Faster binding technique

If you are looking for the Modern Designs for Classic Quilts book giveaway, it is in this post.

While reading through blog posts on the 100 blocks blog tour last week, I happened upon a post for hand stitching binding. Now, I love to hand stitch my binding and I thought that I had a few very handy tools to help speed the process along.

Sometime in the last couple of years, I read on a blog to use hand quilting thread. This thread is a little thicker than regular thread and there is a coating on it to help it slide through the fabric. Also, because the thread is thicker, you only have to use 1 thread where I had been using 2 of regular thread since it was thinner and I didn't want any stitches to break down the road.

When using the hand quilting thread, it is much easier to load up a few stitches before pulling the rest of the thread through. I like to use a pretty long length of thread and take up to 6 stitches pulling through just enough thread to manage the needle and then after the last stitch, I pull the end of the thread through all of the stitches at once.

The way that I had been stitching was to do roughly a 3/8" stitch through the binding fabric and then take a tiny bite of fabric on the quilt. Maybe 2 or 3 threads worth of fabric from the quilt. This is how I was taught and how I have always done my binding.

Well, after reading this post on the Relatively Creative Patterns blog, I decided to give their way a try. I was amazed at how quickly this method of stitching went!!

And it looks so much better! To the left of the needle is the new way of stitching and to the right is how I have always done my stitching. I'm just amazed at the difference.





I used this method to hand stitch the binding on this customer quilt. I got the binding done Saturday morning and shipped it back to the customer before the post office closed! To see better pictures of the quilting, see this post.



Lula is just shocked at this development!

Modern Designs for Classic Quilts Blog Tour

Today is my day for the Modern Designs for Classic Quilts blog tour!

This is my very first blog tour! I'm so excited to be participating! You are probably wondering why I got picked to participate and I am going to share that with you now!

The authors of this wonderful piece of modern quilting with traditional inspiration are Kelly Biscopink and Andie Johnson and I was lucky enough to meet both of these gals at the Cincinnati Modern Quilt Guild.

Now here is the very exciting part for me... Back in March 2011, more than a year and a half ago, Andie approached me to see if I would quilt something for her. Of course, I said that I could do that and then she told me that it was a secret and I couldn't show anything on my blog. And then, she had another quilt and Kelly brought me a third quilt. And I couldn't show anything on my blog!

It was agony to keep a secret for that long! But now, I can show my pictures!

The first quilt that I quilted for the book is In the Clouds.



I really love the simplicity of this quilt, but the colors and the pop of the flying geese is fantastic in person!

Here is a closer view of the quilting. It is just straight lines that flow back and forth. It reminds me of clouds.



And I will take a few minutes to say that I was thoroughly impressed with the layout of the book for each quilt.. The book shows the quilt in a staged picture along with the specific details for the quilt. The next couple of pages give the instructions with great diagrams and a detailed shot of the quilting on the quilt. And finally, there is a full page shot of the quilt. Seriously, the photographs in the book are STUNNING!

The next quilt that I did was also for Andie and it was the Meshugana crazy quilt. This quilt used a wide variety of fabrics to make crazy blocks in creams and khakis. (See what I mean about the book pics and the layout?)



Here are a couple of pictures that I took when I was done with the quilting.





This quilt was so luscious that I bet it will be great to snuggle under this winter!

And now for the piece de resistance! Did you happen to see the cover of the book? That gorgeous log cabin? Guess who quilted it!!!

That's right -  ME!!

This one may have been the toughest to do. I basted the quilt on my frame with large stitches and then straight line quilted it on my domestic machine. And then I picked out all the basting because I didn't want to use a water soluble thread because I knew this quilt wasn't going to be washed before going into the book. But it turned out fantastic!

Here are a few shots that show the quilting a little better.









I really think that I need to make one of these quilts for myself! I just love how all the straight line quilting turned out!

F+W Media, the publisher, and Kelly and Andie generously gave me a copy of the book to giveaway. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and tell me if you are more of a traditional quilter or a modern quilter. No reply commenters must leave their email in the comment to be eligible for the giveaway.

**edited 11/12 - I have had 4 no reply comments in a row. I will be deleting all no reply comments unless your email is included in the body of the comment so that I have a way to get in touch in the event that you win.**

I will draw a name with the Random Number Generator on November 26 so you have plenty of time to enter! Good luck!

And here is the schedule for the blog tour!

Monday, 11/5    Andie & Kelly, AndieJohnsonSews & Stitchy Quilt Stuff
Tuesday, 11/6    Lindsay of CraftBuds
Wednesday, 11/7    Jill of Darling Jill Quilts - That's me!!
Thursday, 11/8    Faith of Fresh Lemons
Friday, 11/9    Tracy of Generation Q
Saturday, 11/10    Angela of Quilting is my Therapy
Sunday, 11/11   Shannon of Stitch Craft Create
Monday, 11/12   Laurie of Scarlet Fig
Tuesday, 11/13   Kaysie of KZJo’s Studio
Wednesday, 11/14   Jessica of A Little Gray
Thursday, 11/15   Mary of The Tulip Patch
Friday, 11/16    Deborah of Whipstitch
Saturday, 11/17   Lindsay of  The Cottage Mama 
Sunday, 11/18    Jenny of Sew Kind of Wonderful
Monday, 11/19   Carla of LollyQuiltz
Tuesday, 11/20   Thomas of Thomas Knauer Sews
Wednesday, 11/21   Brenda of Pink Castle Fabrics
Thursday, 11/22   Lindsay + Liz Rea of CraftBuds + Inspire Me Grey
Friday, 11/23   Sarah of The Last Piece
Saturday, 11/24    Andie, Kelly, and Cara of AndieJohnsonSews, Stitchy Quilt Stuff , and Cara Quilts