Like most quilters, I LOVE my pin cushion…..
….and when I need to hold something together, I pin it.
But lately I have seen more and more quilter’s moving to these clips…..
Yes, I use those to hold my binding in place …
but I haven’t tried at times when I would normally pin.
So I decided to test it!!
As I was attaching a border to my quilt, I clipped one side and I pinned the other…..
….and I took them to the machine.
First of all, one of the clips got hooked on something and pulled off so I had to re-clip it. NOT a good start!!
As I sewed, I felt that the clips got in my way….
…where the pins were less obtrusive……
And….confession time…. I often sew over my pins so there is no reason to stop on the longer stretches.
I also found that the pin in the corners held much better than the clips did, especially if I had to tug at all to get the border lined up.
In conclusion…..give me pins any day!!
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Now I get to learn from you….. what has been your experience?
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Except or when applying binding I use pins. I prefer the clips when I’m machine stitching the binding down or should I say the arthritis in my hands prefers them. I do not need to use as many clips as I do pins.
I have that same issue Kathy!!
You must have a lot more coordination than I do. If I use pins on the binding, I’m guaranteed to poke myself and bleed like crazy. I’ve been using the binding clips for years and love them.
I am the same Andrea. I always use clips on binding but pins on everything else!!
I use both. Depends on what I’m doing. Right now, I’m in a paper-piecing project. The blocks are 3 inches and I need to be precise. Pins tend to shift the fabric, especially at the points where there is a bulk of fabric. So I stick a pin through the intersections, and then hold them in place with a clip and remove the pins. Yes, there is a lot of stopping to remove the clips as I get to them, but I’ve settled into a routine and things are working very well. (You should see the 3″ block I just finished that has 40 pieces in it!)
I would LOVE to see that block Dianne!!! PLEASE send a photo!!
I hate pinning! Somehow I never get pins to hold the fabric in the position I am trying to pin it in. The act of poking the pin through the second time seems to shift the fabric almost every time. So I pin very carefully in some circumstances, and sometimes use both (like when sewing long Cuddle minky seams) but for just holding borders or binding in place or connecting quilt rows, give me clips. I won’t sew over a pin—my machine cost too much to take that risk! And for most sewing I don’t bother, just use my fingers or a stiletto to hold things in place. I also sew almost everything with my Accufeed high performance foot which means the fabric feeds more evenly without pins.
Great thoughts Michele!! I think that I am just too “old school” to switch to clips!!
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