Self Binding, a Tutorial

Ladies from my church knot comforter tops on Wednesday nights. I don't help with the knotting but I do donate comforter tops and help with binding.

We don't make separate binding for the comforters, we turn the backing fabric to the front then use that for binding. I was never pleased with my corners then I remembered a Eleanor Burns program from years ago. She showed how to self bind with mitered corners.

It took me awhile to remember how to do it. I'm going to share the process with you and this way it will be in writing so I can review it for myself.

After the top is knotted, you trim the batting to the edge of the top then cut the backing. You need to cut the backing twice the size of what you want to show on the top. If you want to show 1/2" binding, you cut the backing fabric at 1".

The backing fabric for this tutorial was trimmed at 1.5", the binding that shows on the top of the comforter will be 3/4".

On the inside of each corner, mark 3/4" lines and 1.5" lines. (Whatever size you want your binding to be, the outside lines are half the size of what the backing is trimmed to.) You've made a square inside of these lines.

Eleanor recommends folding the fabric over and pressing the 3/4" line which is a good idea. I don't do that because the batting in these comforters is polyester. Polyester and a hot iron don't mix well together for me.

Lay a ruler so a line intersects the intersections of the square and mark a line on top of the ruler.

Make sure the lines goes through the 3/4" lines on both sides.

Fold the corner so it makes a triangle and pin like shown.

Stitch the line starting at the 3/4" line, make sure you back stitch.

Trim the edge to a scant 1/4".

Turn the corner right side out. Use a blunt pointy thing to push out the mitered corner.

Carefully push the comforter top and binding into the corner. You will need to use something to push it into position and smooth the fabric.

Fold the binding to the edge of the comforter top then fold over. Clip to hold the binding in place.

Stitch along the edge of the binding. These corners look so nice!

Maybe you already knew how to make these corners but it was a new technique to me!

I sewed bindings on 3 comforters. This first one is one of the tops I made and donated. I pieced these blocks in conjunction with the RSC last year.

The next two comforters were not completely knotted but I sewed the bindings anyway. The thread was already positioned for the knots. I think Carol was thinking about her trip to Florida and away from the Indiana cold and snow!

I returned these comforters to church last Sunday. The knotting will be finished Wednesday evening.

Linking to To Do Tuesday, Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down

Charity Comforter

The Sunday I picked up the 4 comforters for binding, I noticed the comforter that was in the frame for knotting was one I had pieced.

 Last Sunday I took the 4 comforters back to church and placed them in the cupboard. I noticed there was a knotted comforter ready to be bound in there. I opened it to look at it and saw it was the one that had been in the frame the Sunday before. I brought it home to bind.

Normally we just turn the backing fabric over and use that for binding but I had used some blah striped pink fabric from my mother's stash for the backing. I thought it needed prettier binding than that. 

I have a basket where I put the leftover binding from projects. I pulled them out of there, sewed them together and made a scrappy binding for this comforter. 

This comforter will end up with MCC.

The sixteen pieced blocks in this quilt were made with the RSC color of the month. I have no memory though of piecing the puss in the corner blocks! 

I think I'll sew along in the RSC next year and make 16 pieced blocks again. They're such an easy block to piece for charity quilts.

When I posted about the comforters I bound last week, someone asked how they hang together since they're not quilted? A comforter is NOT quilted, it's knotted. My church uses crochet thread to knot, some places use yarn. If you look at the comforter I wrote about today, you can see the knots. If you look at the 3rd one in the prior post, you can see the strings which have been sewn onto the comforter. Those strings will be snipped then it will be  knotted. Those strings held the layers together while I sewed the binding.

Linking to Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts, Scrap Happy Saturday

Comforters & a Quilt

Other projects were pushed back while Radiant Blues was created. Now I need to play catch up.

First were 4 comforters that needed bindings attached. I did not piece the tops or knot them, I'm just part of the process by sewing the bindings then delivering them to the MCC Resource center in Goshen.

In April, Carolyn brought a comforter along to the retreat to have me deliver. It also needed binding. Comforters don't have a binding like quilts, we just fold the backside to the front and stitch it down. I use this tutorial I published last year.

