What is your thinking on binding? Does it matter? Is it very important to you? Do you give much thought to it or do you just pick something just to get it finished? Should it be a definite color contrast or no big deal ? This picture shows several quilts I have showing their bindings. The lavender one and the one with the dark blue binding are vintage. Notice the yellow quilt has binding the same color as its backing and wide border ( gift quilt to my DD ). The lighter blue has the same light color as its backing.These are questions that have come up this last week for me. I have another quilt that could have been finished, but out of ALL the yards and yards of fabric I posses, I found nothing that seemed to 'be' right. Am I being 'too picky' or should I ' just pick' something and get on with it? I guess 'my' true feelings on the matter is that if you have spent hours and hours getting to this point, it should hold as much importance as the rest of the decisions you made on the quilt. What is your reasoning on the matter?
You should go here to My Homemade Life Blog and see Patty's lovely quilt she just finished machine quilting. I sure like the long and loopy design she used.
Tonya at Lazy Gal Quilting has just finished her 'Rumspringa' quilt using the L-O-V-E alphabet. I am CRAZY over this quilt! She is also showing borders she is auditioning for her new J-O-Y quilt. Go See!!! Be sure and take your sunglasses!!!
Wanda at Exuberant Color is in a 'decision' quandary. Go see if you can help her out!
And if you failed to see my Erma Bombeck quote on my previous post that I have adopted as my New Years resolution.....go read it! A great quote to live by from a GREAT lady!! I miss her!
You used your stars it looks great!! As for binding, for me it is as important as the quilt itself, it finihes off the whole look. I like it to contrast, it is like a frame then, but that is just me. I also love stripes sewn on the bias, it looks really cool.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
Lovely quote Belinda- I've finally shaken the migraine and am catching up.
ReplyDeleteMy nana had a saying "Don't spoil the ship for a ha'pence of tar" which roughly means do a job properly or you could sink the lot. LOL Yes I do think the binding matters- it's part of the quilt- it can make or break it's working in a particular room. Go with your gut- if it's saying you haven't got the right colour what about dyeing or tea staining a fabric you wouldn't other wise use. Failing that check out the new year sales and find one which does. You know you want to . :-)
I love your new header picture!
ReplyDeleteLong and loopy, now turned sideways it is what I call water ripples when I do it. I never thought of doing it vertically.
Yes binding is very important and I sometimes audition more than 30 fabrics for it. I like it to be a little darker than my border fabric if I have a border. Since you have had a hard time choosing something from your stash, that shows that you haven't had the gut feeling of anything being just right. And that is what I use, gut feeling whether a fabric is right or not. Of course only view a strip of it the width the binding is going to be to decide. The binding should not be a glaring "see it first" thing. It should be part of the whole picture.
Belinda,
ReplyDeleteI think the binding you choose says a lot about you as a quilter. Think of it as choosing the right socks to go with your outfit. If you dress nicely to go out (church, restaurant, friend's party), you would want your socks to go with what you have on. You want to look well-blended and classy, right? Unless your purpose is to look like a miss-matched fool, you will choose the appropriate socks.
Another point that should be made is that if your quilt is ever going to be judged or put in a show, it is necessary to do the best job you possibly can on the whole quilt.
That includes the binding! :)
I think that the binding is an important part of the quilt. I think that it helps to give it character. So, if it takes you awhile to find the right one then thats ok.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Love your new banner. As for binding...I feel is holds just as much importance. I can not use just anything just to finish the project! I'm the same with backing fabric. Sometimes I like the binding to be contrasting and then there are time when I want it to blend. I let the quilt speak to me. Uh oh...you're going to think I need professional help.
ReplyDeleteI often use an envelope turn so don't have a binding, because I don't like the thin border it creates... It is part of the framing of a quilt for me, just like borders, and some fabrics just "work" and others don't. Some quilts need/want a thin edge that blends in, others need/want a definate frame, and yet others want/need something wider... At least that's my take on it... :-)
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. You've put time and energy into making the top just right; the binding needs to complete, not compete, with your previous work.
