Tag Archives: Finishing Spree

Finishing Spree & My Top 4 Favorite Patterns of Summer 2021

Since I like to work on multiple projects at a time, I occasionally experience a bottleneck of quilts that are all at the same stage. Such has been the case this month, when I ended up sewing bindings on 8 different quilts in a little over a week. Wow! My arms are ready for a break, but it’s so much fun to see each quilt finally completed. And it has given me chance to reflect on my favorite patterns of the summer.

But before I go any further, I’d like to elaborate on what I look for when I buy a commercial pattern rather than designing a quilt myself (which I also like to do).

What I Look for When I Buy a Pattern:

(listed in no particular order, recognizing that no pattern ticks ALL of the boxes – which is just fine!)

–A design that I haven’t seen before, or an clever twist on an old favorite

–A technique I haven’t tried before or don’t use very often

–Multiple size options (this isn’t a deal breaker if it’s only one size – as long as I feel confident that I can change the size if I wish to do so)

–Well-written (and tested) instructions with clear diagrams, cutting charts, and (bonus points) coloring sheets

–An opportunity to use a favorite fabric or collection of fabrics I’ve been saving for “just the right project”

And the most important factor:

–A pattern that inspires me with lots of “what ifs” as in “what if I add this” or “what if I change that” – leading to lots of fun variations on the original design

Pet peeves:

–Poorly written, edited, or illustrated patterns

–Fabric requirements based on 44″ of usable fabric width (Not all quilting cotton is that wide right off the bolt, and the selvages may reduce the usable width even more – not to mention the shrinkage that may occur with prewashing.)

–Assembly that requires all seams to be pressed open. (This is a personal preference – I don’t mind pressing some seams open, but I appreciate “nesting” seams as much as possible.)

And here are my favorite patterns of summer 2021:

The Flabellum Quilt Pattern by Alex Hoffmann of HoffMama Company

Why I love it: it’s fast, fun & easy to make, a great pattern for showcasing gradations of color and/or value, with lots of size options.

My version:

Flabellum Quilt pattern by HoffMama Company, made by Beth Ann Williams

And next, the Nightingale Quilt by Lo & Behold Stitchery

Why I love it: Brittany provides clear instructions (always), multiple sizes, and creative options. Inspired by memories of summertime at my grandparents’ farm, I had great fun pulling together a wide selection of fat quarters for this quilt. I also played the “what if” game – adding sashing and crosses between the blocks and a border to “float” everything on the background fabric.

My version:

Nightingale Quilt, pattern by Lo & Behold Stitchery, made by Beth Ann Williams

Thirdly, the Rough Cut Diamonds Quilt by Bre T Designs

Why I love it: this is another great design that comes together pretty quickly, and lends itself to lots of interpretations (check out the hashtag on Instagram!) I added sashing and cornerstones between the blocks, and changed up the the color placement to create a secondary pattern and a new look.

My version:

Rough Cut Diamonds Quilt pattern by Bre T Designs, made by Beth Ann Williams

And finally, the Confetti Quilt from Tied with a Ribbon

Why I love it: this one snuck up on me. I originally purchased the pattern because it featured shapes I hadn’t worked with much before; I had no idea what a treat was in store for me! However, once I started making the blocks (which are SUPER FAST & EASY to make with Jemima’s method), I was fascinated by all of the different design possibilities. I’ve already made 4 different versions, and I feel like I’m still just scratching the surface.

My versions:

Confetti Quilt #1 (made with Tula Pink fabrics) – I carefully planned the fabric placement to create an ombre effect. This is the only version I made that is sized as written in the pattern.

Confetti Quilt #1 – based on the pattern from Tied with a Ribbon, made by Beth Ann Williams

Confetti Quilt #2 – (batik fabrics) – I reduced the size of the squares by an inch and resized the pattern to make an ombre table runner.

Confetti Quilt #2 – based on the pattern from Tied with a Ribbon, made by Beth Ann Williams

Confetti Quilt #3 – (batik fabrics) – I kept it scrappy (like the pattern), but rotated the blocks to create a fun new design.

