I use this technique and have taught it to my local group. I have heard that bias binding will wear longer than straight of grain. I use bias most of the time.
Posts: 495 | Location: Oregon | Registered: Aug 19, 2004
it's funny how we all learn differently. I was taught that you use bias binding on curves..which i do, if i round out my corners.
other wise, i just use WOF. never had a problem. but who knows, no one ever brought a quilt back to me with a worn binding! And unfortunately, i have yet to keep any quilts for myself. someday i will.
Congrats, Kim, on figuring it out. It is an accomplishment.
I use bias most of the time; a habit from sewing clothes. If it is a small quilt, I do WOF.
Never heard of bias wearing better than WOF but did hear if the quilt is to be used, make the binding a double thickness. So that's been my rule of thumb.
Thanks May..i did it this way with the other 21" square..it worked fine, but i needed more that it yielded. That is all the fabric i had left, of the blue stripe, from the little quilt i just made..2 squares. lol i would say that is cutting it way to close. Plan "B" was to try to fine a blue or brown that would go with it.. it is all quilted now..tomorrow, the binding will go on.
The reason for the bias being stronger is that the straight binding has the weave all heading along the fold lines whereas the bias has different parts of the weave along the fold.
That said, I only do bias when I want strips to do the spiral effect or it's a curved border.
Kim, your cuts are still parallel to the lines instead of on the true bias. I just cut my bias strips from the fabric and then seam them rather than your tube sewing.
I'm not sure any of what I just posted makes any sense, so if it doesn't just ignore it.
"Never be afraid to try anything new. Remember, amateurs built the Ark. Professionals built the Titanic." Unknown.
Good point, needlecrazy, about the weave. Never did hear that before.
I'm with you on trying to achieve the twisted stripe; I'd make the bias cuts and sew them together. Wonder how cutting a bias square to begin with would work?
Kim I have been making bias binding for 20+ years with that tube method. And if I'm not careful with those triangles I will end up with straight of grain binding every time.
when i am done with this quilt, i will work with some muslin, mark a couple lines of it, to represent stripes, and just play around, do see what i did or didn't do. Thanks for all the ideas and links!
I'm in the camp which always uses bias binding. But the continuous kind - don't you have to mark, then cut with scissors? That method worries me. I'm not sure I'd cut straight enough. So I cut the bias strips, then join together. Oh well. There's a rebel in every crowd, right?
ETA - I love making bias plaid or striped binding. It adds an extra touch. Good luck with your binding project!This message has been edited. Last edited by: SeeingStars,
It's been a while since I did it that way, but I too came out with straight grain at least once. I caught it early enough one time to unsew and resew along the correct edges.
I now just lay the fabric flat, cut across at a 45 degree angle, then cut in the appropriate width strips and sew together...making certain I mix the short and long lengths so that I don't have a bunch of short pieces side by side.
The drawn lines should be on the diagonal, parallel to the diagonal seam line. To me, it looks like you may have cut on diagonal, then resewn very same 2 edges. http://www.mccallsquilting.com...cles/continuous_bias
This is what I have been wanting to learn!! ) Perfect timeing!!
When I first tried it - the continuous bias tube method - when I sewed the triangles together, it just did not look right! So, I did some frog sewing and took it to a friends house... yup, I had done it wrong and even when she showed me how - it still is not computing in my brain!!! But I want to learn this skill - because I to want the angles down the side of my quilt and straight bias won't do it!! I should just do the cut the strips and sew method, but by sewing two seams (so they say!) you end up with TONS of bias.... so I do want to lean how to do it!
Thanks for this topic. And yes, bias is supposed to be stronger because of the way the threads lay on it.... just like Needlecrazy said!
Posts: 2162 | Location: Somewhere where it snows..... | Registered: Mar 13, 2005
Thank You!! So now I will 'feel the fear and do it anyway!!' Naw, this is going to be easy now!! Thank-You all again!!
I am going to surprise myself and wounder why I was finding it so hard...... confusing more like it - but I will now get this binding ready for when the quilt comes home!!
Need to learn a new skill?? come ask the ladies here!! Someone or, lots of someones, will help you!! Love it!!
Posts: 2162 | Location: Somewhere where it snows..... | Registered: Mar 13, 2005