Things That Make (Quilting) Life Easier...

So ......I am sitting here stitching on some binding. Bondi Rescue is on the tele....and I am thinking. Right at this moment....about how much I used to HATE binding even the smallest project. I didn't like the way I joined the ends. The hand stitching part was hard work, on my hands, my back AND I never liked the way it looked once I was done.There was also the time factor...it seemed to take FOREVER. The last couple of years I have been on journey to discover what makes a perfect binding. I believe I have hit on the perfect formula...and today I have decided that I must share it with you....This is what works for me....and since I switched I have not been disappointed with the result, I have way less fatigue in my hands & back and most importantly it is FASTER!!!

1. I cut my binding 2 1/4 " wide. This is for cotton quilts, with a batting with a standard loft. If you are working with flannel or a thicker batting you will need to adjust this accordingly.

2. I ALWAYS use a bias join for joining the strips together and joining the last 2 ends. This is called a continuous binding and I have also switched to mitered corners. I managed to do this on my own, but it was awkward and clumsy....so I trolled around the interwebs and found the PERFECT tutorial. It is by Bailey's Quilting HeadQuarters......watch it....book mark it.... How To Attach a Continuous Quilt Binding

3. I have switched to a ladder stitch for the back. Once you get a rhythm you can go super fast and it is also invisible if you do it right. Here is a picture of how it looks....

4. and lastly I use binding clips....they are magical. They hold fast and most importantly they don't stick you as you work around your quilt.

SO now that I have shared 1 of the things that makes MY (Quilting) Life Easier....I am going back to my binding....LOL

Cheers