pillowcase/envelope method would be the best but it also can act as a frame, choices aren't we lucky to have them!
Congrats to your husband on his book, what an accomplishment, love the title!
Kathie
ohhh.. the quilt is FANTASTIC on your wall.. and we need to order Michael's book!
ReplyDeleteLucky you! Getting to quilt in Alabama with MaryAnn Pettway & Gees Bend ladies! Sounds like it was an amazing experience. The quilt & quilting are perfect on your wall. I like to use double fold binding, machine stitch to the front & hand stitch on back. Recently I have tried sewing in on the back first, then machine stitching down on the front, but I am never happy with the results. I think I need to practice! Sometimes for charity quilts I need to find a quicker way to get them done. Thanks for your blog!
ReplyDelete