I wasn't wearing my glasses while shopping, so couldn't read the tiny instructions printed on the binding tool. But when I got home and had a good look, I found them rather confusing:
Binding tool instructions.
You would think that photos would help make the process clear. But apparently that's an incorrect assumption! The photos of "step 3" and "step 5" don't show the most important information, which is where the cut should be in relation to the mark you just made. I think it might be a matter of doing a bit of experimenting.
I did find better instructions for a different binding tool, but I don't know if they work with this freebie tool. Again, I will have to experiment. And I also discovered that the other tool only works if your binding is a certain unstated width (2.5", which mine never is as I use metrics). Wider binding will be too short, and narrower binding will be too long. This tool may have the same issue.
I'm also not sure about the usefulness of the cutout sections on the left-hand edge. If my reading of the instructions on the website is correct, you are supposed to insert the quilt into the slot ("slot each corner into the cutout"). But it wouldn't fit - the slot is quite narrow. What else has a corner, though? Maybe a photo would have helped!
Would love to know if anyone has successfully used this tool.
So, a philosophical question: Is a tool still a tool if no-one knows how to use it?
2 comments:
I have one of these, took me a few goes to work it out, now one of my most used tools.
So how are you supposed to see the mark on the binding if the tool is covering it? I will stick to my trusty cheat sheet, works for any width binding and I don't need a tool to mitre binding corners, just stop sewing when a seam width from the end then do the flipping. Hope the magazine was a good read.
Post a Comment