Friday, November 1, 2019

Binding



Binding Your Gypsy Wife Quilt

Perhaps one of the cleanest ways to edge your Gypsy Wife is with a simple binding. Even if you decide on a border, you’ll still need to attach the front and back of the quilts together. That’s what a binding does.  This step is typically completed after your quilt has been quilted

A couple of quick tips –

Binding Clips slip on the edges nicely and do not get caught up in the sewing process (e.g. easy to remove as you go, more visible than pins) whether you are hand or machine stitching. If you plan on doing more quilting, this may be one of the purchases you want to make to add to your arsenal.

Storing Binding around a paper tube (e.g. from foil, plastic wrap, Christmas wrapping paper) keeps it from getting tangled up. You can simply roll off the binding as you work your way around the quilt edge.

Preparing Binding Takes Time. You will most likely not have a piece of fabric long enough to go around each of the sides of your project. Even if you do, some cutting and pressing are necessary preparations to make the process go more smoothly.

Selecting Binding Fabric. You will use a sturdy fabric for this stage. The cotton you used for piecing may be sufficient as long as it’s not a loose or thin weave. Be aware that directional fabric if you are just starting out as a quilter, may be a challenge. You’ll need enough fabric to not only cover each edge, but additional fabric will be used at each of the corners. The strips may be cut with your rotary cutter. A good width is 4 ½” wide which allows for the necessary folds.

How To’s – Here are a few links that do a good job of demonstrating how to prepare and attach your binding. Rather than summarize the information, it is suggested that you visit the sites for the step by step tutorials which include visual and often video supports.
·        https://www.thegraciouswife.com/make-quilt-beginners-binding/
·        https://suzyquilts.com/how-to-sew-binding-on-a-quilt/
·        https://sew4home.com/tips-resources/sewing-tips-tricks/complete-step-step-binding-quilts-throws 
While lengthy, I found the sew4home directions the most comprehensive as a novice quilter.

Here are several other sites/tutorials that you may want to view...

Your local quilt guild and local quilt shop are two additional resources if you need more hands on support.

Borders: Framing Your Gypsy Wife


Borders: Framing Your Quilt

You have many options when it comes to borders or framing your Gypsy Wife quilt.  

I am wanting mine to hang in a certain wall space in the living room, so I plan to not add a border and do a simple binding to frame it and not to grow it any bigger.... hoping it will look something like this...

But I have enjoyed seeing how others have chosen to finish their quilts....

If I were to make mine larger, I love this simple frame with piano keyboard border.  The piano keys include many of the colors within the quilt


 

or you can add any variety of blocks to the piano key border for added interest...












Or blocks with background strips 

Another option is this simple frame with the extending background strips.
This zig zag border also adds interest.

As does the addition of flying geese 




However you choose to border your quilt, be sure that it compliments your Gypsy Wife center.


Calculating the Size of Your Border

Calculating border size is really pretty simple, but it does involve that pesky math again.  If you haven’t already squared up your quilt top, you’ll want to do this first.  

The length will look best if its proportional to the quilt size. A rule of thumb when you are starting out is to use either 1/2 the size of the blocks or twice the length of the inner border (if there is one).

Our Gypsy is made of various sized blocks. I suggest using the size of the larger blocks – the majority of which were 9-10”.  So I would use a 4 ½” – 5” wide outer border.  Using the smaller blocks in the quilt, my inner border would then be 2 1/2” or 2 ¾” wide.
                       



                    





Batting


Quilt Batting – Which One Do I Choose?

Batting is a layer of material used as the sandwich filling between your pieced top and the backing It is designed to give warmth, thickness and weight. Your climate, as well as the size and purpose of your quilt may influence the type of batting (also known as wadding) that you choose.

Four Common Batting Materials
Cotton Batting
Although cotton has a number of different sub-options, it’s a great choice for most quilting projects. The drape of a 100% cotton batting quilt can be stiff at first; snuggles loosen it up.​ Like all things cotton, we’re used to cotton shrinking a little bit. When inside quilts, this produces a soft, crinkly effect on your quilt surface, which some people like for comfy bedspreads, and others hate on their quilts-on-display.​
Cotton batting has been re-invented in recent years. If you’re only familiar with the cotton batting found in older quilts, things have improved consider-ably. That batting was pretty much pressed lint. Stitches needed to be close together to keep it from bunching and shifting. That’s no longer the case.

Loft is the thickness of the batting. What used to be ¼” now seems closer to 1/8.” There could be several reasons for this – e.g. manufacturers trying to save costs, tighter weaves requiring less density. If you want the denser puffy look, pay close attention to this feature. Often these thicker versions have “Deluxe” in their name.

Some quilters prefer white over natural, especially if their quilt top has considerable white piecing. Sometimes darker flecks may be found in “natural” cotton and they can show through light-colored fabric. Look for cotton seeds in the batting you select. These can actually stain fabric! Cotton can also bunch after washing unless quilting lines are pretty close together. Read the package instructions to double check how closely your stitching should be.
Natural fibers are cool in summer and warm in winter; they are not sensitive to heat and less flammable.