Confetti Quilt #3 – based on the pattern from Tied with a Ribbon, made by Beth Ann Williams

Confetti Quilt #4 – (batik fabrics) – I was inspired by the iridescent shimmer of soap bubbles in the sunlight when I laid out my fabrics for this quilt to create another ombre effect. I also resized the pattern to make a baby quilt.

Confetti Quilt #4 – based on the Confetti Quilt pattern from Tied with a Ribbon, made by Beth Ann Williams.

And that’s it!

If you are interested in making a Confetti Quilt of your own, I’m offering a 3 week evening Zoom class that starts on Oct. 7, 2021. I’d love to have you join me!

Before I go – I want to give a shoutout to Terri of Threadtales Quiltworks, who always listens carefully to the feeling I’m going for with each quilt, understands & makes really useful suggestions, and quilts them so beautifully. I usually quilt most of my quilts myself (I quilted the last 3 Confetti quilts), but the larger quilts have become challenging for me to handle physically – so being able to hand them off to someone I trust and admire has been a lifeline. Thank you, Terri!

Finishing Spree! Quick Bindings That Mimic the Look of Hand-Sewn

I like to have lots of different projects going at different stages at the same time, so I always have something interesting to work on. But sometimes there’s a bottleneck, and I have a bunch of projects that are all at the same step. That’s what has been happening to me lately – a pile-up of quilts just waiting to be bound.

Butterfly Bouquet quilt (pattern by Simone Quilts), made by Beth Ann Williams and quilted by Terri Watson of ThreadTales Quiltworks

For years and years, I bound all of my quilts with a double-fold binding machine-sewn first to the front of the quilt, and then wrapped around and hand-sewn to the back of the quilt. I love the beautiful, clean finish this method provides, but it does take time! Over the past couple of years, I’ve been experimenting with alternatives. (I know I could always just straight-stitch the binding; but I find it can be tricky to keep absolutely perfectly lined up with the edge of the binding, and I’m not especially crazy about how it looks.)

One of my favorite alternatives has been a Flange Binding (or faux piped binding) – I even wrote a tutorial here on the blog.

Church Window quilt made and quilted by Beth Ann Williams (pattern by Lo & Behold Stitchery), finished with a flange binding.

But not every quilt needs a piped binding (faux or otherwise), and my collection of quilts waiting for bindings was piling up. So I returned to another technique I’ve experimented with before – sewing the double-fold binding first to the BACK of the quilt, and then wrapping the binding around the the front, and stitching it down with my favorite “invisible” machine applique technique.

Here’s what it looks like:

I cut my binding strips 2 1/2″ wide and joined them with diagonal seams.

UPDATE 9/17/21 – I have recently switched to using a strip width of 2 1/4 and find that I generally prefer the slightly narrower look 🙂

I trimmed the beginning end of the binding strip on an angle, and folded over and pressed the edge to give it a clean finish.
I began by sewing the binding to the back of the quilt. Since I planned to use the tuck-in method for finishing my binding, I anchored the beginning of my binding by opening up the folded strip and sewing the first 6″ or so through the bottom layer only, using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Sewing through the bottom layer only at the beginning of the binding strip will make it easier to tuck in the other end of the binding later.
Then I refolded the binding and resumed sewing it to the back of the quilt with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
I stopped stitching 1/4″ away from the corner, and then stitched through the corner right off the edge of the quilt.
I folded my strip first up and away from the quilt,
and then folded it back down again, making sure the fold was even with the edge of the quilt.
I resumed stitching at the outer edge of the quilt and continued around all 4 sides, mitering all of the corners in the same way.
As I approached the beginning of the binding, I stopped with the needle down in the fabric. I gauged how much of an overlap I wanted between the beginning and end of the binding, and temporarily opened up the fold so I could cut the end of the binding at an angle to reduce bulk in the overlapped area. (There’s no need to press up a hem on this end – it will be completely enclosed in the binding.)
I refolded the binding and inserted the newly cut end between the fold at the beginning of the binding. (Having the lower side of the beginning end of the binding already stitched down helps keep it from slipping out of place during this part of the process.)
The overlapped area – ready to be stitched down.
I resumed stitching and continued until I passed the beginning of the stitching on top of the fold near the beginning of the binding.
I like to “prime” the binding for wrapping it around to the front of the quilt by first pressing it away from the back of the quilt with a hot iron.
What the back of the quilt looks like with the binding pressed away from the quilt, ready to wrap around to the front. (Just one corner of the quilt is shown in the photo.)
I set my machine for a small zigzag – just large enough for me to see clearly enough to aim for one side of the zigzag to fall on the surface of the quilt right next to the binding, and the other side of the zigzag catching the edge of the binding. (The numbers on your machine may or may not match mine – different brands/models may have different systems for setting stitch length and width.)

