Methods to bind a quilt I (Sharon Schamber versus Susan Cleveland) / Metode de a finisa un quilt I (Sharon Schamber versus Susan Cleveland)

I took a new quilting class on Craftsy. I highly recommend this class to all quilters who are interested in the best possible technique to create beautiful quilts.

Acum o saptamana am urmat un curs pe Craftsy despre finisarea quiltului. 

Fig. 1

In this class I learned a lot of things. Some of the techniques used by Susan Cleveland are better than what I used until now (that is Sharon Schamber's method; see the link and the video below about how to bind a quilt).

Am invatat de la Susan Cleveland lucruri noi, pe care le voi aplica si in viitor. Asta inseamna ca voi renunta la tehnici vechi, pe care le consideram pana acum perfecte. Dar nu tot ce am vazut la Susan Cleveland este mai bum decat ce am invatat de la Sharon Shamber.
Veti gasi cursul despre punerea bieului la quilt pe YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE, 
Este si linkul pe care il veti folosi, daca nu puteti accesa direct videoul de mai jos. Tineti seama ca cursul lui Sharon Scamber de pe YouTube are 3 parti.

I will make a (kind of) tutorial about Susan Cleveland's method, even if her techniques are not so different from what I already knew (Posting Tutorial: bieul la quilt, unfortunately only in Romanian).

Voi face un nou tutorial despre finisarea quiltului cu bieu dupa metoda lui Susan Cleveland si voi sublinia ce metode sunt - dupa mine - cu adevarat mai eficiente decat ce propaga Sharon Schamber.
Metoda nu difera insa foarte mult de metoda veche, pe care am explicat-o in postarea Tutorial: bieul la quilt

1. Intai trebuie sa marcati liniile pe care se appliqué bieul (How to mark the lines where you will apply the binding)

This part is not new for English quilters, but it is for many new Romanain quilters. Skip it, if you know how to do this.

Trebuie sa controlam intai daca marginile quiltului sunt la 90 grade. In timpul quiltuitului, mai ales daca nu quiltuiesti uniform si unele parti sunt mai des quiltuite decat altele, se intampla sa se deplaseze usor fata quiltului.

Looking in my blog I did not find any posting about how I trace the final edges of a quilt, using rulers and a curtain road or some leftovers, after my wooden floor was replaced. I shall do this in the future, because it is interesting for beginners.

Cautand pe blogul meu vad ca nu am nici o postare foarte clara despre asta. Deci la finisarea quiltului cu puisorii voi face fotografii ca sa va arat cum stabilesc eu marginile quiltului (squaring up the quilt) si ce unelte folosesc pentru asta. Intre altele resturi care au ramas de la cei care mi-au schimbat parchetul.

Abia dupa ce veti marca linia definitva a marginilor quiltului veti putea aplica bieul.

You can see in Fig. 2 what I mean by 'final edges of the quilt'. It is a picture of a quilted pillow (a small project). The right side is cut before putting the binding. The other sides are not. It is what Susan Cleveland wants me to do: keep the quilt edges untrimmed, until the binding is sewn.

Fig. 2 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')

Metoda din cursul de pe Craftsy pentru marcarea liniilor quiltului nu difera de ceea ce faceam eu pana acum, asa cum se vede din tutorialul 'Bieul la quilt' (Fig. 2).

My conclusion after I tried Susan's way of binding is that I prefer to apply the binding AFTER I cut the the quilt in its final form. I shall explain later why.

Diferenta este ca eu taiam marginile inainte de a aplica bieul (vezi in partea dreapta), iar Susan Cleveland le lasa netaiate si le taie abia dupa ce a terminat de cusut banda bieului. 
Va spun insa ca e mai practic sa tai marginile inainte, asa cum faceam eu, decat sa faci ca in cursul de la Craftsy. Am sa va explic mai tarziu de ce.

2. Dimensiunile benzilor pentru bieu (size of the binding strips).

In my quilts  I used 1 3/4" - 2" wide bindings, because I wanted bindings equally wide in the front and in the back of the quilt.

In quilturile mele foloseam benzi de 1 3/4 - 2 inches (4,75 - 5 cm), pentru ca cele doua margini ale bieului (cea cusuta la masina si cea cusuta de mana pe dos) sa se suprapuna. Aveam aceeasi latime de bieu si pe fata, si pe spatele quiltului.

Fig 3 (punct decorativ folosit la coaserea bieului / 

decorative stitch to finish the binding).

