Binding Applied by Hand

[Juliet W.]

This subject may have been covered earlier. If so, I hope someone will direct me to the discussion.

Just two days ago I finished hand-piecing and hand-quilting a large double wedding ring quilt and wondering about the feasibility of applying the binding on by hand. With all the curves and points, I feel I'd have better control by hand (and daunted at managing all that bulk at the sewing machine), but have no idea how to begin, other than to cut the strips on the bias. Do you stitch through just the top fabric, or through top and batting, or through all three layers. I'm sure someone on this forum has successfully attempted this before and I'd love a little sharing of techniques.

Thanks.

[Margo C.]

Tigercatindia, here is a link to a series of 5 Sharon Schamber You Tube videos about how she prepares curved binding. She does the final stitching by machine, but you could certainly prepare yours this way and finish it off by hand if you want to!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKKA5...e=results_main

[Margo C.]

Thank you Margo for the link to Sharon Schamber's curved binding tutorial. This is exactly what I needed to see, though I'll have to watch the inner princess dart technique in Part 4 a couple more times to nail down the technique. There are 40 of those inner darts on this double wedding ring, so If all goes well, I'll be an expert in curved bindings later this week. lol Thanks again.

[Margo C.]

Good for you! We would love to see pictures!!

[Rita C.]

Hi Tigercatindia! Welcome to the forum and yes we really would love to see photos. Did you make the whole quilt by hand? Did you quilt it by hand?

[Rita C.]

I'm impressed that you did the whole thing by hand. In that case, I'd be like you and want to finish it all by hand. I hope you'll post a picture of it. Congratulations on a finished Wedding Ring Quilt! I'm only at the dreaming about it stage...

[Rita C.]

I am seriously impressed - a completely hand made quilt - something I aspire to achieving sometime this century (if I don't get too sidetracked) I too am looking forward to seein photos of it when possible.

[Rita C.]

Yes, this quilt is entirely hand-pieced and hand-quilted. It measures 84", and has consumed much of my time since May 2012, when I began cutting fabrics for the 1,900 pieces (approximately) required. I set it aside in July to finish a quilt for my niece, and a trip to Colorado for the month of September to see my first grandchild. Since October 2012, the focus has been entirely on this quilt, with brief interruptions for Thanksgiving and Christmas. January 3, 2013, I began hand-quilting and finished March 22 at precisely 4:14 pm EDST. (Did anyone hear cheers from Southeastern Tennessee?) Best of all, the deadline of April 7 will be met. The binding, I think, will require the use of two machine techniques: curved piecing, as demonstrated by Sharon Schamber, for the arcs, and French binding on the post points between the arcs. Every step has been a first: hand-piecing, curved piecing, re-drafting the misshapen center plate and melon template (thank you, Dear Husband), and now binding curves and intermittent points. If there's such a thing as quilt-related post traumatic stress disorder, I may have a tinge of it. lol

For anyone contemplating such an ambitious project, just remember that you can eat an elephant one small bite at a time. It wasn't my intention to hand-piece initially, but stitching all those short-length patches and dealing with thread tails seemed time consuming and wasteful, plus there was the worry that arcs wouldn't fit the melons, or the melons to the plates. Hand-piecing was the answer. Every piece went together perfectly and the rings are round.

I will post pictures. Gladly. I want the world to know that this monumental project is - sweet word here - (nearly) FINISHED.

Thank you for your interest.

[Renata L.]

Tigercatindia, welcome to the Forum from me too! It has to be an amazing work, all by hand... I'm impressed and look forward to your photos. Congratulations on bring it to completion and that you are happy about the outcome. That's got to feel good!

[Renata L.]

Welcome to the forum Tigercatindia! And thank you for sharing and inspiring with the story of your quilt. That is awesome. Looking forward to see pictures when you're done. I've been working on on off for the past 10 years on a pre-cut BoM from Joann's that was so badly cut, I just couldn't figure out how to machine piece, besides I was just learning to quilt back then. Have all the blocks finished and starting to work and putting the quilt top together. Then I'll have to decide whether I'll hand or machine quilt it.

[Renata L.]

Oh, Limbania, what a bummer to get a kit that isn't cut properly. And the thing is, you probably didn't notice until the return date was passed. Good that you've still go it on your list. I may have scrapped it by now.

[Renata L.]

That's exactly what happened Terrie! Too late to send it back :roll: so, just have been working it every now and then but finally seeing the end getting close.

[Renata L.]

Here's a picture of the finished DWR. The binding wasn't easy to apply, but it's done and looks great.

[Renata L.]

Here's a close-up of the plates. The quilting design is my original pattern.

[Norma H.]

Looks great. I love that you used the red binding