Carolyn's comforter is beautiful and she had it quilted! Since this is a donation anyway, I suggested donating it to the Michiana Mennonite Relief sale held every September and she said yes. Since that is what she's going to do, I can't just fold the backing over to the front, it has to have a real binding.

Carolyn said she would purchase fabric and mail it to me for binding but I said I would use the fabric I cut from the excess backing. I decided to add some dark brown to the binding to make sure I had enough fabric. It doesn't really show though, binding is so narrow.

Maybe you can see it better on the backside of the quilt?

The pattern for Carolyn's quilt is Iconic designed by Lela Boutique. Her finished quilt measures 63.5" by 77".

We looked out the north window the other evening and we saw this doe with her fawn. Sorry the picture is blurry, it's taken through a window screen.

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Sewing Comforter Bindings

I don't like knotting comforters, instead I have volunteered to sew the bindings using this tutorial. 

In the first part of February, I sewed bindings on four comforters from church. When I returned those four, I brought two more home. After they were finished, I took pictures of them to show you.

Comforters are different from quilts in that they're usually made with larger blocks and they're knotted, not quilted.

The comforter on the left has been knotted. Here is a close up of the knots.

The comforter on the left has been strung (stringed?) but the strings haven't been cut. That will happen later when there is a 'knotting'. Usually crochet thread is used for strings/knotting, sometimes yarn is also used.

The last time I showed a 'stringed' comforter, people said in the comments they couldn't see the strings, now you can! In April my church will have a snip & knot evening where anyone can come and help knot comforters.

My friend Elaine went to the resource at the MCC Depot and brought home 4 comforter tops and knotted them. I had told her that I would bind them for her. She was happy to hear that, she dislikes the binding process. We work well together, I dislike the knotting process and would rather bind! Here is a picture of the 4 comforters she knotted.

The two outside comforters are both the same design. The blue Dresden is cheater cloth, a pre-printed fabric. I used to see a lot of 'cheater' cloth in stores.

The above comforters were bound in February but more comforters have come to me in March. After I finished piecing the anniversary quilt, I got to work and did more bindings.

Here are three more from church.

The red one in the center was a top that was given to me. I added the red outside border. There are many ladies from church who sew bindings, I don't always get 'my' comforter tops back. These comforters will also be knotted at the 'snip & knot' at my church.

The day I told Elaine that I would sew the binding on the comforters, Marie was there and asked if I would bind some comforters for her, sure! I'm glad to help. The next three are from Marie and are also going to MCC.

Most of the comforters are made from large square blocks, 5" or larger.

But that quilt in the center was made with bricks that finished at 2" by 4". It was so cute! I've never made a brick quilt but if I would, the bricks would probably be 4" by 8" or larger!

So far this year I've sewed bindings on 20 comforters. I'm a small part in the process, last year MCC shipped almost 60,000 comforters to people who needed them. 

Linking to Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Patchwork & Quilts

Charity Comforters

It's that time of year and Sarah has her Hands 2 Help Comfort Quilt Challenge in progress. There are several agencies listed that need quilts. One of those groups is MCC (Mennonite Central Committee).

There are many different ways to support MCC including making comforter tops. Here is a link to the comforter page.

Comforter Bashes are held in various areas around the states. My local 'bash' is held in November. Here is a video from facebook for you to watch.

My church also has a church comforter bash coming up this month. Volunteers put the comforters in frame and 'string' them. The string hold the layers together then other volunteers sew the binding and return them to church to be finished

They will be knotted at the church bash then sent to MCC for distribution.

I am one of the volunteers who sews bindings. I recently bound 4 comforters and took pictures to show you.

Simple patterns are really the best designs for comforters.

Sometimes small quilts are donated and fabric borders are added to bring the comforter tops to size. The tops need to be at least 60" by 80".

This is a close up of what the 'stringing' looks like. The strings will be snipped then knotted.

I didn't piece any of these comforter tops. I sewed the bindings using this tutorial.

Linking to Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, 

A Comforter for MCC

One of the recipients of quilts during Sarah's Hands2Help 2023 drive this year was MCC. Debbie contacted me when I showed several MCC comforters that I finished binding. She was planning to make a comforter for MCC but wouldn't have it finished before the Hands2Help deadline. I told her MCC needs comforter tops all the time, she could send the top to me and I would see it would be donated to MCC facility in my town.

