... and for some time now, has been to make a quilt without having to bind it. I thought it wise to start with a small project to trial this method of quilt making. And naturally you can't stop at just one ...
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I am sure it wasn't an original thought, and it wasn't even necessarily a process that would be time saving. It was more to create a different, sleeker and perhaps modern look to something that is steeped in tradition. For someone like me, who dutifully binds quilts and is comfortable with the process, it is even a little outside of my comfort zone.
Much of the process is the same as usual and I started by making a simple quilt top. I've used fabrics from the Tidbits and Treasures fabric collection by Linda Jenkins and Becky Goldsmith from Piece O' Cake Designs ( as previously posted in Sunday Stash #107) as well as a few added extras.
I then pin basted the quilt top together with a layer of batting, but no backing fabric. It is at this stage a quilt sandwich of just two layers: the quilt top and the batting. There really is no avoiding the basting process.
I then thought it beneficial to stabilize these two layers, and stitched in the ditch along three vertical seam lines and four horizontal seam lines. These stitching lines disappear into the seam line and are really there just to ensure that these two layers don't shift.
Once I had finished the foundation "in the ditch" quilting lines, I removed the basting pins, trimmed off any excess batting and then zig zagged around the edge of the quilt.
It then measured the quilt sandwich and cut the backing fabric to the exact same size. The backing fabric and the quilt sandwich were then pinned right sides together and I stitched around the outer edges with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, reinforcing the corners by stitching back and forth several times. I left a gap large enough to be able to turn the quilt inside out.
I stitched around the edges of the quilt to stabilize the edges, and then quilted it with straight lines. I tried to ensure that the quilting lines were unbroken, turning at the edge of the quilt rather than having to cut the threads and bury the ends in the batting.
I stitched around the edges of the quilt to stabilize the edges, and then quilted it with straight lines. I tried to ensure that the quilting lines were unbroken, turning at the edge of the quilt rather than having to cut the threads and bury the ends in the batting.
Backing fabric from Picnics and Fairgrounds by Denyse Schmidt
This method of making a quilt without binding worked well for these relatively small quilts. I do love the look of the these quilt edges but I can't be too sure that it is a time saving technique (as compared machine stitched binding). Of course, it isn't always about saving time.
Oops, lengthy post! Feel free to email me or ask questions in the comments sections about this tutorial.
Rita
