Melissa's Hidden Baseline Method
Melissa's Hidden Baseline Method
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Attaching Crocheted Edging Instead of Binding
Attaching Crocheted Edging Instead of Binding
~ a fresh approach by Melissa Nellis ~
Traditional methods for attaching crochet work to fabric include:
- Sewing pre-made crochet work onto fabric using a needle and thread either by hand or machine. The ends of the crochet will be seamed together interrupting the pattern.
- Punching holes into fabric and crocheting through the holes. While there are no seams, the attachment is very obvious and may detract from the feel of the piece.
Melissa’s Hidden Baseline Method allows the joining of crochet to fabric without seams in the crochet or holes in the fabric. It provides a continuous custom edge for fiber art pieces and allows for strategic placement of design elements. This method works well for art quilts with many sides or with curved edges. Follow the steps below to try your hand at the method.
1. Trim the edge of the quilt. Your quilt can be any shape!
2. Attach the base thread/yarn to the front of the quilt using a machine stitch pattern that leaves open areas of thread/yarn wide enough to insert a hook. This is similar to couching but with open spaces where the base thread/yarn is not stitched. I use the blind hem stitch and adjust the stitch length and width to fit the baseline thread/yarn. The stitching can be as near or far from the edge as you desire. I generally use a quarter inch from the trimmed edge.
3. Use crochet thread, yarn, perle cotton, etc., to crochet through the “baseline” spaces. You can do more than one stitch through each base line space if necessary so the piece will lay flat. This will depend on the hook size you choose and the size of the thread/yarn.
4. Crochet the first few rows around the quilt using single crochet for denseness to cover the quilt’s edge. Adjust the number of stitches as necessary so the work will lay flat. Once the edge of the quilt is hidden anything goes!
This may be all your quilt needs or perhaps some improvisational crocheting, such as seen below, would add another design element to spark your work. Not a crocheter? The baseline can be used to anchor macrame, other knotting techniques, or as a base for tying your own fringe of interesting fibers.
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