No Tails Binding Tutorial

I'm often asked, "How do you like to apply binding?" Below is a tutorial I'm glad to offer. This binding method is one with no joining, and machine-sewn mitered corners. If you haven't tried it, I encourage you to do so.

No Tails Binding Tutorial

Begin by preparing double-fold binding (AKA French binding) in one long continuous strip. My favorite width is cut 2-1/4".

Note: Do not trim backing and batting at this time. First sew binding to the quilt; then trim.

Lay the untrimmed quilt, face up, on a flat surface, smoothing out wrinkles.

This is also an opportunity to make sure your quilt layers are square.

Use a long ruler to draw straight lines along each side - around the entire perimeter - of the quilt. You will use this straight edge as a guideline for sewing binding to the quilt.

Following a straight line will ensure you end up with a squared quilt and straight binding.

Cut and Sew Binding Across Quilt Width

Lay the binding across the width of the quilt, approximately in the center. Leave a 2" to 3" tail extending beyond both edges of the quilt top. Gently smooth and pat the binding flat.

Cut the binding 2" to 3" from the edge of the quilt top.

Repeat, to make a second piece of binding for the width of the quilt.

Do not move the binding.

Insert a pin, or make a mark at the point where the binding meets the edge of the quilt top. See blue pin.

Insert another pin, or make a mark at a point 1/4" to the inside of the first pin.

See pink pin.

The pink pin marks the sewing stop-start point. Remove the blue pin.

Now, focusing on the corner of the quilt top,

measure 1/4" from each side of the quilt top. Use a pin or make a mark at the spot.

Repeat at the opposite end of the binding, marking the binding and marking the quilt top.

Position the binding along the edge of the squared quilt top. Pin.

Begin sewing at the pinned or marked spot on the binding. Backstitch.

Continue sewing binding to the quilt, stopping at the pin or mark at the opposite end. Backstitch.

Repeat the above steps to sew the second binding to the width of the quilt.

Cut and Sew Binding for Quilt Length

When you have sewn binding strips to the top and bottom of the quilt (across the width), again lay the quilt on a flat surface.

As when cutting the binding width, lay down binding along the length of the quilt, placing it approximately through the center of the quilt. Smooth and pat binding.

Insert a pin, or make a mark at the point where the binding meets the edge of the quilt top. Repeat for the second piece of binding.

At both ends of the two binding strips, insert another pin, or make a mark at a point 1/4" to the inside of the first pin.

Working at the corner, fold back the previously sewn binding to get it out of the way.

Match the unsewn binding start-stop point to the stopping point of the previously sewn binding.

Lay binding along along the straight edge of the quilt, pin across the binding length and matching the unsewn binding start-stop point to the stopping point of the previously sewn binding.

Sew binding to the quilt, beginning and ending with backstitches.

Repeat to apply the last binding strip.

Mark and Sew Binding Corners

At one corner, fold the quilt onto itself, back-to-back, to form a 45-degree angle. Position binding strips to form a straight horizontal line, meeting the binding's folded edge to the folded edge, and the raw edge to the raw edge.

Pin to hold into place. Use a small ruler perpendicular to the binding to make a small indication mark on the binding fold at a point parallel and directly above where the stitching ends.

Tip a small ruler so the ruler corner is positioned in the middle of the binding strip. Position the ruler point an equal distance from both the mark along the binding fold, and the end point of the stitching. Between each point the distance is 1/2" to 5/8".

Draw along the corner of the ruler to make a visible line that forms an arrow.

Sew on the drawn line: backstitch at the fold, sew, pivot at the point, sew, backstitch.

Trim 1/4" from the sewn line to remove binding tails. Snip the tip to reduce bulk.

Repeat steps, marking, sewing, and trimming on three more corners to sew a total of four mitered corners.

Finish Binding

From around the perimeter of the quilt, trim excess batting and backing 3/8" from stitching line. Be sure not to rotary cut the binding corner!

Turn the binding to the quilt back. Use a stiletto or point turner to pull out the points at each mitered corner. Admire these sturdy, machine-sewn mitered corners - you won't have to hand-sew them closed!

Using thread that matches the color of the binding, blind stitch to hand sew binding to the quilt back.

Flourishing Around the House

For the past few days, the work of my hands has been applied to things around the house. Company's coming! Time to wash the winter grim from the windows, wipe dust and pollen from the furniture tops, toss into the dryer quilts from the guest room beds, and catch-up on vacuuming and laundry. Exciting stuff, hey?

