Binding Ellie Fun 2

I bind at a glacial pace. Glacial. It doesn't help that after years of sewing dance clothing, I want my stitches industrial strength, made with 2-ply thread, and at JUST the right diagonal for maximum support and durability. So one day I complained to my mom, who gave me the best book ever:

Ignore the 80s-tacular cover, this book is great. It's got a bunch of cute ideas for finishing a quilt, and it talks about technique and practical concerns, both of which are areas in which I lack experience.

Anyways, I decided that what looked really cute on baby quilts was piping. That little adorable finished edge sticking out, adding dimensions and contrast, etc. etc etc. Plus, I reasoned, it would be EASY to do piping with the machine - I could just make it, and then carefully fold the edges under and using a zipper/piping foot, sew both sides to the piping at once. Plus I could have an rounded corner on the quilt, which is definitely a look I like.

This seemed very reasonable in principal, and in practice finding the right filler was hard but putting the piping together went quickly. However, when it came time to machine-sew the whole thing together... EPIC FAIL! Trying to get that much fabric to all cooperate at once is slightly like trying to get not one, but six housecats to come when called. In order of name-calling, and with no food involved. For a novice, It did not go well. Even with pinning. So, I ended up sewing the front on by machine, and then binding the back by hand, again.

However, the piping did turn out *super* cute.

This quilt was presented Christmas 2010 to my 2-year old niece in Texas.