Checking on my UFO Progress & Quick Binding Method

Reviewing the list of UFO's it is alarming how many are totally stagnant and though I was able to finish 16 so far, I actually was hoping to finish at least 24 this year plus a few extra if possible. So with the press for succeeding in that task I will be finishing up a few that would be close and relatively easy to do.

First up is to bind a quilt that is listed in the completed project list and isn't. Guess I was just too excited to get her done that I wrote it there and then got waylaid while getting along to finish it.
SO I will select the binding and get it cut and sewn together today. I plan on doing the faux piped binding method I now love.



FAUX PIPED BINDING:

Cut the binding 1-1/2" wide
cut the piped fabric 1-3/4" wide.

Sew each of these fabrics together end to end as you do in typical binding methods.

***Now this next part is the deviation from traditional binding methods.

Sew those two strips together side by side not end to end. Set the seam and press the seam allowance to the desired side. (I prefer to press it to the binding color, it seems to lay better for me in this orientation.) Now press the binding strip in half being careful to let the same amount of piped fabric be shown while pressing, this is crucial since the smoother the press line, the neater your piped binding will be..

Sew the binding onto the backside of your quilt viewing the piped fabric on top of it as you sew. When you turn this over to the front of your quilt.
It will have a 1/8- 1/4" reveal of the piping and you machine stitch it down by "stitching in the ditch" between these two colors. Make a practice piece so you know which color thread would work best in your quilt. Sometimes with my Number 10 foot I use on my Bernina, the topstitching shows more on one side of this seem and if it's the right color, it just fades into the cloth.

Additional note: when turning your binding over at the mitered corners, take your time and use plenty of pins to make sure there is no shifting of the layers to get a beautifully turned corner. This makes sewing on the binding so much quicker for utilitarian quilts. Now mind you, if I was working on an heirloom quilt, I would still sew the binding and piping on to the front and hand stitch it on the back to get an absolutely perfect binding. This photo shows I did use a blue thread when stitching it in the ditch on the front. It's not invisible, but it's not that evident either and it was so much quicker.


Jane