Susan Cleveland convinced me that a wider binding in the back wil be easier to manipulate (1) when you form the hooks of the quilt and (2) if you want to finish the binding by machine, stitching in the ditch or with a decorative stitch, as in Fig. 3.

Susan Cleveland explica de ce este mai bine sa ai un bieu mai ingust pe fata decat pe spate: (1) este mai usor de manipulat la colturi si (2) poti finisa quiltul cusand la masina si cu cusaturi decorative (Fig. 3).

Her second argument is less interesting for me, because I like to handsew an invisible binding on the back. But... never say never!

Al doilea argument este mai putin interesant pentru mine, pentru ca imi place finisarea de mana, cu cusatura invizibila pe spate.

My next pictures show a 2 1/4 inches strips to get a 1/4 inch wide finished binding.

Am urmat acum insa metoda din Craftsy si am taiat benzile de 2 1/4 inches (5,5 cm) ca sa obtin pe fata un bieu cu latimea de 1/4 inche (0,7 cm).

3. Coaserea benzilor de bieu (How to sew the binding on the quilt)

Susan's method is the classical method. Not new at all. However, it was the first time when I learned how to position the strips to get the diagonal seams in the same direction. Believe it or not, my quilt classes in 1990's were not as good as I thought. Using my teacher's method I always had bindings with opposed diagonal seams:  ... / .... \ .... / ... \ .... Sigh.
As I always wrote on the Bernina 8series site, America is the quilting Mekka. Not Europe. 

I thought that Sharon Schamber's method (Binding the Angel I, from 2.44 minutes in the video) is the only way to get diagonal seams in the same direction. Stupid me. Now I shall use only the classical method / Susan's method, which is after all much easier. No ned for glue or complicated piec-liqué methods.

Metoda folosita de Susan Cleveland, care este metoda clasica folosita si in secolul trecut, este mai simpla buna decat metoda lui Sharon Schamber, pe care o vedeti in videoul de mai sus (incepand de la minutul 2.44 din video).
De ce foloseam eu metoda lui Sharon Schamber?  
Pentru ca nu intelesesem din metoda clasica, pe care am invatat-o la un curs de quiltuit in Olanda, cum se pun benzile una peste alta, ca sa obtii cusaturi diagonale in aceeasi directie: ... /..... / .... 
Ceea ce obtineam eu era: ... / .... \ .... / ... \ ..., ceea ce nu imi placea.

What I did not understand until now is that every strip need to be positioned in the same way, when you attach a new strip: the old strip (A) face up and the new one (B) face down (Fig. 4-5). For this you need to flip the strip you just finished (B) face up, before you attach a new strip. 
You thought I was a more clever quilter? Well, I am not.

Acum am inteles cum se face: fiecare banda trebuie aplicata in acelasi fel: fata pe fata ca in Fig. 3 - 4 de mai jos. 

Cele doua benzi trebuie sa fie puse la 90 de grade, ca sa obtii un patrat si sa cosi pe o diagonala la exact 45 grade. In acest fel banda va fi perfect drapta, fara laturi inegale.

The strips have to be perpendicular. Susan Cleveland does it without measuring. But I like to control the 90 degrees angle, as you see in Fig. 4-5. 
Not much work, but it ensures a perfect result and perfect bindings. Any ruler would do, provided it has a 90 degrees corner.

De aceea va sfatuiesc sa va folositi de un ruler sau echer ca sa pozitionati corect benzile care trebuiesc cusute. Dupa cum vedeti asta nu cere un efort special.

 Fig. 4 (cu un Omingrid ruler / using an Omnigrid ruler)

Daca nu aveti un ruler special folositi un echer, ca in Fig. 4.

 Fig. 5

Concuzii / conclusions: 

* Even if you have strips with the short line perfectly square, have some fabric above and om the right side as you see in Fig. 5. It is easier to sew the correct seamline (red) on these steps, than to sew the diagonal on a square, starting at its point.

Chiar daca capetelor benzilor sunt perfect la 90 de grade (square), asezati benzile ca mai sus, pentru ca e mai greu sa cosi (linia verde) un patrat incepand exact din varf, decat daca ai excese de material ca mai sus (hasurat cu roz).

* Before you add the next strip, flip the already added strip right face up and place the next trip fight side down.

Cand adaugi banda urmatoare in mod correct  intorci ultima banda cusuta pe fata si plasezi noua banda exact ca mai sus.

* Chain piecing is the best way to go, starting with a leading scrap.