UPDATE 9/17/21 – I have recently switched to using a stitch width of 2.0 and am finding it much easier on my eyes 🙂

In the past, I’ve used MonoPoly as my top thread with Bottom Line in the bottom – but this time, I opted for Bottom Line in both the top and bobbin. (InvisaFil would have been another great option, but I didn’t have the right color on hand.)
Stitching in progress. One side of the zigzag falls just off the binding into the quilt, and the other side of the zigzag will catch the binding.
What the finished binding looks like. The needle holes in the binding are visible right now, but they will virtually disappear if you run your finger nail across the stitching and/or wash the quilt.
What the finished corner of the binding looks like from the front – I don’t find it necessary to stitch down the miter; it is quite secure already. 🙂
What a corner of the quilt looks like from the back – I purposely made the binding wider on the front than on the back of the quilt so that the zigzag stitching does not go through the binding on the back; instead, it runs parallel to the binding.
And the quilt is ready to enjoy!
A closer look – Butterfly Bouquet quilt (pattern by Simone Quilts), made by Beth Ann Williams, quilted by Terri Watson of Threadtales Quiltworks.
I sewed the binding on my Supergalactic quilt (pattern by the Athena Workshop), in the same way; but this time I used MonoPoly as my top thread with Bottom Line the bobbin, since I didn’t have a spool that was a good color match. (This quilt was also quilted by Terri.)
A close up of the finished binding (before washing).
And the finished quilt in use!
Scrappy Posie quilt made and quilted by Beth Ann Williams (pattern by Bonjour Quilts), Java Batik fabrics from Cotton Cuts.

Once again, I used MonoPoly as my top thread with Bottom Line the bobbin when I stitched down the binding on my Scrappy Posie quilt.
Back in the shade – Celtic Crossing quilt made and quilted by Beth Ann Williams (pattern by Lo & Behold Stitchery), Java Batik fabrics from Cotton Cuts.

I used the same fabric for both the background and the binding for a “disappearing” binding on my Celtic Crossing Quilt. I used Auriful 50 cotton thread as my top thread and also in the bobbin. The stitches melted in completely!

And that’s how I’m catching up with my pile of quilts waiting for bindings. 🙂

Finishing Spree! Finish with a Facing

A quick note before we dive into facings – I have 3 more Zoom classes coming up soon:

⭐Easy & Effective Machine Quilting with a Walking Foot – Sat., April 17 & 24, 2021; 10 am – 1 pm

⭐It’s All About the Thread – Thurs., April 29, 2021; 6 – 8 pm

⭐Color Tools & Color Confidence – Thurs., May 6 & 13, 2021; 6 – 8 pm

Registration is through the Wyoming, Michigan Lakeshore Sewing store – 616-531-5561.

And now back to Facings. 🙂

My sewing machine has been getting a workout! I’ve been in full-on production mode with even more projects than usual in-progress at the same time. As I’ve been working, one of the techniques I’ve been exploring is different ways to finish the outer edges of my quilts.

