For years many of my fellow quilters have been trying to get me to try hand-binding a quilt. I admit, it looks really nice to have a clean, invisible finish to a quilt, but man is it time-consuming. And let's face it, with kiddos at home you just don't have much time. My priority has always been elsewhere.
Then I started working on my latest seashell quilt. I am really trying to use up the fabric I have (the top is made completely from leftovers from a previous quilt) and I only had enough fabric left in the blue to make a 2 1/4 inch binding. Pretty small. So, to maximize my fabric's capabilities, I decided it was time to try this hand-binding thing.
First, I need to get the cat off the quilt. He was holding it hostage until I handed out the good treats. :) Once I got the cat off, I pulled out my needle, thread, and scissors and got to work. That first night I learned the value of a thimble. My finger was literally bloody from working the needle, and I only got one side done in 2 hours! This was going to take a while.
The next day I bought a thimble and was back to work. I am getting faster and managed to finished the second side in half the time (of course it was half the length, but I am sure that's not related, right?!?). The third night I almost finished the third side, and now I am super close to being done. What usually takes me an hour or so has taken a few days. I have to admit, though, it looks super awesome and professional. I still need to work on my stitches, but this has me interested in applique work (something else I have been dreading) and I am feeling better about giving that a shot next. When I find the time. ;)
Linking up with Freshly Pieced for WIP Wednesday. I am really hoping to have a finish to report by the end of the week. We'll see...
That's a really beautiful quilt. Makes me want to spread it out under a (very large) beach umbrella and take a nap!
ReplyDeleteOhh, that sounds wonderful! I'm in. :) Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a note!
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