Benzile se cos una dupa alta, ca sa economisesti timp si ata. Incepi si termini cu un petec (leading scrap), dar nu si intre benzi.

Fig. 6

Fig. 7 (chain piecing)

If you do not sew on the correct diagonal you will have a band with L hooks.

Vei obtine o banda cu unghiuri (L) daca vei coase pe linia marcata cu verde in Fig. 4.

I really liked the way Susan Cleveland explain how to remember which diagonal to use: imagine the perpendicular positioned stripes as the legs of a pant. You sew on the waistband line, not on the croats line (Fig. 8). 
I would say: remember to cut off the top of the mountain, don't splice the mountain vertically.

Susan Cleveland are o metoda vizuala ca se te ajute sa tii minte pe diagonala trebuie sa cosiL: daca compari cele doua benzi cu cragii unui pantalon, trebuie sa tii minte ca vei coase pe linia de la talie, nu pe linia rascroiturii dintre picioare.
Eu as zice sa iti aduci aminte ca trebuie 'sa tai varful muntelui', nu sa il tai in doua parti pe verticala.

 Fig. 8

After you controlled if the strips make a long horizontal binding - no L shapes - you can cut the fabric excess. Nothing special here.

Dupa ce controlezi daca benzile au fost cusute sa formeze o banda orizontala  lunga si nu sunt unghiuri in forma de L, calci si tai cusaturile ca Fig. 12.

Fig. 9

About sewing the strips together. Susan Cleveland explains how to put a painter's strip on the machine table and mark the vertical line to the needle. On the Bernina table this line is already marked, but it stops before the round window, as you can see in Fig. 10. A painter's strip wil help you to continue this line almost to the point where the feed dogs start. It is a very handy idea.

In cusul de pe Crafti esti sfatuit sa pui o banda de plastic (painter's tape) pe masina de cusut ca sa poti coase fara sa marchezi linia de cusatura, exact in fata acului.

Fig. 10

Fig 11 (coltul unde se termina cusatura ramane mereu pe linia desenata)

Because I am too lazy to do this, I marked the diagonal lines with a watercolour pencil on the joined strips, as you probably can see in Fig. 7.

Mie mi-a fost lene sa fac asa si deci am desenat linia de cusatura cu un creion acuarela, asa cum poate vedeti in Fig. 7.

Susan Cleveland trims the fabric excess in one cut. She begins to cut the dog's ear below, than trims the seam allowance. For me it is easier to trim in two steps. First the seam allowances and, after pressing the binding in half, the dog's ears.

Susan Cleveland taie excesul de material in acelasi timp. Incepe cu coltul care se vede jos in Fig. 11 si apoi continua cu linia paralela cu cusatura. Mie mi se pare mai usor sa tai numai tivurile paralel cu cusatura, sa indoi banda in doua si abia dupa aceea sa tai culturile care se vad sus si jos (dog's ears).

Fig. 12

Fold the binding in two and press. Nothing special here.

Indoiti banda in doua si calcati. Daca nu ati taiat colturile (dog's ears), faceti asta acum.

4. Punerea bieului pe quilt (sewing the binding to the quilt).

As I already wrote, this time I tried first not to use glue. 

Asa cum am mai spus, eu nu am taiat de data asta marginile quiltului si am incercat sa nu folosesc lipici, adica am facut exact cum spun e Susan Cleveland, dar imi pare rau ca am facut asa.

5. I do not think the method without using glue is better. On the contrary.
Metoda din cursul de la Craftsy nu este in general mai buna decat metoda pe care o foloseam eu inainte la coaserea bieului, folosind lipiciul. 

Sewing on the cutted edge of the quilt with a 1/4 inch quilting foot is much, much easier. If you are a Bernina girl like me, you can use # 37 or the new #97, but the foot I really like is foot #57, with a lip.

In primul rand ca este mai simplu de cust daca ai un piciorus la masina de cusut, care iti permite sa cosi 1/4 inch, si pui bieul pe quiltul deja taiat la dimensiunile finale. 

In the next pictures you can see that I had to correct the seams - A LOT!!!!! - because I did not cut the raw edges of the quilt, before i applied the binding. My seam allowances were not a perfect 1/4". 
This is partly because I did not use my sewing machine for quilting (Bernina 820) and I did not want to take off the embroidery unit on my Bernina 880. I tried to sew on a 5,5 mm-machine, Bernina 520, which replaced my beloved Aurora 440QE, because I wanted to see what many of my readers will encounter sewing on such a 5,5 mm machine.