My Sea Breeze table runner, finished with a facing. I also tweaked this foundation pieced pattern by Sharon Holland to better fit the dimensions of my table. I machine quilted it with variable channel quilting to add subtle texture without taking away from the elegant simplicity of the design. The wonderful batik fabrics are Java Batiks from Cotton Cuts. 🙂

I always finish my utility quilts (bed quilts, cuddle quilts, throws, etc.) with a sturdy French Fold Binding, as the binding is often the first area to start to show wear on a quilt that is getting lots of use.

But when it comes to art quilts, wall hangings, table runners, or other smaller items, there are other options. One of these is a facing. Facings are a great alternative when you don’t want to cut off or confine the design with a binding. There are lots of different ways to approach facings for a quilt; but after quite a bit of experimentation, I have found what works best for me. And even better – there’s a link to free printable instructions near the end of this post!

Corner of a quilt finished with a facing (the quilt on top) versus finished with double-fold or French Fold binding (the quilt on the bottom).

All of the methods I tried were similar in that they involved sewing strips to the front of the quilt and then pulling the fabric around to the back of the quilt to create a finished edge. All of the methods also called for hand-sewing the fabric strips to the back of the quilt. The main differences were in how the fabric strips were prepared and how the corners of the quilt were handled.

The first method I tried involved sewing folded triangles to the corners, which, when you flip them to the back of the quilt, create “pockets” in which you can insert a hanging rod. You can read more about this method in this tutorial by Robbie Joy Eklow on the We All Sew site.

My Hold-Tight quilt (pattern by Sharon Holland) finished with a facing. I had fun machine quilting this quilt with my walking foot and several different sizes of serpentine stitch in a variety of variegated colors.

I ran into a problem, though. I think this method would have worked really well for a much smaller art quilt, but my quilted wall hangings were too large to be well supported by just the two pockets at the corners. I needed to add an additional hanging sleeve. I also wasn’t crazy about how much extra bulk the folded triangles added at the corners of the quilt, or about how they tended to stretch out and slightly distort the upper corners of my Snowflake quilt so that the edges aren’t hanging perfectly straight in the photo below.

My Snowflake quilt finished with a facing. I resized this fantastic pattern by Modern Handcraft to make a wall hanging instead of a large throw or bed quilt. I free-motion quilted this quilt with variegated thread – which is easier to see in the next couple of photos.
What the folded triangle corner and folded top and side strips look like before sewing them to the front of the quilt.
One corner of the quilt flipped over to show the back of the quilt after the facing has been pulled to the back and hand-sewn in place. Note how the folded triangle of fabric has created a pocket.

So I don’t know that I’ll do the folded triangle corners again. I also prefer to further eliminate some of the bulk of the strips used at the top, bottom, and sides by using this method (free printable instructions) from Susan Brubaker Knapp. Please note that Susan gives express permission for this free handout to be distributed. Check out her site for more great eye candy, info, & free tutorials – including one for Mitered Facings.

This time, I used Susan Brubaker Knapp’s recommended method for added a non-mitered facing – and was very happy with it!
Back side of my Sea Breeze table runner showing a finished corner.

Whichever method you choose, I strongly recommend Wonder Clips instead of pins to hold everything in place – you’ll be working through a lot of layers!

This is the exact link I’ve used to purchase 4 sets of these AWESOME clips.

Happy Finishing!

Finishing Spree! Fireworks, Curvy Quilting & “Disappearing” Binding

A quick note: my new fall online teaching schedule is up! In addition to repeating a couple of my most-requested classes, I’ve got some brand-new classes to share with you all.

I haven’t been posting much this summer, but I’ve certainly been sewing up a storm! I’m finding it good therapy. 🙂

Due to the pandemic, we weren’t able to enjoy our usual fireworks display downtown this year, but I was inspired by the July Java batiks box from Cotton Cuts to create some fireworks of my own (metaphorically speaking, of course). 😉

Goodies from the July Java Batiks box from Cotton Cuts.

I started by cutting out shapes with my Tri-Recs rulers, and created little four-patches for the corner of each block. (This was a design-as-I-go project – I didn’t have a pattern.)

I used the Tri-Recs rulers to cut out the star block, AKA my fireworks burst.

I turned my blocks on point, and added more four-patches to the setting triangles.

