How to add Pom Pom Fringe to a quilt

Pom pom fringe is HAPPINESS -- am I right? YES! 

Colorful pom pom fringe is totally over the top H A P P Y, which if you're going to for it -- then GO FOR IT FOR REALS ya know?!  

I thought about this for a while and tested a couple different ways...

First I tried using the glue trick (Elmer's school glue) for basting help. It did NOT help. Too many layers for the glue to adhere both the fringe and the binding, and it was more trouble than it was worth. 

(However I do love gluing regular binding application, as it washes out.)

Second I tried pinning the fringe and "basting" it to the quilt, then folding the binding over on the second pass and sewing it all down. It was "OK" but took a long time (two passes). Plus I could see the basted stitches on the back, and did NOT enjoy thinking about having to unpick those later.



Third time is the charm.

Sew the binding onto the back, then fold it over to the front and tuck in the poms using Wonder Clips to hold it in place while sewing the binding on with a zipper foot or edge foot. 

This gave the best result for me.

I found using a stylet helped A LOT. Mine is actually a precision turning tool but I use it for EVERYTHING. It allowed me to push in the edging of the poms back with the pokey end--  without sewing my finger.

My pillow with log cabin blocks / see this quilt here on IG

It really didn't take much longer than a regular binding, but I'm also not a perfectionist. . . So there's that.  


I now have plans to pom pom fringe ALLLLLLLL the things.




There was that time I made pom pom earrings -- how can that be seven years ago?  In that post I linked a bunch of fun pom crafts.

 

Photo via MoMa / Mike Kelly

socks via ASOS

Top by Emma Cloth

This picnic blanket DIY project uses glue, (I'd probably sew it all on instead --for longevity FYI) and it's  RAD AF.

I've also happened upon these amazing scissors called Perfect Scissors by Karen Kay Buckley - they have a texture to the blades so they don't slip around when cutting fabric. I love them so much! Mine are the "large" --they come in really small sizes for embroidery, as well as medium sized blades too.  

OK show me what you're making!