Binding, binding, binding

This time of the year is terribly busy for any quilter entering the Quilters’ Guild of NSW Sydney Quilt Show that’s on at Darling Harbour from 12th-16th June. In our house there are now two quilters entering so you can imagine the state of my sewing room!

A friend came over this morning to borrow something, she politely said it’s supposed to be messy. Hmm, I don’t think it’s supposed to be this messy (I’m sorry, I’m just too embarrassed to even put up a photo). Cleaning the sewing room is definitely on my to do list after this post ;-) It can be today’s aerobic exercise. Hah!

June in general seems to be busy, music concerts, fundraisers, end of year tax preparations, exams, parent teacher meetings. It all happens in June. I’ve known this for a few years now. So knowing all of this you’d think I’d start binding my show quilts well before June?

And you’d think, that having finished a *few* quilts by now I would know how to do it off by heart? Unfortunately not, every. single. time. I have to look to my latest reference to get that final step in the continuous binding. Why can’t I remember this? At the moment I’m really liking Canoeridge Creations Double Fold Binding Tutorial. There are simple and clear photos that jog my memory straight away.  Maybe I should just print out that photo and frame it?

Anyway, here are my binding tools. That little blue cube on the right is a new addition to the weaponry. Thread Heaven. Why have I only just discovered this? Makes those binding stitches glide through and keeps the thread from misbehaving.

Not in that photo because they were being used elsewhere are my favourite binding tool the Clover Wonder Clips. These little clips are expensive but well worth it. Gone are the days of stabbing my fingers with pins whilst hand sewing the binding.

I heard a rumour that IKEA would be discontinuing their BRITTEN NUMMER fabric. Surely all quilters should band together and protest if that’s true? At the very least we should rush out and stock up!

Do you like this chevron fabric as binding? It’s from Robert Kaufman and I’m really happy with how it works on this quilt. I usually love a stripped binding but it just wasn’t working this time.

Well, with butterflies in our stomachs we kissed our quilts good luck as we dropped them to our kind Guild Volunteer. They’ll be hanging at Darling Harbour next week and then safely back home soon after. Ready to go on beds, the couch or maybe even be hung on a wall.

Do you ever wonder what happens to prize winning quilts? Hmmm…

 

PS. It’s also a busy time for all the shop and business owners who have to transport all their goods and equipment to Darling Harbour and run their businesses from a temporary site. Good luck if this is you. I have been saving some extra cash to buy myself some goodies this year.