Building my design – I decided to extend the expanding “fireworks” by added four-patches to the areas where the setting triangles would be.

Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree – Flange Binding by Machine

What is a flange binding? It’s a great no-hand-sewing option for finishing quilts with a sturdy double fold binding while adding a fun design element to the outer edges of your quilt.

Church Window quilt by Beth Ann Williams (pattern by Lo & Behold Stitchery), finished with a flange binding.

With only a few exceptions, I’ve always bound my quilts by sewing the binding to the front of the quilt by machine, and then wrapping the binding around to the back of the quilt and sewing it down by hand. I expect that I will always finish my show and “heirloom” quilts this way, but I have been thinking for quite a while about how I can speed up the process for utility quilts. Especially now that I’ve become enthralled with sew-alongs, the number of  quilts in the to-be-finished pile is growing, and I’m finding it challenging to keep up with myself!

I’d done some experimenting, but had not settled on a method I was entirely happy with, when a couple of the ladies at the Muskegon Lakeshore Sewing store told me about the flange binding method demonstrated by Jenny Doan of the Missouri Star Quilt Company.

I was so impressed! The finished binding looks like it has been accented with fine piping – adding a fun design element at the same time as offering a relatively quick machine-sewing finish.

Since then, I’ve done quite a bit of research and found a number of different ways to achieve this effect.  I’m going to share what works for me – but please remember, this is only 1 of the many ways to do this. 🙂

There is quite a bit of preparation for this method, but I find that each step is an important factor in ensuring a hassle-free result at the end.

Ronan “assisting” me with binding prep – he was escorted upstairs shortly after this and remained banished for the rest of the process. 

Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree – Quilting with Decorative Stitches

Now that I’m participating in at least four new sew-alongs over the next few months, my finishing-spree is more important that ever!

This time, I’d like to share yet another machine quilting option – quilting with the decorative stitches that are built into your sewing machine.

Hold Tight Petite quilt, made by Beth Ann Williams, pattern by Sharon Holland.

My observations & recommendations: Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree – Hoops vs. Gloves for Free-Motion Quilting

I hope all of my US friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving! My husband and son couldn’t get away, but my daughter Connor and I had a fabulous road trip together to visit my family in Pennsylvania and New York. We had a wonderful time staying with my parents and then with my sister – including cherished opportunities to connect with many of my cousins and other extended family members. What a treat that was!

But now I’m home and back in finishing mode.

I’ve switched gears from machine-guided quilting with my walking foot to free-motion quilting with my darning or free-motion foot. This allows me to stitch in any direction I please – but also means that I am solely responsible for moving the quilt. The feed dogs of the sewing machine are disengaged so that the needle goes up and down, but doesn’t move the fabric. This means I need to have a careful balance between the speed at which I am running my sewing machine and the speed at which I am moving the fabric – run the machine too fast, and the stitches are too small; move the quilt too quickly, and the stitches are too long.  The goal is to create beautiful patterning (“drawing” with the sewing machine) while still keeping the stitches all approximately the same length.

Batting choice, needle choice, thread choice and tension settings can each make a significant difference in the appearance and quality of the stitching.

I often reach for 40 wt. variegated thread (with 60 wt. poly in the bobbin) when free-motion quilting. I love how the color changes add a subtle sparkle to the quilt.

But one of the main challenges of free-motion quilting is the physicality of moving the quilt. Fabric can get very heavy, and it’s all too easy for one’s hands to slip and lose control. Having a large stable, flat surface to work on really helps; this could be an extension table, a Sew Steady Table, or a cabinet with a surface flush with the surface of your machine. A Supreme Slider can also be a big plus – but you must first make sure it is anchored securely so that it doesn’t slide right into your stitches. Ask me how I know that…

In the past, I have steered away from the various hoops designed to assist with free-motion quilting, feeling that the downsides outweighed the potential pay-off. But I’ve been rethinking that.

I’m currently working on my Snowflake quilt from the sew-along with Nicole from Modern Handcraft. 

Snowflake quilt made & quilted by Beth Ann Williams, pattern by Nicole from Modern Handcraft.

