Quilty Pleasures Wednesday-Machine Binding

A while back I showed you a quilt I liked but didn't love, so I decided to donate it to the Wild Turkey Federation for a scholarship raffle. What I didn't show you were the unbound edges because I strategically folded the quilt so you wouldn't know I hadn't finished it yet.

I searched the internet for instructions for an entire machine sewn binding. I found Pat Sloan's Machine Binding Tutorial which uses both still photos and video to explain the process. It was easy, looked neat and finished, perfect for kids' quilts and those that get a lot of washing, like that one the cat and dog lie on even though it's on my bed.

The main difference between a machine binding and a hand sewn one is the initial machine stitching is sewn to the back edge of the quilt instead of the front. Then the binding is brought forward and stitched using a machine blanket stitch, reversed. Pat does an excellent job explaining this, so I encourage you to check out her tutorial.

This is the front of the quilt. Click on the photo for a closer look.  I noticed that the binding got a little shrinky-dink after I washed it, but I like that crinkly look, so I'm okay with that.

Here's how the binding looks on the back. Click for a closer look.

It was machine quilted by Cotton Creations.

I have to admit that when the quilt was finally complete, I almost wanted to keep it.