In the sewing group on Thursdays one of my friends mentioned that she thought we were going to fold over the edge of the fabric to finish the quilt's edge. No, I said, we were going to make separate binding.
As luck would have it, when she pieced the backing for one of the small cuddle quilts she stitched, there was a pretty generous amount surrounding the quilt. I usually align my tops with the top of the backing as closely as I can. But, her words began to sink in.
One of the issues the group faces is they don't feel the buying public will pay very much for the quilts at the October market. My effort has been to organize the flannels so they are sewn and ready for the market. Because they are new prints I felt they shouldn't languish in the stash closet for years. I've also worked to standardize the finished quilt sizes. It will be easier for us to sell lap quilts that really will cover a lap; same with the twin sized quilts.
It's been a lot of work and although I have a few dedicated helpers, I've been thinking of some streamlined methods we could try to save time and effort. My friend's idea to do foldover binding has turned into a splendid idea! It saves a considerable amount of time & if the buying public isn't interested in paying for separate binding, why fool with it? Foldover binding also eliminates scraps. Generally the trimmed edges off the backing was usually too narrow for the separate binding. Now with a little awareness and planning, I can align the quilt top on the backing so I have a nice 2-3" margin of fabric all the way around the quilt.
Here is the foldover binding I did on a cuddle lap quilt for a young sports fan. Looks super to me!
As luck would have it, when she pieced the backing for one of the small cuddle quilts she stitched, there was a pretty generous amount surrounding the quilt. I usually align my tops with the top of the backing as closely as I can. But, her words began to sink in.
One of the issues the group faces is they don't feel the buying public will pay very much for the quilts at the October market. My effort has been to organize the flannels so they are sewn and ready for the market. Because they are new prints I felt they shouldn't languish in the stash closet for years. I've also worked to standardize the finished quilt sizes. It will be easier for us to sell lap quilts that really will cover a lap; same with the twin sized quilts.
It's been a lot of work and although I have a few dedicated helpers, I've been thinking of some streamlined methods we could try to save time and effort. My friend's idea to do foldover binding has turned into a splendid idea! It saves a considerable amount of time & if the buying public isn't interested in paying for separate binding, why fool with it? Foldover binding also eliminates scraps. Generally the trimmed edges off the backing was usually too narrow for the separate binding. Now with a little awareness and planning, I can align the quilt top on the backing so I have a nice 2-3" margin of fabric all the way around the quilt.
Here is the foldover binding I did on a cuddle lap quilt for a young sports fan. Looks super to me!
Have a Creative Day Y'All!
I have been doing that for years...same idea but I sew on a facing, folding it to the back. I like the look.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes do a foldover binding like yours. It does taking planning ahead and I don't do that well enough on quilts I WFQ, because I rarely get them on right for it. =) Longarm is a little more foldover friendly, but it still takes thought and planning. Your example looks wonderful, and just right!
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