• Cut your binding strips. Pick a color/fabric that works with your quilt – in my case, I just used the fabric that remained when I downsized my backsheet to fit the surface area of the quilt.
• Width rule: You can cut your binding strips as widely or narrowly as you like.  Many quilters cut 2 to 2.5 inches wide.  I like my strips a little wider (4 inches) so that I don’t feel like I have to pull/yank on my binding when I “bring it around to the front” of the quilt to sew it down (this will make sense later).
• Length rule. Measure the diameter of your quilt:  (Length x 2) + (Width x 2) = Diameter, and then give yourself another 10-20 extra inches of binding, just to be safe.  You do NOT want to run out of binding (it is not by any means the end of the world, but it is neither a pleasant nor fun experience).  So for example, here my quilt length was 75 inches and my width was 62 inches.  That gives me a diameter of 274 inches + 20 extra inches.  Which means I need 294 inches of binding.
• What does that mean in terms cutting my fabric to make the strips? Measure the length of that fabric you are using to make your strips.  Let’s say it is 80 inches long.  Divide your total “length of necessary binding” (294 inches) by the length of the “binding strip fabric” (80 inches).  You get 3.675.  Round that up to 4.  That means you should cut FOUR binding strips, each 80 inches long, to be sure that you have enough.

Here’s a fun shot of my binding strips.  They’re very exciting to look at, aren’t they?

Full disclosure:  at this point, I am going to refer you to the web or a class to really learn how to create your “attached set of binding strips” and sew them onto your quilt.  Two reasons.
First, because there are several different ways to do this (front to back, back to front, etc.), and it takes several quilts experimenting with your options to figure out one that works best for you.  I personally like to do “back to front.”  This means I sew my binding strip around the edges of the back diameter of my quilt, fold them over, and sew them down around the entire front diameter.  Like this:
 

Second, learning how to bind a quilt (and absorbing all the steps) is something you really need to see happening in front of you to appreciate fully.  My recommendation is go on YouTube and Google “binding a quilt” or variations of same.  There are hundreds of great videos that will show you all of your options.
Just keep this in mind:

• Every time you bind a quilt, you will get better. I promise.
• Yes, this is yet another opportunity to be creative, especially if you are binding your quilt from back to front. Why?  Because if you are binding with your sewing machine, the machines today come with fancy stitch designs that you can use to make your quilt diameter even more beautiful.
• After you finish your binding, you may need to do some touching up around the edges – mainly on the corners and possibly on the inner surface area of your quilt. That is 100% normal.
• Check the entire surface area of your quilt to make sure you don’t have loose threads hanging.

And finally, spread out your quilt and start taking pictures.

Better yet, find some tall people to hold it up for you and photograph the quilt that way.  Much easier, and much better photos!

Thank you all for joining me on this journey.  Hope to see everyone at the Gala on November 4^th.  And Happy Quilting (or whatever it is you enjoy doing that keeps your creative/inspirational side alive and well)!

The post Quilting Hope: episode three appeared first on Cancer Hope Network.

First thing’s first:  what does the “quilting” process mean?  It means this:

As I explained in my last post, there are three layers of a quilt:  the top (with your beautiful design), the batting (center) and the “backsheet” (bottom) (remember in my last post I referred to a quilt as a “sandwich”).  Something needs to secure all three of those layers together – you can’t just sew it all around the diameter and hope for the best.  The fabric/layers would inevitably bunch up, get crooked, shift around, etc.

In order to secure the layers, you “quilt” them – which means sewing the three layers together over the entire surface area of the project.  This can be done any way you like.  You can do straight lines (which is currently my preference), or you can do a free form design/pattern.  In other words:  you get to be creative TWICE when making a quilt – first when you design the top layer with all the fabrics, and second when you choose the design/thread colors to “quilt” your layers together.

Quilting can be done by hand (a method chosen by very brave, talented, and patient people) or via a special “quilting foot” that attaches to your machine.  For my straight-lined quilt, I just use the regular foot that came with the machine (only because the fabric/batting/backing are thin enough to allow for this.  You just want to be careful that you don’t damage your machine by shoving too much under a “foot” that cannot accommodate the bulk – I learned this the hard way when I made my first quilt out of flannel.

