Help Quilting/binding question

[kyrsyan]

Doing the first canning mat for testing. Mixed results. I know how to fix the mismatch cutting, although it means I need to buy a new rotary cutter. (Mine has disappeared into the void somewhere.) For the first one, I was trying to avoid using binding tape. So I cut everything the exact same size, stitched the outside edge, flipped right side out, and then stitched the small opening closed. After that, I did a top stitch around the outside edge. Then I moved on to quilting it in a diamond pattern.

The second issue is probably one of those quilting standards that I just don't know about. Despite starting with the center line for the quilting I ended up with some wrinkling of the towel layers that I'm putting in as batting. Thoughts on second issue - cut the backing wider on all sides. That way, instead of stitching edges and flipping, I can do the quilting where needed. Then trim the edges neatly if the cutting wasn't quite fully accurate. Then use the extra from the backing to fold over to the front and act as binding. Lots of ironing but fewer "wrinkles". Any thoughts or guidance from more experienced folks? This is not piece work. The top and bottom are solid pieces. I'm just stitching the layers together.

Other idea - longer pins to hold things in place, relatively, until I get that area stitched? And I'm guessing that I'll need to have the whole thing flat, and remain flat, while I'm pinning? Space might be an issue for that. Sitting on the floor is still not currently an option. The next one getting cut will probably be the same as the first, except using the rotary cutter to avoid the natural problem that cutting layers with scissors has. And using longer pins to have things more stable until stitched.

Also, does binding on straight edges need to be bias? Or can it just be straight cut? I understand bias cut for rounding but not for straight. And bias cut is my curse. I cannot, for the life of me, get bias binding to set right unless I hand stitch it. And while hand stitch is okay for gifting, it's not okay if I'm going to make these to sell.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I'm not sure how to help you with your project, would love to see it when you're finished.

 

[kyrsyan]

I'm not sure how to help you with your project, would love to see it when you're finished.

It's an experiment at the moment. Mainly because I'm dealing with some new canning folks that don't know not to crowd the jars as them come out of the canner hot. This one is purely testing. The plan is for future ones to have circles or diamonds as the marks for where to put the canning jars so that they maintain the recommended spacing while cooling from the canner.

I'm not using standard batting because they need to catch and hold the water, keep as much off it off the underlying surface as possible. I debated PLU, but I can't see that surviving long time usage. Jars are hot hot when they come out of a PC. I personally, had to make adaptations to my stove for the heat from using PCs, so I'm careful about the heat.

But purely in experiment stage at this moment. I don't mind quilting it but I'm not doing piecework quilting. That I will not do.

 

[Martinhouse]

Unless you plan to make a lot of these mats, doing the binding by hand might not be a bad idea. You could present them as machine quilted but "hand finished". It might even be a good selling point to those who have no clue about any kind of sewing. Lots of those around nowadays!

 

[summerthyme]

Try using small safety pins for your basting. But machine quilting several layers evenly is just difficult without a walking foot (some call them an "even feed" foot).

Also, you absolutely must baste/pin on a flat surface. A rotary cutting board on a bed can work if you don't have a large table and can't use the floor.

Good luck!

Summerthyme

 

[kyrsyan]

Unless you plan to make a lot of these mats, doing the binding by hand might not be a bad idea. You could present them as machine quilted but "hand finished". It might even be a good selling point to those who have no clue about any kind of sewing. Lots of those around nowadays!

They are one of several items I'm looking to make. I have family members that are making a foray into the craft market environment but they do not have an assortment of items at price ranges.

I want to sell at craft markets, and can make an assortment, but cannot go due to caregiver issues.

So I'm hoping to make an assortment and split the profits with them. That will give both of us an outlet. It will, hopefully, draw more people to look at their products as well. They are doing handmade cutting boards, photo shelves, and quilt/wall hanging hangers (in various sizes). All of their items would be wood. All of mine would be fabric/sewing. But I can make things that are in the lower price ranges to draw in more people to look at their stuff, which is not lower price range. And shouldn't be because there is some serious expense in what is being made, as well as time and effort. In my case, I'm recycling materials, so my material costs are much lower. And surprisingly, my time costs are much lower as well. Once the measuring and cutting is done, the sewing part goes much faster.

 

[kyrsyan]

Try using small safety pins for your basting. But machine quilting several layers evenly is just difficult without a walking foot (some call them an "even feed" foot).