ReplyDeleteI recently had to compromise on the binding on a quilt. If I could find the perfect fabric and do it over (and if it weren't all flannel and impossible to pick out the stitching!) I might take the binding off and replace it. As it is I'm learning to let go and live with my maverick binding ;- )
I like your redecorate, too! I love those stars and I'm waiting for the tutorial that you promised.
ReplyDeleteAs for bindings, I am picky about the fabrics I choose now. When I started out, I just flipped the back (or the front, whichever was bigger!) over and rolled it and sewed it down. Then I progressed to making some pretty wide bindings, and lately I noticed the bindings on the quilts displayed at the lqs were really narrow, so I started making them thinner. I guess my next move forward will be to cut them on the bias... meh, or not.
I, personally, would not consider having to shop for a new piece of fabric to be a problem. Lucky you!
it is important and yes you have to find the right one.........sometimes very easy other times harder..........someone once said try not and go to light on a darker quilt as it will show when dirty..........goodluck......
ReplyDeleteI think your photo of the quilts says it all. Each quilt has its own personality and each one is charming. I let the quilt tell me what it wants - sometimes it takes its sweet time letting me know - and sometimes I know long before the quilt is done.
ReplyDeleteAnother think I like to do is scrappy binding - cuttings strips of the fabrics used in the quilts 4" to 8" long - stitch them together randomly and use that for the binding. It works well on some quilts.
Generally I prefer a contrasting binding - it sort of brings the quilt to a halt and gives your eyes a stopping and resting place - although that quilt with the same color binding as the border was quie charming too.
Now I've got to go and have a look at my quilts and see exactly what I've done.
Oh - and I love your stars!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think that the binding is an important part of the quilt. It's the finishing touch.
ReplyDeleteI do like to use fabric that is already in the quilt to tie the lot together...otherwise it looks like you used just whatever you had on hand..
Julia ♥
You have a right to dwell over your binding. You have put so much work into a quilt I think it is very important to put the right binding on it. The binding has to be just right or it can ruin the whole effect of the rest of the quilt. You don't want your eye going to the binding first.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link over to Patty's...what a pretty quilt that was. I'm with you on the binding...just as important as all the other steps!
ReplyDeleteI just used what I had once...and have regretted it every since. Whenever I look at the quilt all I see is the binding...the wrong binding for that quilt. Of course if it bothered me that much you would think I would redo it - not a chance. Find the right fabric so you don't become a whiner like me!
ReplyDeleteoooo.. first of all I love your new banner.. VERY pretty!
ReplyDeleteI think a binding is kinda like a picture frame.. or an outline.. it sets the whole quilt. usually I like to see a dark contrasting color.. or maybe one that picks up just a little bit of the color of the quilt. But definiltey something that stands all by itself.. not the same fabric as the main fabric of the quilt.. or the backing.
Love your new header, Belinda!
ReplyDeleteAs far as binding on a quilt, I agree with most of the commenters. Yes, it matters!
I worked on the charity quilts for my quilt guild, where we used what we had. It was terrible! When I got involved in the planning/cutting of the quilt kits, I always cut binding from one of the fabrics used in the quilt kit.
I've since learned to do that with my own quilts, and now include binding in the planning of my quilt and will buy a fabric to use for the binding, often something that is already in the quilt top.
And yes, if I don't have enough fabric, or the right one, to work for the binding on a scrap quilt, I do go buy fabric for the binding. I'll even take the quilt (top or quilted) to the quilt store with me to make sure it really works!
The binding is the finishing touch on your quilt and should have the same thought put into it as the rest of the quilt. If you make-do for your binding, you'll often end up sorry for it. Do what your gut (and your quilt) tells you!
My word verification is "dubbe"...do be do be doo!
I love your new header! Binding isn't something I appreciated until the last 5 or 6 years. Before that I just sent my quilt away and let whoever did the quilting, do the binding at their discretion! Well, I don't send my quilts away anymore and have discovered the joys of binding!~
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Dionne
I think the binding can really make the quilt, so I try and select well. For me it's like a frame to a picture. Our eye should go to the quilt, but a nice frame brings out the best qualities and inhances the design.
