Friday 9 May 2014

Soy Amado No. 19

I had such grand plans for combining more selfish sewing with Soy Amado but then the painters and decorators arrived and my plans have been temporarily scuppered. I have so many quilt ideas spinning round in my head. Unfortunately, my sewing room is being used as a furniture storage room while the rooms around are redecorated.

Before my sewing room became completely inaccessible, I moved my sewing machine downstairs and plonked it ceremoniously on the dining room table, grabbed some bits and bobs and decided that would be my work station for the next month.

But I forgot to grab any fabric and the pile of Soy Amado blocks were also in the dining room and so, I'm sewing them up because they're there, they're accessible and I have to sew.

And this is no. 19

All the blocks are from one person (@nantucks on Instagram) save for one, which when you see the back, you'll probably be able to work out which it is.

I love it for being bright and fun.



And then I love the back too.

Particularly the big floral print.

I think it's my favourite 'back' so far




I know there are different ways to join the two ends of your binding and I thought I'd show you how I'm doing it.

I always join my binding strips on the diagonal so I want to finish on the diagonal so you can't tell the different between any of the joins. Binding on the diagonal gives (in my opinion) a less bulky and more subtle finish than butting two bits of fabric ends up against each other and sewing vertically straight down...if that makes sense.

So when you start sewing your binding down (I cut 2 1/2" binding on straight of grain) I leave a 'tail' of about 9-10", I sew my binding on and then probably leave about a foot gap from where I first started stitching.

See pic below.




I then lay one tail on top of the other (probably cutting the tails down if there is too much excess for them to lay flat within the unsewn (my spell check doesn't like that word...maybe I just made that word up) gap I have left.

If you can remember to call the tails 'leftovers' (which is what I do and what they technically are) it'll help you with the next step.

You need to measure 2 1/2" from where the end of the underneath leftover/tail is, along the top leftover/tail.
That measurement will always relate to the width of your binding. So, if you made a 2 1/4" width binding, you'll want to make the overlap between the two leftovers 2 1/4" and so on.



It was then at this stage, when I first started out making quilts, that I could never remember which end went over which but then I stopped calling the ends 'tails' and instead they became 'leftovers' and there is my answer. The left end goes over the right end.



So the left one is pinned on top of the right. You are pinning the top edge of the left hand side to the end of the right hand side - right sides together.

You're then going to stitch diagonally from left to right - just like you do, if this is the way you join your  binding pieces.



Snip the excess fabric to the right of the stitch line to about 1/8", give it a good press and then you can finish off attaching the binding.

So I'm curious.

How do you join your binding ends?

Linking up to Finish It Up Friday



19 comments:

  1. Beautiful finish! I like that to remember "left overs". I do my ends just about the same but I don't cut until I am sure that there is just enough binding; not too much or too little to finish.

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  2. I do my binding the same way but I had many frustrating times of twisting the binding and having to pick out the seams before I finally got the hang of it. My secret was finding the Youtube video by Sharon Schamber where she demonstrates her method. I'm not sure I would have ever gotten it figured out on my own. It is a 3 part video and you can find it by searching "Binding the Angel Part 2". If you go into the video at about 5 minutes, that's exactly where she shows the 'leftovers' - can you tell I've watched it a few times? LOL

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  3. Stunning! I join my binding the same way as you do.:) It's the way I learned and I think it's the best way to do it.

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  4. I join them straight. I'm not sure why, perhaps because I thought it was easier. I'll have to read your notes again tomorrow as I the information isn't computing in my head right now (couple of beers down and tired hehe!). I sent you a parcel yesterday, so hopefully you get it soon. Lovely, lovely quilt too and great back side ;)

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  5. Love the colours in this one!!!!!

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  6. This is exactly how I do it except I cut my overlap at two and three eighth inches. Just learned from experience that that wee eighth of an inch makes the difference for me.

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  7. Obviously should have said how bright and lovely the quilt is, too!

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  8. Gorgeously bright and sunny quilt!
    Esther

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  9. It's such a lovely cheerful one this one. I join my binding just like you :-)

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  10. I have always just tucked one end of the binding into the other end. It definitely adds bulk so I will try this way next time. Thanks for sharing!

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  11. Very pretty! And thanks for the tips with the binding!

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  12. Gorgeous quilt! I join my binding in exactly the same way, I love the way it looks just like the other joins!

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  13. What a lovely quilt! So bright and cheery! I do my binding in the same way. I learned it from Joan Ford in her book Scraptherapy Cut the Scraps pages 48-49. She has excellent pictures and explanation. Very helpful book by the way. Could you send me your mailing address please for mailing blocks. Thanks for all you're doing.

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  14. I love this bright quilt.I think the block made by someone else is 4th along in the 3rd row. I join my bindings straight, simply because I always have but I can appreciate joining on the diagonal would be better, didn't know how to. Must try one day. Will use you turorial when I do . Thank you, Alison. Hope you have plenty of sashings and blinding stowed in your dining room too. I hate decorating, it always really unsettles me, so I hope yours goes swimmingly.

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  15. Wow, you are sewing up a storm! This is such a bright and lovely quilt!

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  16. For years I have tucked one end into the other but it is bulky so bought a binding tool, but your method is very straightforward and cheaper than buying a tool.

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  17. This is very similar to how I finish off my binding, I just spent several minutes trying to type up an explanation of how I do mine and it made no sense, but it is basically the same!

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  18. Joining the binding ends is the hardest thing and I never get it right. I am going to bookmark your instructions and give it a try next time. "Leftover" is such a clever way to remember! So glad to find another island blog! I just moved off Awaji Island and miss it so much.

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  19. Great quilt! Being a bit haphazard I tend to do it different ways depending on the circumstances! Maybe I'll follow your tute in future!

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