Binding Bliss

So far I have machine bound all of the quilts I have made and all but one mug rug.  I liked how the binding turned out on the mug rug where I hand stitched it using the ladder stitch, but I don't have the patience to do quilts that way.  Up until the other day I have always tried to line up the binding front and back so it top stitched on both sides nice and pretty.  I always failed miserably!  It would look nice from the front, but not so great from the back with the stitching only on the binding some of the time.

On this last quilt I made I went with a scrappy binding mostly out of necessity (I didn't have any additional yardage) and most of my scraps were ending up at 2 and 7/8 so I just ran with it, I usually cut my binding a 2 and 1/2.  I also used a larger seam allowance, 3/8 instead of 1/4.  I meant to attach it to the back first and top stitch from the front, but managed to get it completely attached to the front before I even realized my mistake.  Oh well, it is what it is!  When I top stitched it to the back it extended past the stitch line from the front (does any of this make sense?).  I stitched it right on the edge of the binding and on the front it just left a nice straight line that looked like it could have been part of the quilting.  Ideally it would have been on the back, but again, oh well.

Anyway, to sum it up, I have never been happier with the binding on anything that I have done than I am with this one!

I will post photos of the finished quilt tomorrow.  Until then...

Christine

I need your opinion...

OK, first off, look at those freckles! 

Before this summer he didn't have a single one on his face, even last summer.  It's crazy!  He's just so stinkin' cute and then add those freckles...I just melt!

Alright ladies, I need your opinions, but be warned, I may do exactly the opposite of what you say (one of my many bad habits).

I've been working on this quilt for the past week for my newest niece, Martha.  I'm about halfway done with the quilting and I can't decide on which fabric to use for the binding.

So I have this brown with white polka dots and this white with pink polka dots.  I prefer the brown, but it's the same fabric I used for the back.  I realise the back is the back and the front is what you are really looking at, but I don't want it to be too boring.

I really like the look of the brown, I think it frames it well.

I like the pink and white, but I don't think it frames it as well and since it isn't used anywhere else in the quilt I don't think it blends as well.  I also don't really think the pinks go together.  I do really like it from the back, though.

I guess my hang up is the brown on brown for the back...

What do you all think?