I absolutely adore hanging out the laundry, but I'm an oddity here in West Des Moines, Iowa (...in more ways than one, I'm sure my friends would say.) Very few people hang laundry outdoors around here. In fact, I don't know another person who does! 

I thought you would enjoy seeing how Hogan helps me when I'm outside. When I took this picture, I was standing in the back yard; he was laying on the deck. 

You can see by looking at Hogan that it's tough keeping up with me all day long.

Hubby's Flourishing Palms

Hubby is a chef. Well, he's my resident chef. The man absorbs TV's food channel and then comes up with his own creative twists for preparing typical foods. Occasionally I'm his sous chef. I always have kitchen duty.

This is a from-scratch 14" pizza he made: homemade crust (healthy, with whole wheat flour and flaxseed), ground pork sausage, and fresh toppings, including my favorite, cilantro.

Bless his flourishing palms. 

Back to Quilt-y Stuff

I've been working on my Snowflake Medallion quilt (SnoMed, for short) for several weeks now. This is back-basted hand applique, and I'm enjoying every moment... lots of moments... working on it while listening to audiobooks. I have listened to several books including the "Shop on Blossom Street" (about knitting) series. Now I'm on book three, "Eclipse" of the "Twilight" vampire/werewolf series by Stephanie Meyer. What entertaining listening, even if the series was written for teens. I loved the Harry Potter series too.

Anyway, I'm tickled to have finished the center medallion. I cut that background piece to a 21-1/2" square per the instructions, and added the first triangle border. So far, so good.

Next, in the white triangles created by the addition of the first border, there's more applique.

Here I've pencil-outlined the shapes on the back of the fabric.

You can see this may be a bit of a challenge to applique as one of the motifs covers several seams.

Still, I'm very much liking the design, and I think it will be even prettier when the piecing includes the aqua- and teal-colored prints I've selected.

Oh, and did you notice the perfectly round, one centimeter purple circles in the daisy center? Those are thanks to a gem of a friend, the ingenious and talented Down Under Di. She's also making SnoMed, and took the time to write a lovely blog tutorial for making tiny, perfect circles using sequins (of all things!). Be sure to check it out.

With flourishing palms,

Windy Iowa

On Saturday, while driving on Interstate 80, from western Iowa back to central Iowa, we were surprised to see how many wind turbines - 102 of them! - dot the hilly landscape near Walnut, Iowa, in Pottawattamie County.

An Iowa Energy website states: "Iowa is the third largest producer of wind energy behind California and Texas."

Who knew!?

These photos don't adequately convey how huge these turbines are.

• The tower is 275 feet (83 meters) tall.
• Each rotor is 115 feet (35 meters) long.

That means that from the ground to the top of a rotor is 390 feet...longer than an *American football field which is 360 feet (109 meters).

*I say "American" in deference to my Aussie friends who know footy. A footy field is 135 to 185 meters long.

In any case, they're big! And where they're located is the windiest place in Iowa. 

And here you thought it was me...

Flourishing Iowa

Hubby has always wanted to visit the Loess Hills (pronounced "Luss") in western Iowa. It's a 200-mile track of land running roughly north to south along the Missouri River valley.

Since he's the birthday boy, we took off, spending two days and an overnight in the Pisgah, Preparation Canyon (learned it's closed due to 2008 tornado damage), and Mondamin Units. The area is about two hours west of us.

It's odd to think that we've visited Australia and driven Victoria's Great Ocean Road, and we're at home in Iowa visiting places we've never been. We have beautiful vistas in our own state!

Our cabin in the woods (no running water) was at Loess Hills Hideaway. While I enjoyed being here, appreciating the absolute quiet - well, except for the birds - and I entertained myself with bird sightings, this wasn't birthday boy's cup of tea. Then, when it began raining at 2 a.m., being here became less fun.

Our gravel road drive back to highway 183 gave us lovely morning views.

Below: From the Missouri River valley, looking back toward the Loess Hills, and a newly-emerging, healthy crop of Iowa corn.

Wild game was quite evident. Deer, turkey vultures.... 

...and guinea hens.

This little town - and I mean little - Orson, Iowa has a sense of humor. Below the population 11 sign it says: "Despite the high cost of living, it's extremely popular."

Also in Orson is this abandoned, one-room schoolhouse used from 1905 to 1953.

I managed to do some quilting too. I blind-stitched down a binding to finish a Stitchin' Mission quilt, and stopped at a quilt shop, Prairie Star Quilts in Elkhorn, Iowa. Don't you have to buy fabric when you're traveling?