I was under the impression that bias binding was best for curved bindings, and that straight-grain was fine for everything else. A woman from Creative Grids rulers who does a lot of antique quilt repair says that bias bindings are stronger and will wear longer.
This Creative Grids video demonstrates a tool that makes bias binding simpler to cut than the continuous bias strip technique that I tried once. (Ah, ha, there is a way to fold the fabric to make it more manageable!) The video also gives some general binding tips that I found interesting.
http://www.checkerdist.com/_divs/_videos.cfm?videoID=CGRABB1
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
Nancy
Bias bindings are stronger because you don't have the "grain" of the fabric exposed to excessive wear. However I rarely do bias bindings unless I have to because I just don't like cutting them.
Vinton, Virginia
I don't do them either. I don't like cutting them and they take way too much fabric, I just figure it is a tradeoff.
Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love
Nancy I don't like doing them as ell ,I think it also is a waste of fabric. Barbara
EAT!! SLEEP !! QUILT!!
i like doing bias bindings, they aren't that hard to cut, and give me a break, ladies, most of us have enough fabric that if we stacked our fabric into piles, they would reach the moon. go ahead waste a little, trust me, you'll never notice. with most fabrics, cut on the bias and seamed on an angle, you don't see the seams. i start with about an 18 inch first cut, and sew them all together. i only have just a bit of waste on that first cut, all the odd bits go into the applique bin(s) if it is a good stem color i cut off a few extra strips and make stems. it all works.
gini in north idaho
Nana:However I rarely do bias bindings unless I have to because I just don't like cutting them.
Spudgrandma: I don't like cutting them and they take way too much fabric
That's what I thought, but take a couple minutes to view the video. When she gets to the cutting part, you'll see her folding method makes it look a lot simpler.
Thanks Nancy, I will take a look later. But, I still don't know about the extra cost of the extra fabric, right now I need to cut corners somewhere and fabric is so expensive.
Thanks Nancy, I watched the video but it was a three inch square at the top left of my screen. Did anyone else have this problem.?
Millbury, MA
Marie: Thanks Nancy, I watched the video but it was a three inch square at the top left of my screen. Did anyone else have this problem.?
Same problem here. I picked up a few tips. Now I need to paraphrase it and add it to my binding section in my "Info" quilting book for easy access. I have been dealing with straight grain bias the same way as the bias by trimming off triangles at beginning and end of strips. Despite all the discussion about bias being the first to wear I haven't had that problem. Any of the quilts I've made and had to repair were where the fabric didn't wear at the same rate or had encountered rough usage.
The video was interesting. I did not like doing bias binding either until I had to learn how to do it when I started working at a quilt shop 20 years ago. I tried several methods untill I developed one of my own, I use a 9 1/2 inch square ruler to cut a 45 degree corner off the fabric, then a 3 inch ruler to cut the strips, fold down the fabric as needed following the cut angle. The way she folds the fabric in the video seems to be more difficult. I have put bindings on so many quilts I could do it in my sleep. I always cut the strips 3 inches either for hand or machine binding. The more you do it the easier it will get. I never do straight grain binding anymore unless the customer requests it. You are worried about wasted fabric? All I have left are two small trianges that I use on corners of string blocks and save all extra pieces of binding to sew all together to bind scrap and charity quilts. I have my beginner quilt class student practice on pot holders. Good Luck, bj
I want to thank you very much for the video, I found it very helpful. I have an old quilt that my Mother had made back in the 70's and the binding look just like the quilt in the video. I wanted to repair the binding. I'll try this. Thanks again.