Decorative stitching on binding

[Robin G.]

Does anyone out there have experience adding decorative stitches to a binding? My current quilt needs a fancier binding (it also has piping) but I've never done this before. I imagine I will have to starch it rather than use a stabilizer but do I do my stitching before or after it's been folded.
If you've got some helpful hints, I'd love to hear them. Thanks.

[Carol G.]

I sometimes use one of my decorative stitches on my Janome to sew down the binding. But that doesn't sound like what you want. I have twice used the binding as my label, using my monogram stitches. In that case, I used lightweight stablizer half the width of the binding. I'll see if I can find the tutorial I found for that.

edited to add link: http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...g-t220751.html Maybe this will give you an idea.

[Margo C.]

Robin, the 2013 BOM used decorative stitching for the binding. This is what Sue Nickels did:



Sue starched her fabric, stitched the decorative lines then added the binding with a SINGLE fold technique, rather than the double fold that we usually use.

[Robin G.]

Thanks to you both for the good advice. For some reason, this seems like a giant cliff I'm a little leery of jumping off. I am pleased with this particular quilt, which will be entered in a couple of contests, and I just do not want to ruin it by messing up the binding.

[Marianne G.]

Hi Robin
I have used decorative stitching on binding (not quilts but table mats). I have put the decorative stitches on the fabric before cutting the binding and I found then that unless you are very, very accurate in your cutting and sewing you easily get a skewed look so I avoid that technique unless I want it on the bias as shown in the photo in this message thread. I have also sewed on a double binding and before stitching it down I have added the decorative stitching (or my name and year). That way you avoid the skewed look but of course you will not have any decorative stitches in the corners. Stitching the binding down with a decorative stitch is the third way I have tried but that again has been a hit and miss experience for me. I found it depends on the thickness of the sandwich you are binding. It has work well for me with a flannel wadding but with a thicker one you really have to flatten the edge using a 3-step zig-zag or remove the wadding from the edge which I am sure you do not want to do on a quilt. If not I have found that the decorative stitch can be wobbly. It may be different if you have a machine that has dual-feed. I have overall found that a walking foot does not work well for me even if I lower the presser foot pressure. For this method I do not add any stabiliser but for the first 2 you need a stabiliser. I prefer a wash-away for the first one, a thin tear-away for the second. I have left the tear-away inside the binding but if you do that you need to make sure it is the full width of the binding otherwise it looks odd. I usually use scraps from machine embroidery so I carefully tear-away the excess.
I think the best advice anybody can give you is to make some small trial sandwiches and do some trials. It is well worth the time, fabric and thread to do this before tackling the quilt.
HTH
Marianne

[Marianne G.]

I've used the decorative stitches on my Bernina successfully, but in an unconventional way so I don't know that it would be appropriate for contests unless you are entering the art quilt category.

I attach my binding to the back of the quilt, then fold it over to the front, with mitered corners. I pin or fuse it in place so that is just touches the line of stitching created when it was attached. That line becomes the sewing guide for sewing down the binding on the top - when you start right on top of it, your new machine stitching is right in line with the back edge of the binding.

It is almost impossible to get the stitch motif to end in exactly the same place and things go off track if you start at the top of each side and sew down, so I start in the middle of each side. I sew forward for the lower half and stop at the corner. Then I go back to the middle, insert the needle right in the first stitch of what I just sewed, and sew the motif in reverse to do the top half. Once all four sides are completed, I enlarge the decorative stitch slightly and sew 1 pattern on the diagonal in the corner of the binding to close the miter. I found this technique works best with open stitches such as the feather motif, vines, hearts, etc. Any design where the machine has to fill in sections of the stitch seems to just be too much bulk and makes the binding wrinkley.

Let us know what you decide to do and if you have any luck in the contests!

[Beverly C.]

Well, kbskbstango, I am certainly going to give this a try! I'm making charity baby quilts for my church, and this would be a great way to give them that extra touch.

[Marianne G.]

Thank you, kbskbstango! I too will try this. As I mentioned in my previous post I have not had a very consistent success using a decorative stitch to stitch down the binding but your method sounds ingenious.
Marianne

[Marianne G.]

Hi Bev -

Yes, it is perfect on baby quilts. Not only is it pretty, but it encourages the Mom to go ahead and use the quilt/blanket because the sewing is more "rugged" and holds up really well to the washing machine!

Well, kbskbstango, I am certainly going to give this a try! I'm making charity baby quilts for my church, and this would be a great way to give them that extra touch.

[Betty J.]

Robin, I love decorative stitching on the binding for my utility quilts. I would hesitate to use it on my show quilts, however, but I know there are quilters who do. It seems, in fact, that bindings are getting fancier. I wish they wouldn't. I finally got my plain bindings to be really good. :shock: :lol: The only tip I can give is if you have a dual feed mechanism on your machine you should engage it for this to help keep the pattern even.

[Betty J.]

Robin, you have been given lots of good advice here. I would only add, if you do a practice sandwich pay attention to how the needle goes over the "thick parts" of the binding. I know you do miniatures and if this is for one of those, it might be worth it to do your practice to size so you can see how it will work out with your corners. Good luck and let us know what you find with your efforts. I have done a double binding and then did an embroidery stitch on the binding but this was for a quilt that was going to get loved to death so I wasn't worried how the corners worked out. The quilt will be worn out before Eli figures that it isn't balanced.

[Robin G.]

To all of those who responded to my request, thanks for all of the wonderful advice. I have included a picture here (assuming I can figure out how it's done) showing what I ended up doing. After I cut and spliced my binding strips, I starched and folded the strip in half. Then I opened it up and stitched along the entire length of the binding strip at a distance from the edge that I thought would center the design. Then I refolded it and proceeded to put the binding on in the usual way. It really doesn't matter that the design doesn't meet perfectly in the corners.
This was something I had seen on a quilt in the quilt museum by Marla Yeager and I thought it was a nice finishing treatment. I like it enough that I will use it again.

[Robin G.]

Beautiful Robin; and, I love the cording.

[Susan B.]

Beautiful Robin; and, I love the cording.

Me, too!

[Carol G.]

Beautiful! Thanks for sharing.