As you will see on the left hand side of the photo above (next to the pink ribbon), there are three evenly spaced straight pink seamlines.  Those are the “quilting” lines that I am using over the surface area to secure my three layers together.  Here’s a better view of a fully “quilted” square:

And so on and so forth.  Just a couple tips I’ve learned after several quilts:

• “Quilt” in quadrants (from your quilt’s center to the outside corners). In other words, divide your quilt into four parts and “quilt” one quarter of it at a time from the innermost part to the outermost edge.  This will prevent “bunching” because you will be able to keep your layers flat/smooth in smaller pieces – rather than “quilt” a line down or across the entire quilt at once.  “Inside to the Out” makes it easier to maintain an ongoing “smoothing” process that you’ll want to have.
• Use quilt rings to make the process less cumbersome. The bigger the quilt, the heavier it becomes (you’d be surprised how heavy they can be), and be careful not to let the weight of the quilt pull at your needle (that could break it or damage your machine).  The rings (as pictured above) will hold large portions of “rolled up” quilt in place and out of your way (including on the tray of your sewing machine).
• Make sure you overbuy on your thread, so you never have to worry that you won’t have enough. And you will use a LOT of thread to make a quilt.
• Take your time. If you’re getting tired and/or distracted, stop and pick up later or tomorrow.  Tired + distracted =  mistakes. However…
• Mistakes are OKAY. They happen.  Quilts are pieces art made by people.   I promise you there is not a single quilt in the history of the world that is 100% perfect (or at least I’m pretty sure of this).  You’ll get a little bunch in your fabric (either on the front or back), you’ll need to sew up a tiny seam that came loose (thus adding some extra stitches), and not every line will be exactly equidistant or perfectly straight.  But you have my word that your quilt will still be beautiful.
• Have fun. Take breaks.  Play music.  Take pictures.  Show people.  And don’t set deadlines for yourself – as I said before, it will get finished and be beautiful!

Stay tuned for one more post next week:  Binding your quilt, and THE FINAL PRODUCT!!!

The post Quilting Hope – Episode Two appeared first on Cancer Hope Network.

This year, a lucky auction winner at the Chrysalis Gala will take home a Hope Quilt made from this beautiful blue, pink, and white fabric.  For anyone who has never quilted before (which, as of a year ago, included me), it is one of the most rewarding, relaxing ways to be creative and, more importantly, give something incredibly special to a person who needs it.

Making this quilt, especially for an organization that means so much to my family and me, reminded me why Cancer Hope Network’s mission to provide hope and support is such an important one.  Having spent time with our amazing volunteers and staff over the years, these are people who inspire others every day – mainly by telling them they, too, will get through this, and providing advice and similar experiences.  And I hope that sharing this quilting process will provide some similar, even if small pieces of inspiration for anyone who needs it!

The Planning Process

Yes, there is a lot of planning.  You absolutely without a doubt have to plan for your quilt.  How big/small (in feet/inches), how much fabric you will need, and how involved the design will be.

Take your time.  It is okay to go slowly.  Draw lots of different designs.  Use different colors.  Have fun.  And you don’t have to set it all up in the same day.  Take breaks.  Talk to people and see what they like.  It will all get finished – don’t rush.  But you do need to draw out your map and your measurements, because without a gameplan, you won’t have a foundation to come back to when it’s time to cut and put all your pieces together.  And there will be a lot of pieces.  See?

The Layout Process

Enjoy your layout process.  It’s okay to treat your quilt like a big, fun puzzle.  It may be that you envision one way of setting up the pieces, but after a few “layouts” you want to go with a different one.  That is 100% more than okay – laid out plans don’t always go as you expected.  Roll with it.  Because is there is no “wrong” design for your quilt.  It’s yours.

And yes, it is always okay when no one is looking to stand on your dining room table to take the final picture of your layout.

The Pinning Process

This is actually my least favorite part of quilting.  But then again, there will always be those “least favorite” or even downright lousy days.  And you get through them.

This is quilt “batting,” by the way.

If you think of a quilt like a sandwich, the batting is the middle layer that goes between your designed beautiful top and the bottom layer (which is usually a bedsheet).  For my bottom layer, I generally find a nice queen-sized sheet and cut to fit accordingly.

And even if you don’t like the pinning process, there’s always a silver lining – like when you have the opportunity to take a photo that looks like this:

And here it is:  the pieced together, laid out, pinned quilt, ready for the fun part.

Stay tuned for Part II  – when we reveal the “quilting” process (you didn’t think we were going to give away the surprise all at once, did you?).

The post Quilting for Hope – A CHN board member gets creative appeared first on Cancer Hope Network.