it's the little things

Here is a little quilting tip that a friend passed along to me:

After quilting your quilt, but before you add your binding, sew around the perimeter of your quilt about 1/8" from the edge.

Here's a closer look.

I have found that although it is an extra step, it is well worth it. When it is time to sew your binding on, there is less fiddling with all the layers and it goes much quicker.

This is something I just discovered, that I love:

After sewing the binding strips onto your quilt, when it is time to cut off the excess, I use a pinking shears to trim off the edges. It leaves just the right amount of fabric and batting.

When handstitching, the binding just fits around it, and it leaves you with an nice smooth edge.

Not rocket science, I realize, but fun tips for a quilting geek like me. :)

What are your favorite quilting tips?