Quilt binding is a folded strip of fabric that is used to conceal and bind the edges of your quilt.
You can either sew the binding onto a quilt using a sewing machine or you can sew it by hand, whichever you prefer.
Supplies you will need for binding a quilt
- Quilt sandwich — quilted with excess batting and backing fabric trimmed off
- Fabric to make your binding strip
- Self healing cutting mat
- Rotary cutter or fabric shears
- Quilting ruler
How to bind your quilt
1. Cut a long strip of fabric to go around the edges of your quilt. The width of the strip can be 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 inches. This width works well for most quilts but it can vary according to the size of your quilt or personal preference. Attach smaller strips together to make one strip long enough to fit all the way around the quilt. Measure the 4 sides of your quilt ( the perimeter) to establish how long you need your binding strip to be and then add approx 10" more so that you leave enough to finish off the ends of your binding.
The binding strips need to be pieced together. Cut off any selvedge edges that there may be. To join the strips place one strip vertically on your cutting mat with the right side up and the next strip that you are going to attach is laid perpendicular to the first one, positioning it over the end of the first one, matching up raw edges with right sides together. ( Note : the two strips together look like a backward L).
Before you sew, place a pin to hold the two pieces together and you will sew a diagonal line from the top right corner to the bottom left. It helps at this point to draw a line with a marker on the diagonal line which you will be sewing to attach the strips. Once sewn, trim the seam and press the seam flat. Repeat joining sufficient strips till you have one continuous strip long enough to go all around your quilt.
Use a ruler to mark the line you will be sewing.
2.Using an iron, press your one long binding strip in half so that the right sides are facing out.
Ensure you have trimmed your seam neatly ahead of pressing your binding strip.
3. To machine quilt your binding, work from the front side of your quilt to start off with. Start in the centre of one of the edges of the quilt. (This can vary slightly according to how big your quilt is) - if it's a small quilt like the one pictured below, you may want to start further down from the centre to ensure you have enough room to finish off the ends of your binding) Attach your binding to the quilt with pins or clips and start stitching approx five inches down from one end of your binding strip and sew it with a 1/4 inch seam.
Be sure to trim your quilt if necessary before you add your binding strip.
4. At the corners, you need to stop a 1/4 of an inch from the end sewing to that point. With the needle down, stop, lift your presser foot up and then pivot your quilt and then with the presser foot back down sew right off into the corner sewing a diagonal line at a 45 degree angle. Now turn your quilt as you need to start sewing down the next side. Next, take hold of the strip and flip it away from you. The fold is now sitting at a 45 degree to the project. Then hold it and bring the strip straight down towards you until the fold is flush with the top edge. Ensure it's lined up again on the raw edge to start sewing the next side. Ensure you get a nice fold in the corner and then start stitching again and work till you get to the next corner and repeat until all 4 corners have been sewn.
It can be helpful to mark the 1/4 inch point on the corners with an erasable marker pen or a pencil.
5.Make sure that both your ends are still loose - don't stitch too far. Leave enough fabric from both ends to mitre the two ends together and then sew down onto the quilt. To do this you need to ensure that the two left over tails overlap one another by the same width of your binding strip. So for example, if your binding strip is 2 1/4 inches the ends need to overlap by 2 1/4 inches. Trim as necessary, measure and cut accordingly. Mitre the two ends as you did before when joining your small strips together. Once the two ends are mitred, press and lay in place against the remaining raw edge of your quilt and sew. It should fit perfectly!
Use a ruler to mark where your ends need to overlap (according to the width of your binding strip)
6. Trim off any snippets of fabric or thread, then turn your binding over towards the back side of your quilt, also turning your corners out. Make sure you press using your iron so that the binding edges are nice and flat , making it easier to fold the binding towards the back of your quilt.
After pressing your binding, fold over towards the back of your quilt, secure in place with clips or pins folding in the corners as you go, ensuring you get a neat finish.
Hand sew your binding into place using tiny stitches catching the batting, binding and coming up on the fold of the binding.
Note: use an all purpose thread of a matching / similar colour.
Tip: Little dabs of fabric glue are really helpful to hold your binding in place ahead of hand sewing your binding into place.
Alternative method for attaching binding
Note: you can attach your binding to your quilt totally by machine. Sew your binding on the reverse side of your quilt with a machine, press and then fold the binding towards the front of the quilt.
Use binding clips to hold the binding in place and then sew your binding to the front of your quilt, using either a straight machine stitch or a decorative stitch - the choice is yours!
