Grand Finale - another binding question

[Monique I.]

Count me in with another big "thank-you" for sharing these wonderful binding techniques! A question about sewing the piped strips to the quilt front: since the stitching is visible on the back, how do you start and stop your seams for a nice looking finish?

[Margo C.]

Count me in with another big "thank-you" for sharing these wonderful binding techniques! A question about sewing the piped strips to the quilt front: since the stitching is visible on the back, how do you start and stop your seams for a nice looking finish?

Molihua, Ricky sews his piped binding to the BACK of the quilt. (Minute 1:41 on the video) Each side is attached separately and each corner is mitered after the binding is attached and Ricky demonstrates all of that technique. These are NOT regular french folded corners!

[Monique I.]

Margo, thanks for your reply but it seems I didn't word my question clearly enough! I meant the final step when the finished strips are already stitched to the back, mitered and folded around to the front ready to be sewn down. Ricky uses the edge (joining) foot to ride in the groove created by the piping. In the video, he simply started sewing and we are instructed to continue all the way around the 4 sides of the quilt. I just wondered if he uses any special technique for joining the end of the seam to the place where he started, since that stitching line will be visible on the quilt back. Does he just overlap them a little? Backstitch? Bury the thread tales? Am I making any more sense?

[Margo C.]

OH!! I see now. I think that he just overlaps them a little bit, but you could certainly add some tiny stitches and/or bury your threads if you want to. I've done a lot of my bindings with this technique and can tell you that if you use monofiliment in the top and a fine thread that matches your backing in the bobbin, the seam is barely noticeable!

[Monique I.]

Thank-you very much, Margo. I can't wait to try this on my next quilt.

[Monique I.]

I'm wondering if anyone has tried Ricky's piped binding technique with a narrower binding. I like the method (and enjoyed Grand Finale!) but don't often cut my binding more than 2-1/4. I even use that size for binding that is machined on the back, turned and machined on the front.

Thanks!