Crumbs! :)

[Hannelore N.]

I was fascinated by Alex's demonstration of that little folded strip insert when you do the binding on a quilt, and I had a quilt that was ready for the binding, so I watched the relevant segment of the show a couple of times and then jumped right in.

I have popped a picture of the result in my profile (It's the scrappy 9-patch quilt). It's difficult to see on a small picture, but the "crumb catcher" really finishes off the quilt very nicely without distracting from the blocks.

I'll definitely do it again. Thanks a lot, Alex!!

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

I taught, my friend, Kathy to do this long before I saw it on TQS. She wanted to make a black and white quilt with just a touch of turquoise. The little bits of blue were done just like Alex taught and Kathy loved the look. Yours looks great.

[Hannelore N.]

Thanks for the compliment, Ritzy! I had never seen this on any quilt or in any book before. Come to think about it, I vaguely remember a quilt that had a row of prairie points inserted in exactly the same place. But that little strip is so much less 'intrusive' but still adds something to a quilt.

Lorchen

[Judy M.]

Really nice Lorchen! I learned how to make a narrow border that size in a class, but I think the crumb catcher would be easier to do. Judy in Torrance

[Judy M.]

Love your quilts Lorchen!

I remember seeing something similar on the Bernina video and it's the 6th July 08 one. Works well on the smaller pieces. Just wish I had a larger piece or two to try the Alex technique on!

[Hannelore N.]

Well, Amo, with that new machine of yours you'll have a stack of quilt tops done in no time, I bet!

[Jenny C.]

In Australia the crumb catcher is called a peeper border. I put one on my lavender sky quilt because the quilt was all nine patch and the border was flying geese there was many seams and the peeper border made it easier to go together and also hid where the seams between the quilt and the border didn't quite meet, it is a great technique.
Jenny in Oz

[Hannelore N.]

Well, I can see a quilt somtime in the future, using the same technique, with the name "Crumbs! It's Peping Again!"

I bet if we interview quilters all over the world, we'll find even more names for that 'wee strip'.

Lorchen

[Hannelore N.]

Yes, I was told it was called a "flange". I have one in my 2009 BOM.

Jean

[Lynn K.]

Very nice! Yes, I've heard flange also. In fact we did it this weekend in a class by Tom Russell here in Houston. We did it around a center 16 patch in a small wallhanging - and it gives just a 'tad' of extra interest in an allready very interesting study. Here's a pic of his in my profile. I haven't finished mine yet but will post in my profile when I'm done. It's hard to see the flange, but it peeks out in unexpected places and adds another layer of visual interest.
Lynn

[Annis C.]

I've used this technique on several quilts in the past few years, mostly miniatures, because I didn't want to use piping but didn't know it was called crumb catchers. Since I wanted mine to finish at 1/8" I cut my strips 3/4" wide, folded exactly in half and pressed, and sewed to the edge of the quilt with a consistent scant 1/4" seam. Then I pinned the binding to the quilt one side at a time and turned the quilt over to the back side to sew the binding in place by sewing right next to the sewn seam. This will give more accurate results when using the narrower strips. See my Ribbons of Hope or Geese Among the Stars quilts in my profile.

[Robin G.]

I, too, have used flanges, as well as piping, on some of my quilts and they really add zip. I have also found that a flange serves as nice transition from the body of the quilt to a border, if one part appears "busier" than the other. It's almost like a bridge fabric.
Isn't it great how we can learn all these wonderful techniques from masterful quilters?

[Beth A.]

The last quilt I made with one of these, I took a tip from the Red Hot Piping book and cut and pressed my flange a bit oversized, then trimmed the flange so it was PERFECTLY sized.

I find that when I press a narrow strip like this in half, it tends to "wobble" because I don't get the edges perfectly aligned. By cutting it oversized then trimming it down, I guarantee that such mistakes don't make that narrow strip on my quilt look uneven. Then, all I have to do is set that seam perfectly -- a lot easier with my 1/4" foot!

BethMI

[Hannelore N.]

I must admit that I don't mind a little 'wobble' here and there. I don't make quilts for competiion, but as a much loved and relaxing hobby. Fabric is tactile, soft and it moves. I'm fairly accurate, but I don't force it into submission.

Saying that, the tip of cutting bigger and then trimming is excellent!

Lorchen

[fiona j.]

I first saw the "crumb catcher" when I was doing a class on holiday last year. The teacher's 12 yr old daughter was finishing her first quilt and I asked what that strip was called. "Mummy's little bit of magic" came the reply! I loved it and have incorporated into a few of my quilts. It's now known as "Jo's bit of magic" in this corner of Kent , England after Jo Hendy of http://www.villavincrafts.com in Devon.