Thursday, January 18, 2018

How to sew your Quilt Binding continuously around the corner - Tutorial


Its funny how the little things in quilting can be overlooked!  I teach lots of students how to Quilt and sometimes it those "smaller" tips or the things you think people know how to do, that students find often the most helpful.  When I teach and show students about "How to sew your Binding - continuously around the corner" this always raises eyebrows and usually big gasps of "why didn't I know this!"  After sharing this tip the other day on my Instagram Stories - (@tiedwitharibbon) it turns out that a lot of people didn't know this little trick so I thought I would share it with you.  

(This tip is only one part of the Binding process and not a full tutorial on how to bind your Quilt. You can find one I have done here)



When I first learned how to quilt - I used to sew my binding to the front of my quilt and then as I got to the corner (where I was going to mitre it) I would stop 1/4 of an inch before the end, take the quilt out of the sewing machine, make the mitre with the binding, pin it in place, then place it back in my machine to continue to sew before reaching the next corner and then repeating.  That was until I was shown this way about 6 years ago and I have never done it any other way since....

Note: I prefer to sew the Binding onto my Quilt with the batting and backing excess still as one piece - I don't trim this off before binding and I have even asked my Quilter not to trim the excess batting and backing of my quilts so I can Bind them this way.

I also like to colour match my thread!  Use threads to blend with the Top Thread to match the Binding fabric colour and the Bobbin Thread to match the quilt Backing fabric colour.


Step 1 - Use an Erasable Fabric marker to square up your quilt by marking a line around your quilt that makes the quilt Square, making sure to take into account your 1/4in seam allowance.


Step 2 Starting along one side of your Quilt take your made Binding and sew the Binding strip to the right side of your quilt.  To Mitre your Quilt corners in one continuous sequence stop 1/4in before you reach the corner of your quilt.  



Step 3 - Put the "Needle Down" into the quilt, lift the Presser Foot and rotate the quilt around 90 degrees.  Place the Presser Foot back down.


Step 4 - Reverse Stitch back to the edge of the quilt top (I find this is about 3 stitches on my machine).  Place your "Needle Down" again.


Step 5 - Lift your Presser Foot up and fold the binding at a 90 degree angle away from your Quilt top covering the angle you have created.  



Step 6 - Line up the raw edges of your Binding along the raw edge of your Quilt top.  Place the Presser Foot back down and sew along the next side of your Quilt.


Step 7 - Continue to sew your binding all the way around your Quilt.  Once you have sewn it all the way around you can then trim the excess batting and binding.  The reason I do not trim this before binding is so that you can leave enough to fill to the centre binding line, before being folded over and sewn to the back seam line of your quilt.




I hope you find that Helpful - leave a comment below. I'd love to know what tips and tricks of quilting you would love to find out about.

PS - Thanks to Carol Brady of The Quilting Cottage for your awesome Long Arm Machine Quilting of this quilt.

Thread - Aurifil #5005 (top) and #2615 (backing)
Machine - Pfaff Performance 5.0

Happy quilting

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Latest Pattern Releases

I have to admit that as a pattern designer seeing my designs made by other's never gets old and makes me so grateful to have been able to turn my hobby into my full time work.  Since my Sewing Room Makeover its like I have had a whole new lease on my "sewjo" and I have been busy designing so many new patterns that I will begin to release as the year begins.

But before we get started with new designs I have a few of my latest releases to share with you today.


Introducing "Hair Dayz" - it is a Creative Card pattern (double sided A4 page format) which has both the pattern to make Scrunchies and these Hair Ties.  Yes you heard it - Scrunchies are officially making a come back.!!

When my own two girls were in Primary School I used to cut up their old school Uniforms and then re-sew them into  these Hair Ties.  Originally just for my own girls - but the other school mums soon went crazy for them and I couldn't keep up at one point.  I have made these also over the years for many of my friends little daughters and are great to use up scraps or lots of bright colourful fabrics. They make great gifts bundled together and the kids (and bigger kids!) go mad for them.




Following on from my Viv's Rose Quilt - this new Applique Cross Stitch inspired quilt is named "Watermelon Crush"  and is all about summer fun!  Ive teamed up Robert Kaufman Solid Linens and this Essex Linen in Aqua for the background to let the design shine through these solid fabrics.  



And of course I couldn't go past using this Watermelon Smash fabric from Maude Asbury to use as backing.  I am very much a believer in not just putting any backing on a quilt but using a more considered and thought out approach to add to your quilt rather than just see it as the "back".  I carefully patterned matched the design and I love the back as much as the front in giving this quilt that perfect finishing touch.



And while we might have only just celebrated Christmas its never to early to get sewing to be well ready and inspired come this festive season.  "Here Comes Santa" is a Pillow set featuring a machine pieced Santa pillow and an Applique "naughty or nice" pillow.  

Both are included in the pattern so you can decorate your favourite spot for the Holiday season. Pillows are great to add some sparkle to your decorating or to gift at this time of year.  


Use fabrics from your stash as I did in this set (using mostly Bonnie and Camille fabrics) or your favourite Holiday range.


As with all my patterns to - if you are a wholesale customer then all my designs can be found over at Creative Abundance here in Australia and through Checker Distributors over in the US.

