As time becomes more and more precious these days, I’m always on the lookout for ways to increase my efficiency and maximize my results. So many projects, SEW little time. I think we can all relate, can’t we? (wink!)
As we prepared for Quilt Canada in June, I was asked to help finish some of the thousands of quilt tops collected for the kids at Ronald McDonald house, as part of the CQA’s Big Quilt Bee. https://www.canadianquilter.com/events/quilt-canada-2017-quilting-bee.php
While I was more than happy to help such a worthy cause, I secretly wondered how I would find the extra time to finish them all on top of everything else I had to do……………Wait! NO problem! Janome to the rescue!
Enter Janome’s Quilt Binder attachment! http://janome.com/en/accessories/sewing-machine-feet/quilt-binder-set/
The Quilt Binder folds and sews the binding in ONE step! YES! ONE STEP!
It may look a little intimidating given it’s size and full metal fabrication, but it’s a dream to use and super-easy to attach. A full list of compatible models with which to use the attachment is available at http://www.janome.com, but basically it will fit any model which features the easy-set bobbin cover. 
Don’t worry, in usual Janome fashion there are FULL detailed, step-by-step instructions included, even on mitering the corners! Everyone always asks about those! I must admit, I was a little dubious about those myself, but the instructions were very easy to follow, And check out this video. This is part 1 but there is part 2 and 3. Search on You Tube and/or Janomelife for these video’s.
Watching the videos definitely helped take the mystery and fear out of the miters and I’m giddy to admit just how simple, easy and FUN it was to complete those quilts. I have bound many, many, MANY quilts over my 25+ years of quilting, but I have NEVER bound a quilt so fast with SUCH excellent results as when I used the Quilt Binder Attachment.
There is an excellent presser foot included with the attachment (which you can see in the first photo). It has special markings on it to help line everything up. Instead though, I saw this as another opportunity for me to use one of my all-time favourite feet, the AcuFeed Flex foot on my fabulous Horizon Memory Craft 15000. It’s a dream for binding!http://www.janome.com/en/machines/embroidery/mc15000/
I love that foot and use it every chance I get!
And don’t think you’re limited to use only a straight stitch. This is the perfect time to experiment using some of the many decorative stitches included on your machine. SEW many possibilities!
Now, would I use this to method of binding for a quilt entered into a show, or an heirloom quilt I hoped would last forever? Well, no, I wouldn’t. BUT! Baby quilts, charity quilts, placemats, table runners, tote bags, anything which would be washed frequently and/or take a lot of wear and tear, or of course, any project I wanted to get DONE in a flash! ABSOLUTELY!!
6 quilts DONE in WAY less time then it would have taken me to complete one by my usual methods. Sew happy to have another formidable tool in my sewing repertoire to help get more time on my side. Now to get back to my sewing! Fortunately, the fun never ends! 🙂
( Check out page 34 of Janome’s Summer Look Book for the final tally of quilts completed for the kids at Ronald McDonald House. Quilters ROCK!! )
Janome Life 