When I look back at the quilts I made in 2019, my first year, I am instantly struck my one thing. I SUCK at binding.
To a one they are all an absolute disaster! I cannot understand all these posts I see on Facebook where people are proudly showing their first quilts that they are gifting to relatives. Maybe I am just too self critical but whilst I am happy to have finished anything it for sure is not for human consumption outside of my immediate family. Some of the bindings almost look like I have been chewing on them!
Once you know that something is your kryptonite then you have to do something about it no? The way I look at issues is like this:
a) throw money at the problem
b) throw time at the problem
c) leave everything unfinished
d) Swap services with a friend.
Initially my friend Megan volunteered to be my binding bitch but this year we have all been quilting to within an inch of our life so that was not feasible. Leaving it unfinished was also not a solution for the same reason as above. How many quilts have I finished this year - I even had to do a list ?!
Time is also quite a scarce commodity and whilst I have read all the books, watched all the You Tube videos on the matter that perfect finish still eluded me. Check out the Missouri Star Quilt Company if you need some inspiration: https://youtu.be/ex2PajesRvU. Actually scrub that, I don't need perfect I just want acceptable! I even tried hand sewing the binding of a table runner and whilst not a total disaster it took up more time that I think it warranted.
Which leaves me to my first and preferred option of throwing money at it. My lovely Long Arm Quilter Jana foolishly made the offer to do the binding for me when I took my first quilts to her. So for this year this is my modus operandi and do you know what? Finally, I have quilts that I am happy to give to friends or donate to charitable - Yay!
Just one issue though - I still can't bear to part with any of them as they all look so fabulous now . Oh well, will leave that problem for another year and maybe it will sort itself out.