Also, you absolutely must baste/pin on a flat surface. A rotary cutting board on a bed can work if you don't have a large table and can't use the floor.

Good luck!

Summerthyme

I have a walking foot but I've not ever used them before. They were passed along with other inherited sewing items. I can test it. Most of the wrinkling I saw in this one though was because of normal fabric wrinkling. I should have made sure to use a rotary cutter to avoid the variance in the edge cuts.. And ironed as well, just as an extra precaution.

Rotary boards of various sizes available. I honestly had not thought of using the bed to pin. I know I can place them on my garage workspace, or the freezers, to get solid cuts. But pinning inside would be helpful. And the bed is firm enough for that.

I have one pack of 2.5" quilting pins. And I was using clips around the outside edge. I think my error was believing that the outside stitching would be enough to keep things from moving. Not!! Especially when I don't really have a flat top sewing surface. Although that would be motivation to work towards that.

 

[Martinhouse]

If your layers of fabric are close to the right size, maybe you could pin them with larger safety pins and do the quilting before you cut them to their required size. That might help to keep them from creeping while you're cutting.

 

[Martinhouse]

Oops!

 

[kyrsyan]

I promised pictures. Even though I knew this one was flawed, I finished it. For many reasons. One of the best is that I'm learning to trust my machine again. I am so amazingly grateful to the repair shop.

Some changes I'm making to sewing the next one. 1. Outer layers will be cut 1 to 2 inches larger than the batting layers. 2) The entire design will be marked onto the top layer, keeping in mind a firm outer limit. 3) pin better. Working inside to outside. 4) Start at the inside and work out when stitching. I worked this one on all sides at once keeping one long line, which meant that half was working inside out while the other half was work outside in. 5) When the quilting is done, I will trim any excess batting. Then trim the outside of the top & bottom layers to size so they can be folded under and top stitched. 6) Per a friends suggestion, and what these are to be used for, I'm going to go to an alternating wide row, narrow row pattern.

I really was surprised at how little buckling/folding there was in the end. The stitching tightens things but isn't so tight that it creates deep ditches. And as long as I trusted the machine and didn't do more than guide the fabric, everything fed through evenly.

 

[kyrsyan]

This one is more flawed. But I'm okay with that. I hate bias binding but I got it done. No this is not the one I am gifting.
The changes were good. I rushed too much. Last one is the gift. I'm going to deliberately go slow with it. I will measure and mark each line just before I sew it. And the big 4x8 cutting mat is pulled out. It is residing on my freezer for the moment.

 

[kyrsyan]

This is the double oven mitt I'm making for a friend. I made one in purples for my SIL. And one in other shades of blue for my nephew.
This one is at hand stitching stage. I haven't mastered bindings on the machine. I can do one side by machine but if I try to do both it torques badly.

 

[O2BNOK]

kyrsyan, those are nice!

 

[Martinhouse]

Those bound edges look really good! I've always sewed the second side of bias binding by hand when it needed to look good on both sides. It's the only way I could ever get it to look nice and smooth. Only on clothing did I ever machine sew both sides, but that was when only the outside of the binding needed to look nice, Didn't matter if the back side of the seam came off of the binding now and then,

 

[kyrsyan]

From start to finish they take roughly 20 hours. They are pre quilted bottom layer, which I use as a stitch guide, Insul Brite, and then each strip stitched on, one at a time. I thought about making them for sale but hand stitching pretty much means I won't break even on them.

So they are labors of love for loved ones. Nephew and SIL will get matching glove hot pads for gifts next year. Friend is getting them with this. And she's getting some matching drink coasters. And a bolster.

And I'm brainstorming one for another friend that I'll get owls for the "pockets" and stitch those down. And then do 2" quilted strips for the rest.

 

[kyrsyan]

I took a break from hand sewing and threw this together for her. My brain caught a pattern error before I cut pieces. They forgot to add extra for the velcro overlap. This was the worst pattern from McCall in a long time. It was almost Simplicity bad in both pattern errors and poor directions. But it also a very old McCall pattern.

But I have to tell you stuffing a very firmly filled inner pillow into that casing was hard. If I ever do it again, I'll put the inner pillow inside, and then stuff it.

I debated doing it on the diagonal but just didn't want to deal with it. The lining I put on the quilted part should make the outer case pretty sturdy. It sure felt sturdy. And the inner pillow was made from a section of quality sheet.

 

[SuElPo]

Those are pretty. I just discovered this place.
Susan