In pozele de mai jos am corectat rezultatul pe care l-am obtinut fara lipici si fara sa tai marginile quiltului, adica tivuri care nu erau de exact 1/4 inch. 

Recunosc ca a fost si greseala mea. Nu am cusut pe masina de cusut cu care cos de obicei pentru quilturi (Bernina 820, pentru ca la Bernina 880 am modulul de broderie permanent atasat si nu am o masa pentru quiltuit). 
Am vrut sa vad cum cos daca folosesc o masina de 5,5 mm si cu deschiderea (harp) mai mica decat masinile Bernina din seria 8. Adica o masina cum au cele mai multe cititoare ale blogului meu.

Am cusut pe Bernina 520, pe care am cumparat-o ca sa inlocuiesc pierderea masinii mele de cusut preferate, Aurora 440QE. Am ales o masina din seria 5, fara modul de brodat, pentru ca nu mai am nevoie de inca un modul de brodat. 

It was not easy for me to sew a rather big quilt on a domestic sewing machine without proper support. Lesson learned. My seams are mediocre or even bad.

Mi-a fost mai greu sa manipulez un quilt destul de mare fara o masa de quiltuit asa cum trebuie. De aceea cusaturile sunt prost facute.

That's why I corrected the seams with the #57 Bernina foot (Fig. 13-14). Why didn't I use it from the beginning, stupid me?!?

Am corectat cusatura, pentru ca un tiv egal imi garanteaza o margine egala de bieu pe fata quiltului. Am folosit un piciorus special de quiltuit, cu margine laterala in dreapta (vazut in poza de mai jps).

Fig. 13 (Bernina foot #57, the best foot for sewing the binding)

Fig. 14 (cusatura de jos este cea corecta)

Look how much more complicated Susan's method is.

Iata cat de complicata este coaserea bieului dupa metoda lui Susan Cleveland.

First you have to move the needle 1/4" from the edge of the foot.

Intai trebuie sa stabilesti pozitia acului fata de marginea piciorusului ca sa obtii un tiv de 1/4 inch. Acest lucru se face mai usor, daca poti muta acul din pozitia din centru spre dreapta sau spre stanga.

Fig.  15

Then you have to sew the binding on the line for the final edge of the quilt.

Apoi cosi bieul cu marginea exterioara pe linia care desemneaza perimetrul definitv al quiltului.

Fig. 16

Fig. 17

Only after that you can trim the edges of the quilt, but you have to be very careful not to cut the fold of the binding. I had to fold it onder the ruler to prevent any annoying accidents (Fig. 18-20). 

Abia dupa termini de cusut bieul poti taia excesul de quilt (Fig. 16-18). Trebuie sa fii insa foarte atenta sa nu tai din greseala cuta de la colt (Fig. 17) si de aceea trebuie sa o indoi sub ruler (Fig. 18).

Fig. 18

Fig. 19

Fig 20 - The folded corner is under the self adhesive grip

No headache is you place the binding on a quilt with trimmed edges.

Aceste probleme dispar daca pui bieul pe un quilt la care ai taiat deja marginile.

Fig. 21 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')

Fig. 22 (din postarea 'Tutorial: Bieul la quilt')

Another point is that I do not recommend to sew the binding without glue, if you do not use a walking foot or a dual feed foot, like Bernina's or Pfaff's IDT.

In al doilea rand va sfatuiesc sa lipiti in orice caz bieul dupa ce l-ati indoit si calcat.

Daca folositi un piciorus special opentru dublu transport (walking foot, Bernina's dual feed sau Pfaff IDT) puteti sa renuntati la lipici. Pentru o masina la care nu aveti un piciorus cu dublu transport, e mai bine sa lipiti straturile de material intre ele si apoi de quilt. 

Why? Because you have to sew THREE layers at the same time and the two layers of the folded binding can shift. Not only from each other, but also from the third layer (the quilt). If you glue the two sides of the binding before you apply them to the quilt, you will have to sew only TWO layers (the binding and the quilt). One problem less. If you glue the binding to the quilt, even better. You will have even less difficulties to sew the binding.

De ce? Pentru ca la cusutul bieului trebuiesc cusute TREI straturi de material care nu trebuie sa se deplaseze cand cosi: doua straturi de la bieu si quiltul, care poate fi considerat un singur strat.