Cotton/Poly Blend Batting
A poly blend batting can be a great alternative to natural fibers if you have some types of allergies. Polyester blends also tend to cost less if you’re looking for a thrifty option. Keep in mind that not all poly blends will feel the same because the ratio of cotton to poly varies anywhere from 80/20 to 60/40.
Unlike 100% cotton batting, poly blends don't change as much in size and drape after washing. This type of batting is also easy to work with, and pretty low-maintenance. And it tends to be warmer than 100% cotton. The one caveat I’d share is that batting with polyester should not be ironed. Making wrinkles relax from polyester batting requires a little extra work. Remove it from its package two or three days before you plan to use it and spread it out over a bed.
Wool Batting
If it’s wool, it’s warm. It’s also fluffy and relatively easy to work with when quilting. Wool will never get fold lines or creases, even after months of being folded, which is pretty awesome for quilters who stacks quilts for storage.
The downside? Wool’s going to hit your wallet a little harder, and it has the tendency to beard. Bearding, in the quilting world, is when fibers from the batting travel through the top of the quilt. It’s pretty common with wool batting, and basically looks like your quilt is growing a 5 o’clock shadow. The best way to avoid bearding from your wool batting is to use a sharp needle (probably fresh from the package) when quilting and when your pieced top uses tightly woven fabric. If your fabric is a loose weave or a low thread count, the wool can easily travel through it once the quilt has been washed. 
Bamboo Batting
Bamboo batting is the high-end batting option… for a reason. It’s soft, drapes nicely, dries quickly after washing, and doesn’t allow mold or mildew to form. It’s amazing...and expensive. Bamboo batting is a great investment if you’re working on a gorgeous, heirloom, keep-it-forever type of quilt.​ Often bamboo batting is combined with other fibers (e.g. tencel, silk, rayon). I found no clear guidance on one product composition over another. The plus for our more mild or temperate climates is that it tends to be cooler and weigh less.
Other Options
Silk and alpaca were two other options I saw discussed. Pricey. Interesting features Feel free to check them out for more info if you are interested. Also, Quilter’s Dream has a good green product made from recycled bottles.

Brand Names for Batting Materials
The brand of batting you choose can make a difference in the longevity and overall quality of you quilt. Here are a few brands that are regularly recommended.

Quilter’s Dream batting is everything batting should be; consisting of high quality materials with soft and silky fibers. Quilter’s Dream offers cotton, poly blends, wool, bamboo, and even an earth-friendly option made out of recycled plastic bottles! Reviews posted indicate this is a brand you can count on with all of them being well-made.​

Pellon also offers all four major batting material options, and is a standard go-to batting brand for a lot of beginners and experienced quilters alike. It is recommended for both machine and hand quilting, Pellon’s cotton batting is also ultra-clean, so you won’t have to worry about those pesky cotton seeds mentioned earlier.

Hobbs is another well-known, top-quality brand that pretty much offers every different kind of batting option out there. Many quilters recommended Hobbs Heirloom wool, and though it’s on the more expensive side, it’s so reliable, and drapes really well.​

What else do I need to know about Batting?

Know the Skinny on Scrim. Some batting comes with “scrim,” which is a thin layer of stabilizer that gives your batting some strength, and keeps fibers from escaping and creating that dreaded beard. If you decide to go with a batting with scrim, it’s best to face it toward the back of your project.​ You'll be able to feel the difference.

Don't Get Too Lofty. One other term you should know when checking out batting is “loft.” Loft basically refers to how thick or fluffy your batting is, with lower loft being thinner. Low loft batting is great for a flatter finish, where you want to show off your piecing more than your quilting lines. Fleece is the thinnest of all low loft batts. A single layer of prewashed cotton flannel is good for table runners and wall hangings. Go for higher loft if you want a nice, puffy quilt with very visible quilting lines.​ However, keep in mind that if you get a high-loft batting it can look a bit dated – remember those puffy Care Bear quilts from the 80s or puffer coats?

Preshrinking. Most batting comes preshrunk, but yes, inevitably both the prewashed batting and prewashed fabric will still shrink a small amount on the second wash anyway. In fact, if you’re using cotton thread, that will even tighten up a bit too. Prewashing your fabric will lessen the crinkle, however, most packaged batting does not need to be prewashed and it should say so on the usage instructions. If you are using Pellon, Quilter’s Dream or Hobbs (the big names), none of them require it.

The Right Side to Batting. Just like fabric, a lot of batting has a right side and a wrong side. This is important to be aware of, because if you place your batting wrong-side-up, you’ll have issues with consistent thread tension, and your quilt may grow more of a beard!