I can't wait to share more with you this year with many quilts already literally, being quilted and more new designs being sewn up to inspire you to quilt, make, create and sew.

Happy Quilting
Jemima x x

Monday, January 1, 2018

Sewing Room Makeover!


Well 2018 is getting off to a wonderful start here at Tied with a Ribbon Head Quarters!  Over the Christmas break my sewing studio has undergone a re-vamp.  This room in my house was originally our Guest Room so is a little larger than the average bedroom and I have made it my sewing space for the past 9 years.  In that time I have gone from Quilting as my hobby to Quilting and Sewing as my Full-Time profession and passion.  

During 2017 I was designing, creating and writing my second book and the space just wasn't working for me anymore as I really had outgrown the space to be working and sewing in effectively most days.  I was feeling cramped and cluttered but with the book tights deadline any chance of re-vamping was out of the question.

During the Christmas break, with deadlines done and dusted,  I decided that it was time to "make time" to reconfigure and work out a way for my space to be better, more functional and mostly be a place that I was happy to work in everyday.  My hubby sat down and drew out a scale plan and came up with some new ideas that would work for the space with using the existing furniture that was working (or couldn't work without) and some new furniture that would provide what I needed.  

Welcome to my re-vamped sewing studio - I am going to show you all the pieces in my room and tell you all about what I have in my space and how I have created a better space to create in.


My studio has these beautiful double Glass panelled doors which lead to the front porch where we have planted Iceberg Standard Roses.  This makes for the perfect view to watch out and sew by.  

The Quilt waning is my Liberty Belle Quilt - it is one of my absolute favourite makes - It is made with a Japanese Cotton/Linen Blend and some of my favourite Liberty fabrics.  It is all hand quilted and was one of the first Magazine Commissions I did.  While I tried other quilts in this space to change it up a bit - my heart kept going back to wanting this one up.

The Rails are Window Hanging Rails from Spotlight - these are perfect to hang quilts off - you can change the quilts around and fold lots to fit several along the rail.  

The sewing cabinet is a Horn - Sovereign Mk III.  This allows me to lower my sewing machine to the bed height and then I can machine quilt with a flat surface and a nice big table space behind the quilts and projects.  I have a few draws and my Overlocker is also stored in the side of the cabinet.  My chair is also a Horn Chair - it's a gas lift and has great support for my back.


My main sewing machine is this amazing Pfaff Performance 5.0.  I bought it several years ago and I couldn't love this machine more.  It works so well with my sewing and quilting needs and rarely gives me any grief.   She really is a workhorse and has sewn countless Quilts, Pillows, bags and so many other things.  


This workbench is really the new highlight of my sewing studio.  We took out the desk which I used to work at and have replaced it with an Island Bench.  Hubby and I went to Ikea and custom built a Kitchen Island Bench to meet my needs and sewing requirements.  The bench is really deep so I have gained so much storage in it.  We configured a mix of draws and shelves so that some things I can have easily at hand and on display - and also have lots of my smaller pieces of equipment like cutting rulers, scissors, stationary etc neat and tidy in the draws so they don't spill out.  

As I lost a working desk area - we pulled the Benchtop to one end creating a "overhang" so that I could get a stool under it to sit at - this is now where I will do my paper work etc and I have put my stationary draws close by for this purpose.

I can now stand and cut at this bench (which is a great height and back-saver) comfortably.  I used to cut out on my Laundry Bench bench and now have some space back in my laundry.  


My Dad was a big help during this make-over.  We bought two Island Bench tops and Hubby and my Dad "Biscuit Joined" the two tops together to create the depth I needed and due to the woodblock of the bench top - its hard to tell the join at all.  Thanks Dad for helping put this together and for the heavy lifting work while putting it all together.


This shelving area is a favourite in my room.  It is filled with special trinkets and gifts I have been given by some special "sewing" friends over the years.  It really makes me feel like even though they are all so far away - they are always here in my creative space.  I love that I have so many handmade treasures.

You can click on the link to some of the pieces I have specifically purchased for my sewing studio - Letter Board, Binding Babies by Shari at Doohikey Designs,  "You are Enough" print by Pen and Paint,  Art Paintings by Sascalia

The book case is a bit of a work in progress - It is great to house my rulers and Boom Box and to add trinkets too.  I think as I settle into my sewing space the shelves will inevitably fill and I will make better use of them.  




The Shelving above is from Ikea (they don't make it anymore however - which we found out when I went to buy another book case this size).  It is great as it is rather deep for shelving.  I have had a clean up through my fabric stash and put collections together based on Designer and then I have other bundles such as Low Volumes, Solids, Linens and Denims, Colour and those plastic Decor Containers hold all my special Liberty fabric.  

It also houses my older Pfaff Tiptronic Sewing Machine and my Bernina Tula Pink machine.  

To the side I have my Design Wall - hubby built it a while ago using MDF board from Bunnings and then we covered and stapled White Cotton Batting over it.  It really allows me to see the designs I am working on and saves me working on the floor to layout quilts.  (You can see a sneak peak of my upcoming pattern on it currently)  

I definitely feel re-inspired in my sewing space and can't wait to get sewing into the new year and creating and designing new patterns in this space.  While I know not everyone has a dedicated sewing space - no matter where you sew or create, make the space work for you!  So that the time you do get to sew - is truly enjoyable.


Happy sewing
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