I am ready to bind my Grandmother's Flower Garden quilt. Since I have done it all by hand, I want to attach the binding by hand too. Is there a particular stitch that should be used? Maybe a small running stitch or a backstitch? I have searched all over the web and all my books and they only say to sew to the front and turn to the back and handstitch down. Don't want to use the machine to attach it.
The ladies on this forum are the very best and I'm betting several of you will have the answer for me.
I have a quilt in progress that I plan to use a running stitch to attach to the front. Then will use a slip stitch to sew to the other edge down. I will probaby baste the layers together by hand first, leaving that sttiching in place.
Wouldn't be a bad idea to back stitch or knot every so often.
I use the same blind stitch as pictured on the back side, however I don't go into the binding like the picture, but come up through the fold so all the stitches are hidden. Knot off every few inches is a good tip and saves lot of heartache later if a stitch gets broken.
I machine the binding to the front side - since the stitching is hidden, then hand do the back on some quilts.
I too cheat a little on my hand made quilts. I sew the binding on the front by machine: then hand sew on the back. It is much more secure that way, and since it's hidden, no one but me (and everyone who reads this post! LOL) knows!
When in doubt, do the friendliest thing.
Posts: 599 | Location: Indiana, PA | Registered: Aug 19, 2007
Thank you so much ladies. Hope to get started tomorrow.
It has taken me quite a while to finish it. I sort of go in spurts! The petals of the flowers are made from the scraps left from sewing clothes for myself and my kids. The oldest fabric dates from 1950 when I was almost 13. Made a circle skirt to start 7th grade. It is set with white "paths" and the border is grass green which I have quilted with a meandering "vine" with leaves coming off of it randomly. (Sorry, but a word picture is the best I'll be able to do.) Thanks again for your assistance.
