Quilt It Wright - Part IV Faced Binding

Documenting the process of Quilt It Wright
My improv inspiration quilt

Part IV The Binding and searching for a name

Part I HERE Inspiration
Part II HERE Piecing
Part III HERE Quilting

My inspiration Fallingwater and the architect Frank Lloyd Wright

I finished squaring ( you can find tutorials and videos on line on squaring your quilt, try different methods and use what works for you and your quilt).  While I was quilting I decided I would like to try faced binding on this quilt.  Faced binding folds to the back of the quilt, so you don't see the binding, there won't be a frame on the edges, the quilt will just end.
Faced binding is single layer binding, so it more appropriate for a quilt that will hang rather than one that will be used and washed often.

I googled, read tutorials, watched you tube videos, I chose elements from a few different tutorials to make my own hybrid process.
Cut the binding fabric 2 1/4" single layer
Side bindings cut 1 1/2" shorter than the length of quilt
Bottom & Top Binding cut 2" longer than width of quilt

Press 1/4" fold on the side of the binding that will not be attached to the front of the quilt (this will be your stitch edge for the back of the quilt) Don't worry if it doesn't stay pressed over, the fold was made so you have a good seam line to press again later after the binding is attached.

Attach side bindings to front of quilt, RST, 1/4" seam allowance first
Press binding toward outside of quilt and add 1/8" top stitch on the top of the quilt
I cut away approximately 1" square of batting in the corners, leaving the top and bottom fabric in place, to reduce bulk in the corners

Attach the top and bottom binding pieces in the same manner, pressing toward the outside and adding a top stitch.
Next fold over the binding all the way to the back of the quilt and press.
You should have a nice crisp edge

I used Clover Clips to hold the binding in place and keep the edges from wanting to fold back to the front

You can re -press your 1/4" seam on the edge of the binding that is not attached to the quilt at this point so you have a crisp line for hand stitching.
Pin in place to hand sew down along the back of the quilt.  People who know me know I am not a fan of hand sewing (I machine stitch my regular binding on quilts), I have issues with pain in my hands and hand sewing is a contributor.  For faced binding there was no way to get around the hand sewing.  I took my time and did sections with breaks in between.

I had some trouble with the corners, not sure exactly how to get the folded edges to look nice.  Next time I'll spend more time in this area and real through more tips
You can't have enough clips in my opinion

Finished - no binding showing on the front of the quilt and a crisp edge for hanging.
I think this was the perfect finish for this particular quilt.

While I was quilting I worked on the name for this quilt.  I wanted to incorporate something of Frank Lloyd Wright in the name.  Most of the time the quilt name will come to me while quilting, there is a lot of time to think while you are quilting.  I was not having an easy time with the right name for this quilt - it evolved.
Quilt Wright was one
Wright Quilting was another
Neither was the perfect name and I think I was completely finished and had been calling it Quilt Wright in a couple of posts and emails, because I just couldn't come up with anything else.
One day it struck me that the name should be
Quilt It Wright
and that is the one that stuck and was perfect (to me)

Next - full photos of the finished quilt
Part V HERE The Finished Quilt

Quilt It Wright - Part III The Quilting Part

Quilt It Wright
Part III - The Quilting Part
My improv quilt inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright
Part I HERE
Part II HERE

I still pin baste - although a lot of quilters now spray baste, for quilts I'm a pinner.  I've had some shifting happen with spray and anytime I'm quilting a quilt that I think I may enter in a show I feel more confident with pinning.  Pins are reusable and spray isn't. (I also don't like to think of spray on my carpet or floor).  I do use spray on some minis, so I'm not totally against the spray.



I used two layers of black Hobbs batting on this quilt.  I went with the darker batting as the top was mostly gray.  This is only the second time I've used the dark batting and it worked well in this quilt.  

My chosen quilting threads, the green spools are 40 wt Aurifil and the gray spools are 28 wt Aurifil.  I like the 28 wt, its denser and I think the quilting pops more with the heavier wt.  I don't have ALL the colors yet in 28 wt, so I had to use some 40 wt I had on hand.

I went with the matchstick style quilting, but I did not go as close as I sometimes do - this one I kept the quilting lines about 1/4" apart vs I sometimes have 1/8" apart.  With the double layer of batting I couldn't go as close, and I thought the quilting looked fine 1/4" apart.  I added vertical quilting as well as horizontal.

Getting to the edge of the quilt requires a quilt scarf to be made.
At this point the quilt was super heavy and I couldn't hold on to it, so I rolled it and threw it over my shoulder

I would stop some of the quilting lines and cut the threads, then just going back to the edge of the quilt without having to give it a 180. Or I would spend some time turning the quilt when I would get to the end of a line.  Turning was definitely more difficult and I would get frustrated.  I preferred to turn not wanting to cut all the little left over threads afterwards, but I also couldn't man handle the quilt but so much before wanting to discard the whole idea of quilting two different directions.  It was worth it in the end, as I knew it would be - just very trying while it was happening. 

Next up - squaring.  I did some cutting and got the quilt close to square, I just had to pull at a few areas.  Squaring is new to me, I used to just square off the corners with a ruler and a rotary.  After one show when I had a comment about the quilt not laying flat, I started to be more careful and work on this aspect.  You are always learning something new in quilting.  There is always another step.
(white towels are under the quilt to soak up the water)

Next time - I try faced binding and my struggle with the name

Part IV HERE Faced Binding