ReplyDeleteOh, I agree that the binding matters. When I am making the quilt I am also looking at the backing and binding: if it can be seen it is important. My Christmas quilt was turning dark until I rescued it with a light binding. The binding is my least favorite thing to do but I think it is just as important as the center.
ReplyDeleteI like a great contrasting binding - it's the finishing touch. I'm sure the right binding will jump out at you one of these days. thanks for the shout out.
ReplyDeleteI have a decent size stash so unless a quilt is really coordinated and made by someone else, I can usually find something in my stash that makes me happy....but on those occasions I can't, I do buy something that works.
ReplyDeleteI think just about the only thing that never works for me is going light on the binding. I like a darker framing edge or I'll use the same fabric as the border to blend.
For me, the binding is one of the most fun parts of a quilt, so yes, I spend a lot of time trying to find just the right fabric.
ReplyDeleteI really love stripes for bindings, but failing that, a zingy color or a print that picks up lots of the quilt colors or contrasts with them in a zingy way is really important.
Isn't it funny how we all approach the different parts of a quilt differently? That's why they make chocolate AND vanilla!
I've always thought the binding was just as important as the rest of the quilt.. when I couldn't come up with one that matched the front then I always used the same as what I put on the back of the quilt.
ReplyDeleteI think the binding does make a difference. But sometimes I match the border, sometimes contrast. I think you just need to use what you think makes the quilt look right to you! Guess that doesn't help you does it!
ReplyDeletei know i'm a little late in this, but i think the binding is the icing on the cake. it can distract or compliment. it's an important design element. i've taken them off when they haven't worked...arrg!
ReplyDeleteI love your quote! It's great. I am totally picky about binding. I'm with you. If you're going to spend that much time making a quilt, you should love the binding, and it should complete the quilt.
ReplyDeletewww.thebossyquilter.blogspot.com
Haven't read the other comments (on purpose).
ReplyDeleteBinding to me is 100% as important as each other element in the quilt ~ like Wanda and some others, I audition lots of choices before I decide. The top, borders, quilting, binding, and back have to play well together for me to be happy with the finished quilt (I'm told I'm too picky but I have no plans to change my stripes).
Great quote! I am a Erma Bombeck fan myself. She was an amazing woman. I feel binding is important and can add a wonderful so much to a quilt match, contrast, scrappy oh the possiblities.
ReplyDeleteI think the binding is just as important as everything else. A person wouldn't want their binding to look as though they wanted to get their quilt finished fast so whatever was laying around would do. I always think about the binding when ever I start to choose fabrics for the quilt that way I get enough. Sometimes I change my mind, but that's okay. For example, I made a jack o lantern quilt. The outside border is a spider web print on black. I bought enough fabric to make the binding from the outside border, but when I got the quilt quilted I decided that the binding would be strips from the jack o lanterns. The scrappy orange border looks great on the quilt.
ReplyDeleteAll depending on the quilt, I either make my binding the same fabric as the last border, scrappy by using the fabrics in the quilt, or contrasting, but with fabric that is in the quilt.
Binding......aaahhhhhhhh! The bane of my existance!!!!! I'm not good with binding at all.
ReplyDeleteBoy it depends with me. Sometimes I want the binding to blend and sometimes I like to have it stand out. I love the purplish quilt with the green binding. That speaks to me. So I guess I err on the side of letting the binding be it's stand alone. It is almost like another border sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI love binding and think it's very important to the quilt. However I tend to cheat and use binding in a package. I never use the fabric as binding. I really don't know how. Think I could get a tutorial on that one day? ;)
ReplyDeleteI think binding is as important as all the other elements of a quilt. The quilt will 'tell you' which binding to pick.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I match it to the outer border, other times it contrasts but with a fabric used in the quilt and there are times when it's totally scrappy!
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving such a sweet comment. Please come back again soon! I've book marked your blog so I can visit again.
Most of the time I leave the binding decision until last. Then I have to run out and buy it. For me it's a big step in the quilt process. I want the binding to speak as much as the quilt speaks. Last year I nearly cried because I couldn't find the "right" green that sang to me. I couldn't go home empty handed and did pick a green after an hour of searching! Now almost a year later I'm happy I made that choice. :) To me putting a binding on is like chosing a name for a child.
ReplyDelete