Binding with Charlotte's Fusible Web Thread

I've been working for the past few weeks on some samples for the Bobbin Quilting class I will be presenting in Houston at International Quilt Festival. One of the samples uses a very interesting fabric I bought in Honolulu just before we left on our Hawaii Quilt Cruise in April. It is a white fabric with heavy white overpainting with tropical flowers and leaves. I thought it would be perfect for bobbin quilting.













I used Superior's Razzle Dazzle for the bobbin work and then decided to use a cotton/metallic fabric for the binding. I have been wanting to see how I could use another of Superior's interesting threads so I could apply my binding completely by machine and still have a product that I like. I have tried to stitch the binding down by machine but was never happy with the look on the back of my projects. Of course, you can't see the back if you stitch in the ditch of the binding seam on the front and sometimes I would miss the binding edge completely.

So, here is what I did. I am using two Superior threads: Charlotte's Fusible Web (yes, it's a fusible thread) and Monopoly (polyester thread, clear, can take high heat). I prepared my binding strips as I usually do. I cut 2 1/4" strips, join them with 45-degree seams and then press the binding in half with the right side out. I also fold under a 1/4" at the beginning of the binding.

The next step is to thread my machine with the fusible thread in the bobbin and monopoly on the top and stitch 1/8" from the folded edge. I stitch so the monopoly is on the outside edge and the fusible thread is on the edge that will be against the back of the quilt when I turn it to the back.

Then I stitch the binding to the quilt just as I normally do with a 1/4" seam allowance and my walking foot.

This is what it looks like after I have sewed the binding all around the quilt.

Next step is turn the binding to the wrong side, hold it in place with the fold over the stitching line and press it in place. Hold the iron on long enough to fuse the edge to the quilt. Mitre the corners and iron them in place.

When the entire binding is pressed in place you will see that the monopoly thread is a bit loose - in fact it just comes right off when you pull it gently! How cool is that - you don't have that thread showing at all on the binding!

For added security, I stitched in the ditch all around the quilt on the right side, with monopoly in the top of my machine and a thread to match the binding in the bobbin.

Hope you'll give this a try. It's great to be able to sew the binding down completely by machine!