I received Debbie's comforter top this week in the mail and I want to show it to you. 

Isn't it pretty! This flimsy will be knotted by volunteers then the edge will be turned then finished sometime this coming winter or maybe at the MCC comforter bash! There are so many places in need of comforters, overseas and right here in the US.

Thank you Debbie for your wonderful donation. 

Linking to Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Peacock Party, Whoop Whoop Party, Finished or Not  Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

More Comforter Binding

Elaine dropped off seven comforters for me to bind. I used this tutorial for binding.

Sometimes the comforters are rather bland but these comforters are very pretty! 

Fern pieced these tops then passed them along to Elaine who then took them to be knotted at Prairie Street Church. The bindings have been turned, stitched and delivered to the Depot to be sent with the next shipment to wherever they're sent.

Isn't it interesting how we all have our different niche in the process?

Midweek Makers, Wednesday Wait Loss, Needle & Thread Thursday, Put Your Foot Down, TGIFF!, Finished or Not Friday, Off the Wall Friday, Beauty Pageant, Patchwork & Quilts

Nearly Insane & Other Retreat Projects

The focus this week has been on adding the borders to Nearly Insane. The first narrow blue border measured 1" finished and the zigzag border is 3" finished. The outside border was cut at 5 1/2". She is 86" square.

It was very windy outside and I had trouble getting a good picture of the flimsy.

And then the wind really picked up.

And then, even windier!

So I gave up and laid the top on our bed and took a boring picture.

Normally when I add an outside border, I cut the fabric the length of fabric but I couldn't with this fabric because it was directional.

First I had to find the repeat which was 6". I opened up the fabric and cut 6" strips across using this flower as my reference point. The pencil is pointing at the flower. 

Sorry the photo is blurry but this is a close up photo! And yes, this was a posed picture, I just noticed I have the ruler backwards.

I used a white Sewline pencil to mark the strips for my repeat seam. 

I cut a 1/4" seam allowance, put the 2 pieces together and sewed them.

In this picture the seam looks obvious but if you stand back, you don't see the pieced strip.

I sewed the borders to the body, making sure the vine was on the end.

This is one of the mitered corners. You don't notice the miter because the vine was on both ends and it blends in.

I pieced the first block for Nearly Insane on January 11, 2016. I kept track of the number of pieces in each block. The pieces in the blocks total 4687 and there are 564 pieces in the zigzag border for a total of 5251 pieces. I didn't figure how many pieces with the sashing included, maybe I will sometime but not today.

* * * * Update * * * * I have been asked by several commentators if I am going to hand quilt Nearly Insane. The answer is, yes, of course I am going to hand quilt her. Nothing against quilting on machines but it would cost me a fortune to have Insane custom quilted the way I want her quilted. And I can't stand the thought of overall quilting on this quilt. It will take me some time to get her in the frame. Hopefully that will happen in another week.

I had told you I would show you the other retreat projects later. I've finally got them photographed and here they are.

Over New Years weekend, I pieced a Regatta Quilt. This was through a sew-along-at-your-own-pace with Roseanne and Peg. I haven't quilted my Regatta yet. There were a lot of leftovers from Regatta. I wanted to piece those leftovers and then quilt them both at the same time. This is my version using those leftover fabrics. All that is left of the original jelly roll is 13 - 2-1/2" squares. 

I'm not sure when I will get Regatta and Leftovers quilted, they'll just have to wait their turn.

Last fall at the Jane Stickle Retreat, I made rail fence blocks with a jellyroll. I cut yardage for the red fabric. After I had sewn quite a few strips together, I remembered I had planned to cut the red into 1 1/2" strips not 2 1/2" strips. Oh well, I certainly wasn't going to take those strips apart so I sewed the rest of them that way.

This winter I cut them apart into squares and then sewed them together at the guild retreat.

I need to add borders, piece a backing and sew the binding. This is a donation quilt and will become a knotted comforter at the MCC Comforter Bash in November.

Linking to Esther's Wednesday WOW!, Let's Bee Social, UFO Challenge, Sew, Stitch, Snap SHOW, My Quilt Infatuation, Finished Or Not Friday, Confessions of a Fabric Addict, TGIFF!, Finish It Up Friday, Show Off Saturday