Friday, March 9, 2012

Bias Binding and A Birthday


The finished product.
  I did go a little crazy with this and rework some of the seams so the stripes were evenly spaced.

I've been working on some bias binding for a project that I quilted recently. The black and white stripe on the bias should look great with the bright stars and the white background fabric. I'll find out tonight when I put the binding on! 


Getting ready to mark lines for cutting the continuous strip with the help of a yardstick.

 A continuous strip of bias binding is something I've done before, but I had to read the directions again, and again, and again as I went along. Two different sets of directions. I'm not sure if using two different sets of directions helped me or hurt me.  It was one of those things I couldn't exactly picture by just reading the directions alone. I had to read the directions as I went through the process to understand how it was supposed to work, even thought it's not that complicated, just hard to picture.  I'm cutting myself a little slack because it's been a long time!  


WRONG! ........but I didn't realize it when I took the picture.
Only when I got to the next step did I see my mistake.

In the picture above I didn't offset the fabric like I should have so it would create one continuous strip when I did the cutting. I took the picture to show a few parts of the process, not knowing I was taking a picture of a mistake!  I'm glad I noticed before it was too late! 



This is the way it should be!


Here you can see the way it should be, with the edges offset and the vertical lines that I drew......they are very faint in the picture.......matching up. I started cutting with scissors, not a rotary cutter, on the bottom right corner, not at the tip, but where the straight edge meets the triangular section.  This is actually a tube of fabric at this point, so using a rotary cutter would be a bad, bad idea. I say this because in my mind that is what I was going to use until I remembered how the cutting worked.  Another  picture would have been good here, but I didn't take one. Anyway,  I wound up with a continuous length of bias binding! This was not really meant to be a tutorial. I just thought I'd show a few steps of the process, including where I messed up! Maybe the next time you make some bias binding you'll remember my troubles and that will make it easier for you.



Delicious!!!!

On a different note, yesterday was my birthday! I was treated to a relaxing day of quilting and fun with my family! We ate Chicago style pizza from our favorite pizza place and the boys surprised me with an ice cream cake after dinner. Yummy frosting with vanilla ice cream on the top layer, those delicious cookie crunchies in the middle, and of course tasty chocolate ice cream on the bottom.  It doesn't get much better than that! Thank you boys for the wonderful day :-)

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy lots of sewing time!


16 comments:

Carol said...

Happy Birthday Michele! Your cake looks yummy. That's a great way to spend your birthday.

The thing I like about using stripes for bias binding is how it looks like a barber shop pole. Have a nice weekend.

Mary on Lake Pulaski said...

Happy belated birthday Michele!

Kelli Fannin Quilts said...

I recently read about that technique. So I'm glad to come here and read about it! Thanks for sharing. Happy Belated Birthday and score on the ice cream cake! :o)

Joyful Quilter said...

Happy Birthday! Sounds like you had a very special day.

Abby and Stephanie said...

Happy Birthday! I normally avoid bias binding but I love stripes on the bias. If I ever dare to do it I'll remember to visit this post.

Cheryl said...

I have never cut a continuous bias binding like that...thanks for the tut! Nothing better than stripes on the bias!

Needled Mom said...

Happy birthday!!!

I always have to read my instructions when I do that continuous bias binding too.

Dandelion Quilts said...

I do like it when people do the stripes like that....always seems like a lot of work when I think about it myself. LOL. Happy Birthday.

Izzy said...

Happy belated birthday Michele! Xx

Linda said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Michele!!!!!!

Thanks for the bias binding tutorial!! I never cut my strips right.

AnnieO said...

It is very confusing to read directions for the continuous bias binding--good you caught your mistake before starting the cutting! I just made some striped bias binding for a recent project the normal way for a small project, but for a entire quilt the continuous method is much more pleasing!

AnnieO said...

Forgot to say belated Happy Birthday and give you best wishes for a wonderful year!

PunkiePie (Jen) said...

Happy Birthday!! I take the easy way out and purchase striped fabric already printed on the bias. :) I always wanted to learn how to do it the way you explained but I still don't get it. I need to have someone sit next to me and walk me through it.

Izzy said...

Me again! :-) Wanted to let you know you're on my list for the Liebster Blog Award! Check it out: http://dizzyquilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-won-liebster-award.html

Sinta Renee said...

Happy birthday to you Michele! May you live as long as you want and never want as long as you live! xxoo

Houseelf said...

Happy Birthday Michele!!!

Glad you worked out the bias binding. Striped binding looks so cool.

Sorry I have been so slow to visit - it has been full on getting the house ready to sell.