Welcome to another edition of the Quiltdom Press! June is coming to a close, but the summer fun is just beginning.

In this week's newsletter, we have a variety of exciting content lined up just for you. From featured quilt patterns that will spark your imagination to expert tips and tricks to elevate your quilting skills, we've got you covered.

Get ready to dive into a world of inspiration, creativity, and community!

Here’s what you’ll get today!

• Tips to Make Your Quilting Life Easier: Binding a Quilt By Hand

• Tools We Love: Sewing Clips

• Fabric Feature: The Flowerland Fabric Line

• Make Your Life Quilty: Inspiration from Around the Web

"You can't use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." – Maya Angelou

TIPS TO MAKE YOUR QUILT LIFE EASIER: BINDING A QUILT BY HAND

So many quilters have a love/hate relationship with binding. You’ve spent so much time and energy crafting your quilt that you want the finishing touch to match its beauty, but when you sit down at the machine to attach the binding, it’s just not turning out right. 

Maybe your line of stitches isn’t perfectly straight, or the tension is making things look wonky, but now it’s all you can see. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to end like that!

If you’re struggling with machine binding your quilt, you may want to give binding by hand a try. Plus, it can be an excellent way to slow down and savor the process of finishing up your quilt. 

You can use a couple of possible methods when binding your quilt by hand:

1. Basic Method

2. Big Stitch Method

Regardless of the method you choose, you’ll sew down the binding with your machine on one side, as you normally would. Then, make sure you have good-quality cotton thread and a sharp needle. 

The Basic Method

This is the most used method for hand-binding a quilt! It uses the slip stitch to secure the binding in a nearly invisible way.

After your needle is threaded and ready to go, you’ll start by securing your thread underneath the binding. Make a stitch horizontally and vertically, as shown below, making sure not to go all the way through the other side of the quilt. 

Once your thread is secure, insert your needle through the edge of the binding, catching just a little bit of it. When you come out of the binding, insert your needle directly under the stitch you just made, moving to the left and coming back up about ¼” away. When you come back up, grab a little bit of the binding again with your needle. Continue this process all the way around until your binding is completely sewn down!

Click here for a complete video tutorial on how to bind your quilt by hand from start to finish! Homemade Emily Jane walks you through attaching the binding to the quilt, supplies you’ll need for hand binding, how to get an invisible stitch, and more.

The Big Stitch Method

Traditionally, quilt binding is sewn on using a machine or with the slip stitch method explained above. With the big stitch method, you use a thicker thread and embroidery-like stitches, resulting in a more decorative binding! It can be a great way to embellish your binding and adds a really fun touch to your quilt. 

If you want to use this method in a subtle way, choose a thread color that matches your binding fabric. If you prefer to add more visual interest, choose a complementary but contrasting color to your binding fabric. Pulling colors from your quilt will ensure a cohesive look. 

These tutorials by Patchwork & Poodles showcase the running stitch and the straight stitch and are a great way to try out this method. 

Really, you can use any embroidery stitch you’d like! Just make sure you do not go all the way through to the other side of the binding, as not all embroidery stitches look good from both sides.

GAME-CHANGING TOOLS: SEWING CLIPS

⇒ An overview of sewing clips: Take a look at the different types of clips and see them in action with this video by Hayes Sewing Machine Co!

⇒ Sewing clips with measurements: These clips have ¼” and ½” markings on them, allowing you to double-check the proper measurement when sewing.

⇒ Jumbo clips: While probably not ideal for piecing or binding, these jumbo clips are great for holding part of your rolled-up quilt during the quilting process! You can even use them as clamps to hold your quilt to the table or clip together projects for organization purposes.

FABRIC FEATURE: THE FLOWERLAND FABRIC LINE

This week’s featured fabric collection is Flowerland from Ruby Star Society by Melody Miller. Bright, colorful, and a little bit retro - these fabrics scream “Summer”!

Take a look at some project ideas using this collection:

Wyldwood Collective has several inspiration mockups, but we are especially fond of this one using the Copihue Pattern by Cotton and Joy.

The Quilty Arrows Pattern by Quilty Love is another great option and can even be purchased in a kit, here. Who doesn’t love a project that’s ready to go?!

Last but not least, we’re loving this quilt using the Merry Weather Pattern by Holly Clarke Design.

The options are endless with this beautiful collection!

MAKE YOUR LIFE QUILTY: IDEAS AND INSPIRATION

July is right around the corner, but there is still so much of the summer left to enjoy. These projects are great for beginners and quick to whip out, leaving you plenty of time to flaunt your beautiful pieces. 

Charm Pack Tote Bag—Cute, easy, and oh-so useful. Traditional quilt blankets will never get old, but if you need a change of pace and are looking for a quick project, this is the one for you! Get the FREE pattern here.

Time Capsule Quilt Pattern - Roll out this quilt for a picnic with your friends or a summer concert in the park! This fun and bold design by Toad and Sew packs a punch and is beginner-friendly, making it accessible for any quilter.

SHOW US YOUR QUILT PROJECTS!

We’d love to see what you’ve been up to! Send us a pic of your latest and greatest quilt project (with your name and a description of the project) to [email protected]. We hope to feature as many subscriber projects as possible in future issues of the Quiltdom Press.

Also, if you have any suggestions for what you’d like us to cover in the Quiltdom Press, send them to the same email address. 

Peace, love, and quilting!

The Quiltdom Press Team