Making A Binding

Directions

1.  Cut enough strips of fabric, 2-1/2” wide, to go all the way around your quilt.  To figure out how much you need to go around your quilt, measure the top and one side, add together and multiply by 2.  This is the perimeter of your quilt.  Then add 15” to be on the safe side for turning corners and finishing.

**Edited**  I cut my strips on the straight grain.  Personally, I don’t see a reason to cut on the bias unless I’m going to be binding a curved edge.  I think this actually makes for less frustration when it comes time to sew the binding onto the quilt top (no bias = less stretching under the foot/feeddogs.)

2.  Starting with your first strip, wrong side of fabric facing up, fold the bottom corner of one strip up at an angle (as pictured) and lightly press.  You only need to do this on one end of your strip of fabric.  Repeat for all but one of your strips, working with the same end, pressing in the same direction, each time.

3.  Open out a creased end of one of your strips and place perpendicular, right sides of fabric together, onto the end of a second strip of fabric that hasn’t been folded and pressed.  The point of the crease should match up with the corner of the fabric below it and the side and top edge of top strip should match the edges of the strip below.

4.  Pin in place with two pins towards the ends of your piece.  Sew on crease, backstitching at each end.

5.  Trim your piece to a 1/4” seam allowance.  Press open your seams.  Normally I don’t like to press seams open, but this will create less bulk for later when hand stitching down.

6.  Fold your binding in half along the length and press as you go.

These last two steps are something new to me.  It made the job of sewing my binding onto the quilt SO much easier.  I read about this tip years ago in one of my quilting magazine and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to give it a go.

Pin It

7.  Roll your binding up.