Quilt Binding Express

Our featured Favorite Notion this week is the June Tailor Quilt Binding Express.

I always feel great when I have a quilt ready to bind, that is until I remember I need to prepare the binding first - it must take at least a mile of binding to go around a Queen-sized quilt! Between burning my fingers and re-pressing the crooked areas that I didn’t line up right, it’s enough to get a girl steamed!

Marsha Siegenthaler discovered a great notion to help us all out and here’s what she has to say:

 I just discovered a great notion - the June Tailor Quilt Binding Express.  it folds binding for you, keeping the edges even and the iron away from your delicate little fingers.  There are three slots for three sizes of binding - 2″, 2-1/4″, and 2-1/2″.  It is even its own ironing board, so you can prepare your binding anywhere, especially if you use a travel iron (but it’s sized perfectly for a regular iron).  What a great notion!!!

Remember Oprah’s Favorite Things show? You know, where audience members each received a new car? Well, this isn’t like that - it’s better! That’s because one of you is going to win a Bernina 215 sewing machine! All you have to do is come in and ask us to demonstrate our favorite notion of the week. After watching the demo, you’ll enter our drawing for this great machine. Kevin Conley, a Bernina Educator and guest instructor, will pick the winning name during his class on November 12. Sorry - only local customers can enter the drawing. Feeling lucky?

Our featured Favorite Notion for this week is the Clover Patchwork Pins, with a testimonial by Linda Stewart, our webmaster. Here’s what she has to say:

One of my favorite notions is the very basic, but essential, straight pin. I love the Clover Patchwork Pins. The needle head is small, but a necessary requirement for my aging fingers. Best of all, the glass heads are iron-proof. The tips are sharp, making it easy to secure multiple layers of fabric - fewer bent pins!

Clover makes two types of these pins, fine and regular. The Patchwork Pin (Fine), with the translucent yellow and blue heads, is visibly thinner than any pin you are likely to encounter - I can actually see the difference without reading glasses! They are appropriate for mid to lightweight fabrics and very precise patchwork.

The Patchwork Pin is still extremely fine and very easy to pin through several layers of fabric, but the extra thickness means they are less likely to bend, making them perfect for patchwork, clothing construction, and most other sewing applications.

Both types are very fine, very sharp, and enable you to pin easily, without shifting the fabric layers. You’ll see a noticeable difference in piecing accuracy when you switch to these. Because they are so fine, they won’t leave big holes in your fabric. The plastic heads are heat resistant - they don’t melt if ironed and protect both your iron and sewing machine bed from scratches.

REMEMBER: You should NEVER sew over any pins as you risk damaging your sewing machine and will almost certainly harm both the pin and your needle.