Foot of the Month - Multi Pocket Organiser

Wherever I go, the Quilt Binder Attachment never fails to astound and entertain.  It is a practical accessory that not only saves time, but money.  “How’s that”, you say.  It’s quite simple really.  The Quilt Binder requires the binding fabric to be cut at 1 ¾” wide.  A more traditional binding is 2 ½” wide.  So for a large quilt, where you could need up to 8 strips of fabric, selvedge to selvedge at 2 ½” wide you would need 20” or 50cm of fabric.  For the Quilt Binder you would only need 14” or 35cm of fabric.  Add that up over 10 quilts and you have saved yourself 1.5m of fabric.  Astounding!!!
Saving money is the least of the Quilt Binder’s virtues.  The most common question I get when demonstrating is, “Does it do corners?”  The answer is, “Of course, let me show you”.  There are many videos available demonstrating this very thing, but in a nutshell I recommend two long, fine pins, a fabric control tool e.g. Purple thang and a little practice.



A Quick Guide to corners:

1. Stitch along the straight edge of the quilt all the way to the corner. Go right up to the edge before finishing the stitch.
2. Take the quilt out from under the foot so you have enough space to manipulate the binding.
3.  Allow the binding fabric to naturally form a mitre as pictured and use the long, fine pin to secure.  This pin only needs to secure, not go through all of the layers.
4. Repeat this process for the fold on the back.  They should look exactly the same. I recommend pulling the fabric firmly before pinning, this helps prevent “missing” when turning the corner.
5. Place the quilt back under the foot, gently moving the binding fabric back and forth through the quilt binder attachment to get it back into the correct fold.
6. Lower the needle into the corner of the fold, I recommend starting a smidge in from where you think just to ensure you capture the top and bottom. Begin to sew again.

Like anything in life, it takes practice, perserverance and a little patience. Onced you have the knack you will not stop at quilt bindings. In the Multi Pocket Organiser, designed by Gail Dodson, I have embellished the top edge of the pockets with a contrasting binding. It not only looks professional, it adds strength to the edge. 





Why not try using some of the incredible decorative stitches in your machine rather than a straight stitch. Ensure the stitch works in a forward directions and test it out before using it on your project.

Have some fun with the Quilt Binder, it is a time saver and an incredible accessory to have at your disposal.

Happy Sewing!
Cath

To learn more about our wonderful Foot of the Month Club, check with your nearest retailer for classes today!
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