WIP Wednesday 2.11.2026

My National Sew Day Echoes quilt took it's turn on the long arm.

pattern: 2026 QOV Block of the Year : Echoes

This quilt also took it's turn with binding.

Sharing today with The Inquiring Quilter's Wait Loss Wednesday.

If you are interested in my methodology for sewing the binding by machine to the front and back...read on but be aware! I took a lot of pictures as I explain this.

First, I cut my bindings at 2.5 inches.

I sew with a 2007 Brother QC 1000. Stitch length set at 2.5 to make the binding. I use a 90/14 Quilting needle and Permacore thread either 30 or 40 weight (this is what I run through my long arm)

Second, I join my binding strips on a diagonal.

Third, I trim the excess.

Fourth, I press the seam open and them press the binding in half...wrong sides together.

Fifth, I wrap it on my binding baby for safe keeping until I am ready to use it.

When I am ready to bind, I start on the bottom of the quilt right side up approximately in the middle and cut off the selvage of the binding.

Next, I use wonder clips to hold the binding at the start and leave about an 8 - 10 inch tail. I also set my stitch length to 3.0 on my Baby Brother machine.

I match my top thread to the binding and the bobbin to the color I quilted with. I pull up the bobbin thread and take a locking stitch. I try to keep my binding and presser foot line up with the raw edge of the quilt top. This is about 3/8 of an inch from the needle to the raw edge of the quilt.

I continue around the quilt, mitering the corners as I go. When I come to the ending/beginning join, I use a 2.5 inch cut square I keep by my machine to measure for the join. I line up my square with the bottom edge of the binding. I then measure the top binding. Some cut at exactly matching but I choose to fold and cut the top (or end) binding 3/8 of an inch shorter than the measuring square.

Bottom binding piece is down, top is up so right sides together and rotate for a 45 degree sewing join.

I finger press the seam open and then finger press the binding to smooth it out. I also check to make sure 'it looks right' before I trim. I then finish the seam to attach the binding.

Next, I change the bobbin thread to match the binding.

I flip the quilt over, pull the binding to the back, use two wonder clips to secure the start of my sewing. When I pull the binding to the back, I try to match the edge of the binding with the sewing line of the binding. That way, I know that I am sewing close to the front edge of the binding.

Every so often, I check the front to make sure 'it looks good'.

I sew along and do the miters like I am hand sewing but use wonder clips to hold in place.

I pivot at the corner and continue sewing down the quilt. I do use the open end of the lobster pick as a stiletto. I brought the lobster pick at the grocery store Pick n Save when I lived in Wisconsin. I have NOT found as nice lobster pick here in Michigan.

I continue around until I reach where I began and lock the stitches in.

Is it perfect? No...but I do like this look better than the other ways I have experimented with. It takes me about an hour or 1.5 hours to bind as opposed to much longer when I hand sew the binding back. :)

Thanks for coming along with my binding method!