Binding!
I started. The pressure was on on Saturday to try to keep the washing machine going hour after hour.
But it was very hard. I really needed more of a head start as I can’t just “bind”.
I have to stop to do other things once in a while. I suppose I can average one in 30 minutes (maybe a little bit more) - which includes forming the binding and sewing it on. I don’t usually do just one at a time, so it is hard to know. Maybe I’ll do a couple and let you know from cutting to sewing it on - and not doing it in a sort of a factory style, which is what I have a tendency to do.
What I mean by that - I tend to cut several bindings at once, then sew them together, then press it all and then sew it on, first on the back side on several, then on to the front - doing it groups, depending on the color of thread I need to use. But I can stop doing that, and just do one or two the regular one - choose fabric, cut enough for ONE quilt, then bind it - timing it all. I’ll let you know.
I also put on a label on the back of the quilt. Fran, my friend from Arizona, used to put them on the front, but she ran out of labels (and I prefer them to be a little more subtle than right in the middle of the quilt).
I choose a label I like, then take a moment and trim the edges with the pinking shears before sewing down - leaving the edges open. I know they become raggedy after washing, but that’s how it is.
Sewing on the label
I made the labels in September I was recovering from being so sick and not really “up” to doing much more than watching the embroidery machine work. I do have about 300 labels to start with, so I’m fine for this year AND next, which makes me very happy!
No need to fuss at me. I’m doing it enough to myself.
Hopefully, I will bind a lot in the next few days and try to get them finished up. I’m really ready for all this to be out of my living room. I’ve almost reached my limit of “mess”. If I thought the end weren’t nearing, I’d be going nuts. But I know that from now on, the mess will decrease as I finish up 10 at time and take them out of the house and up to the church and to the storage room.
I chose this rosy pink because the thread matched the flowers on the backing.
As to binding - I do like to bind with contrasting fabric.
Almost always.
I consider binding to be another design element and another bit of contrast/bling to the quilt. If the outer part of the quilt is dark, I will often do the binding in a light, or at least a contrasting bright. I try to bind a light border with a darker binding so that it defines the edges very well. Obviously this isn’t a 100% rule - but my general “way of doing things”.
In case you are wondering what in the world that little thing is - it’s a label I was able to buy and it tells people that it is made of cotton and polyester and to wash at 40C (warm). I use polyester batting, but the outer is cotton. Just the same, I’d rather people not wash their quilts in 90C (very hot) water simply because they will fade much more quickly than if they use cooler water. I sew the label in when I do the final stitching on the binding.
The plan is to show you 10 at a time of the finished charity quilts 2 or 3 times a week here on the blog until the end of 2020. Obviously I will need to do that 12 times. And I only have a little over 5 weeks of “blog” left this year. Hmm.
I am trying not to panic, but being sick and traveling really put a crimp in my goals for this year. Oh well. That is life, isn’t it?
Thankfully (and it’s a BIGGIE) so far my left wrist isn’t any worse than last year. In fact, probably being sick and travelling has helped that situation since obviously I didn’t sew or quilt much during those times. I was afraid it would get worse this year - but it hasn’t. Not at all. I’m grateful. I was sure that carpal tunnel surgery was around the corner!
Probably the 6 weeks I had off from sewing in August/September gave it the rest it seemed to need. I’m going to try to keep it that way as I finish up binding the 100+ quilts I have left to do.
Lidl is having a “Black week” sale of these drying racks for a little over $6 each starting Monday. I’d like to pick up 2 more if I can manage to snag a couple. Right now I have two, but having two more would make this drying process easier.
It’s not hand sewing that bothers me as I don’t do a bit of hand sewing on these bindings - I do it completely 100% by machine - but it’s the horsing the weight of the quilt around—especially when I’m really focused and trying to hurry. I’m trying to pace myself better this year.
After I bind and label, then it’s time to wash each quilt - one at a time. Then, I let them air dry.
Then it’s time to photograph them individually on the line outside, take photos of the stacks of 10 and finally, take them over to the church building/storage area where they will wait to be distributed/donated.
I’ll be showing progress on the blog as to how the room will begin to fill up as I stack the finished quilts there. It’s kind of fun to watch!
And now you know! I’m knee deep in the final stages of this project!
Have a great day wherever you are reading this!
Be sure to check out what my sis has in the store. Check it out here!
Here’s a very nice nativity scene panel! My sis has looked high and low for nativity scenes for her Christmas fabric collection. You’d think they’d be everywhere. Not true! But we’ve got several in the store for you to choose from!