Needle-Punched Batting. Take a good look at your batting, and see if there are small pin holes (these look like dimples) in its surface. That’s the right side that should go next to your pieced top. Some cotton quilt batting is 'needle-punched' in which batting fibers are punched with special needles to bind them together. Needle-punched means the fibers have been broken up allowing for easier needling. And the micro-thin polyester scrim that is used allows you to quilt at 8 to 10-inch intervals. If you see little tiny balls of batting, like the little pills that form on a worn sweater, you’re looking at the “bottom” of your batting. You want this side, and all those little balls, to go against the backing of your quilt. If there are no needle marks, don’t stress – it just means there isn’t a right and wrong side (think batiks). Also, if you are using a “bonded” batting (thermal or resin) there’s no right or wrong side up.


Final Tips
If you are going to machine quilt your Gypsy Wife, consider using a sharp needle (90/14) and a slightly stronger thread (40w). Also, I’d suggest avoiding the use of basting sprays and fusible products if you are new to this part of quilting. There are added details you’ll need to learn.

Its most desirous to purchase batting that does not need to be pieced – in other words the opened batting is large enough to cover the complete surface of the pieced front and backing fabric. The batting should be 3 to 4 inches larger than the quilt top on all four sides or 8-inches longer and 8-inches wider than the top.

For some projects, you may use up those leftover pieces. Whether using up leftovers or piecing to get the right size, it is best not to overlap the batting when stitching it together. You do not want to create a welt by overlapped edges.
Cut a clean edge by placing your two pieces slightly on top of each other and cut a straight line with a dull rotary cutter. Butt the two clean edges together, and join the pieces with a needle and thread using a whipstitch or similar process.
Some quilters refuse to use a straight edge but rather a serpentine edge when joining pieces. The curved lines may distract the eye and render a serpentine joint more invisible than a straight line would.

 

Reference – Several sites were explored to gather this information. Suzy’s Quilts has several extensive articles include ones on the use of flannel and silk for batting. This information can be found at: https://suzyquilts.com/


backing


Backing Your Gypsy Wife Quilt

Whether you followed the pattern or extended your strips, you’ll most likely need to piece your quilt back. The exception is purchasing specially designed fabric that is 108” wide and carried by most local quilt shops (LQS) on a limited basis or on line.
I’ve just completed piecing 15 tops this past year and have pieced the backs in a variety of ways. This article will contain some basic information. You may, however, want to take some time to surf the web and see the variety of options available. Since I’m a relatively novice quilter (okay maybe moving towards a moderate skill level), I stuck with easy options for most of my lap quilts that I’m making. My Gypsy Wife, however, is for my bed which is full size. So, I’ve added fabric at the top and bottoms and will use two borders (a thin one and I think piano keys but we’ll see).
Whatever you choose to do, here are a few considerations.
Buying background fabric uses those math skills! Since 4-5 yards of fabric can add up quickly to the cost of your quilt, you want to make sure you calculate accurately what you need.
Let start with the traditional way to piece the backing fabric of your quilt.
Using fabric that is purchased 42-44 inches wide, these are your options – either a slim side piece or stacking two pieces together.

When using either of these options, you’ll want to consider whether or not your fabric has a directionality to it. These two options lend themselves best to a non-directional print where your actual quilting will blend in with the background fabric. busy backing hides less-than-perfect quilting stitches on the back of the quilt – again helpful if you are new to the quilting task.
When using a plain fabric, the quilt pattern you choose will show more clearly. As a result, you’ll want to consider more carefully, the quilt pattern you choose and the thread color. As you can see from these two examples, the thread can either blend in or contrast with your backing.

If you are relatively new to quilting, you may want to visit with a local quilt guild, an experienced long arm quilter or the folks at your LQS about options for your Gypsy Wife.
There are other options where you may choose to feature your orphan blocks or a pattern using left over/complementary scraps from your quilt. This is where you can either let your creativity run wild or tackle a simple pattern that allows you to easily complete the backing.
This graphic from “bits of everything” gives a couple simple ideas to more complex ones. On my “Orange Peako” quilt by Aardvark (below), I mimicked the front strips with a strip on the back much like the first pattern in the graphic (left).



You can even use a variety of different sized blocks or strips.





You’ll find lots of inspiration on Pinterest and the web. Check out this McCalls article on quilting company’s website- ttps://www.quiltingcompany.com/tuesday-tutorials-quilt-backing-ideas-mccalls-quilting-blog/
Screen%20Shot%202019-10-18%20at%203.22.34%20PM.pngWhatever you choose to do, be sure to allow for a little extra fabric, especially if you are sending your quilt off to a long arm quilter. Sh/He will need the extra to mount your quilt. Most quilters agree that it's best to have at least 3 to 4 extra inches of backing and batting extending beyond all sides of the quilt. That means your backing should be at least 6" to 8" wider and taller than your quilt top, more if you prefer (and even more backing if you plan to fold it and bring it to the front of the quilt to create a self-binding. That type of binding is not as durable as double fold binding but is an option for quilts that won't receive heavy use.

Reference
Tuesday Tutorials: Quilt Backing Ideas https://www.quiltingcompany.com/tuesday-tutorials-quilt-backing-ideas-mccalls-quilting-blog/