As I quilt this, I’m considering what I learned from the previous two quilts in my Finishing Spree – my Church Window quilt (pattern by Brittany of Lo & Behold Stitchery) and the Enchanted Carpet bargello quilt made by my friend Ruth DeJager (original design from my book Colorwash Bargello Quilts).  Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree – Quilt-As-You-Go

Ronan contemplating my Talk of the Town quilt (pattern by Amy Ellis) turned Quilt-As-You-Go

Sometimes projects take a turn or two (or more!) along the way and don’t turn out as originally envisioned. I like to reframe these as opportunities for new “design decisions”.   😉

Earlier this fall, I signed up to participate in the Modern Patchwork Quilt Along – Talk of the Town Quilt with Amy Ellis. Little did I know that this was going to turn into quite the series of such decisions…

I read through the pattern carefully and selected the appropriate number of fat quarters specified for the size quilt I wanted to make.

My initial fabric pull for my Talk of the Town Quilt

The pattern was well-written and the diagrams looked very clear. But as soon as I started cutting my fabric, I realized I had a significant problem… the cutting diagrams assumed perfect 18″ x 22″ usable fabric from each fat quarter, and my prewashed fat quarters of fabric didn’t even come close. Most were around 21″, and that’s counting the selvage along one end.  So I didn’t have enough fabric!

I had to improvise.  Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree – Matchstick Quilting

Colorblock Love quilt made by Beth Ann Williams using the pattern by Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio.

Do you know what Matchstitck Quilting is? I didn’t until a few months ago when my friends Ruth and Michele told me about it. Yes, apparently I’ve been hiding under a rock… LOL

I had difficulty wrapping my brain around it at first; quilting lines only the width of a matchstick apart? Why on earth would you quilt so densely? But the more I thought about it, the more intrigued I became. So I did a little research and then let the idea simmer a while.

Meanwhile, my son Jack almost never asks me to make anything for him; so on the rare occasion that he does, I tend to drop everything else and make it.  That was the case for this project. I fell in love with the Colorblock Love pattern by Sam Hunter of Hunter’s Design Studio when Mr. Domestic adapted it to make a Pride Pillow and featured it on his Instagram page to promote his fundraiser for the Trevor Project. When I told my family I was planning to make the rainbow version, Jack asked me why I didn’t make a Trans Pride wall hanging instead. So I did!

Although I usually love the extra patterning free-motion quilting brings to a quilt, I felt that it would be more distracting than complementary to the graphic nature of this quilt. Then I remembered Matchstick Quilting!

There are many different approaches to matchstick quilting. Here is what I did for this particular quilt: Continue Reading…

Finishing Spree!

My most recent sew-along top finish – the Granny Cabin from Then Came June. Now it needs to be quilted!

I’ve been neck-deep in sew-alongs this fall – I find myself really energized by having multiple projects going on at a time. What I like best is that no matter how little time, energy, or physical mobility I have on any given day, there is sure to be something productive I can do on at least one project, whether it is collecting fabrics, playing with relative values to explore interesting design variations, cutting, sewing, basting, auditioning thread colors for machine quilting, actual quilting, or binding. But every once in a while, there is a time of reckoning when there is a pile-up of projects in the last few stages of completion and it’s time to wrap things up!

Now I plan to start a series of posts about my finishing spree – or how I’m turning my pile of quilt tops into finished quilts.

I’ll share some of my favorite ways to machine quilt, resources to help make the process easier, a variety of approaches to quilt labels, and a selection of binding techniques that I find most helpful.

I’m sure there will be some bouncing back and forth between topics as I work on whittling down my UFO (AKA UnFinished Object) pile, but I’ll tag each post with “Finishing Spree” so that they will be easy to identify.

You might also find the tag cloud on my site helpful – it’s usually located in the sidebar on the righthand side of the page if you are on a laptop or PC OR near the bottom of the page if you are on your phone. Just click on the topic of your choice to bring up all of my posts with that tag.

Meanwhile, Happy Quilting!