That's why after one side of the quilt, I looked for my glue. Generally I glue and iron the binding before I apply it to the quilt, but now I had to improvise and skipped the ironing.

Dupa ce am cusut o latura a quiltului si nu am gasit ca metoda de cusut a lui Susan Cleveland nu de rezultatele cu care eram invatata, am lipit totusi bieul, in timp ce lucram. In general calc ce lipesc, dar acum nu am mai putut sa o fac.

Fig. 23

5. Formarea colturilor la pusul bieului (Forming the hooks)

Nothing special about it in the Craftsy class. Only some details, perhaps, which makes the sewing easier. Nothing different from what I wrote in the earlier tutorial about the binding.

Nici aici nu am gasit elemente spectaculare in cursul de la Craftsy. Doar cateva detalii, care imi usureaza munca. Desi puteti gasi explicatii mai detaliate in ' Bieul la quilt' am sa pun si aici cateva poze.

Start to pin the binding to the quilt, but let a 16 inches tail free, before you start. 

Prindeti bieul cu ace de gamalie la jumatatea quiltului, dar incepeti sa coaseti lasand o portiune de 16 inches (40 cm) necusuta. 

Sew to 1/4 inches from the quilt's edge and sew off the quilt at 45 degrees (Fig. 22).

Coaseti pana la 1/4 inch de coltul quiltului si apoi iesiti la 45 grade din quilt. Linia pe care coaseti este linia marcata cu rosu (Fig 22).

Fig. 24 (how to sew off)

Fold the binding at 45 degrees.

Dupa aceea trebuie sa indoiti bieul la 45 grade in sus, cum se vede in Fig. 23.

Fig. 25 (nu foarte clara / very unclear , sorry)

Susan Cleveland says to position the binding vertically, no special measurements. I like to be more precise and use a ruller (no matter what kind of a ruler) to get a perfect vertical line and a real 90 degrees corner (Fig. 25). Only using this 'control line' I get a true 45 degree fold which will make a perfect corner.

Unfortunately this picture is very bad. I put it here only because I want to show you a very helpful and very easy way to control if your binding is correctly positioned.

Susan Cleveland spune ca trebuie sa pozitionezi bieul in continuarea liniei care demarcheaza marginea defintiva a quiltului. Ea o face din ochi. 

Gasesc ca este mai usor sa folosesti un ruler sau orice alt fel de rigla sau echer ca sa te asiguri ca vei avea o cuta a bieului de exact 45 de grade. 

Daca pui bieul din ocht nu este sigur ca vei indoi bieul exact pe diagonala de 45 de grade. De aceea am pus Fig. 25 pe blog, desi este o poza foarte proasta.

The only advantage to sew on a quilt without the edges trimmed is (IMHO) that you can easily mark where to stop, before sewing off diagonally (Fig. 27). You can mark a very clear line with a Sharpie, because that part of the quilt, where the mark is, will be trimmed away. 

Trebuie sa recunosc ca daca cosi pe un quilt cu marginile defintive netaiate este mai usor sa marchezi punctul in care vei opri, ca sa iesi in diagonala din quilt (Fig. 22). Vezi mai jos:

Fig. 26 - Prima incercare (my first try)

Iata cum puteti marca mai bine, folosind un stilou permanent (permanent marker)

Fig. 27 (Stop when the needle reaches this level)

Fig. 28

I find, however, that this advantage is less substantial than the advantage to sew a perfect 1/4" seam on trimmed quilt edges, using a quilting foot.

Oricum, acest avantaj privind marcarea punctului de oprire nu compenseaza dezavantajul de a nu taia marginile definitive ale quiltului inainte de a coase bieul (Fig. 12).

Continuati sa coaseti bieul asa cum am scris in Tutorial - Coaserea bieului, pana ajungeti in punctul in care trebuie sa uniti cele doua laturi ale bieului.

6. Unirea capetelor bieului (joining the ends of the binding)

This is the part of the Craftsy class I love the best. Susan's method is so much easier compared with Sharon's method. 

I decided to follow Susan in the future and forget about what Sharon taught us. About it - how to use it, which formula Susan uses and why it is as she teaches - next time. This posting is already too long!

Metoda lui Susan Cleveland este mult mai usoara si mai buna decat cea a lui Sharon Schamber. Despre asta - mai laes despre cum se poate aplica atunci cand lucrezi in centimetri si de ce trebuie sa faci cum spune Susan si nu altfel - am sa scriu data viitoare, in partea a doua a postarii. Am scris deja prea mult.