Adding on the binding is the very last step of making a quilt and really pulls it all together! You can have a lot of fun with the binding and do a fun pop of color, a patterned fabric like gingham or floral, or make a scrappy binding by sewing a bunch of different fabrics together.
In this quilt binding tutorial I walk through how to calculate how much binding fabric you will need, cutting the binding strips, sewing the binding onto the quilt, getting neat corners, and hand stitching the binding.
The quilts shown above are my Chicken Quilt, Star Checks Quilt from my How to Hand Quilt tutorial, Nine Patch Quilt made from linen ring slings and Sampler Quilt.
Some Things You’ll Need
Here are a few tools you’ll need and some nice-to-have ones. These are ones that I love and use regularly when quilting.
- Quilting ruler – this 12″ x 24″ quilting ruler is my most used ruler and the perfect length for cutting out binding strips.
- Rotary cutter
- Cutting mat
- Hand sewing needles – I use these quilting needles when hand sewing the binding on.
- Hand quilting thread (optional)
- Co-ordinating all purpose thread
- Thimble (optional, but saves your finger!)
Video Tutorial
Below you’ll find the video tutorial for how to bind a quilt featuring my Chicken Quilt.
If you want to print out the printable cards I used in the video, you can find them below. There are four laid out to a page so you can have a few ready to go whenever you need to bind a quilt.
Quilt Binding
Straight grain binding (vs. bias binding) is typically used on quilts because there are no curves. Maybe an exception would be if you wanted to use a gingham on the bias as a design choice.
A common width for quilt binding is 2 1/2″ but 2 1/4″ or 2″ can be used for a narrower and tighter binding. A lot depends on the thickness of the quilt you’re working with and personal preference. You can always test out with some scraps to see what width you like or what works best with your quilt.
Step 1: Calculate Quilt Binding Length
It’s pretty simple to figure out how much binding you will need but does require a little bit of math. I laid out the calculations in the graphic below to make it easier to understand and so you can save it for later!
The extra 10″ is to account for folding the binding at the corners and when sewing the binding together at the end. The estimated usable width of fabric for quilt binding is 40″ but if you’re using a fabric that comes at a wider width, like linen, then you would switch that number out, minus 2-3″, and replace it with the width of fabric you’re using.
I’m using my Sampler Quilt as an example in this tutorial and since I was using scrap fabric, I didn’t calculate anything and just cut a bunch a strips until I had enough to go around the whole quilt. However, if you’re wanting to buy specific fabric for your quilt, you want to make sure you’re purchasing enough and the chart above comes in handy in order to figure out how much you’ll need.
When I was planning the binding for my Chicken Quilt, the pattern I followed told me how much binding fabric I would need, but since I wanted to use a wider width linen, I figured out how much I would need so I didn’t buy too much (or too little) fabric.
Step 2: Cut Binding Strips
Press your binding fabric to get all the wrinkles out. Then fold the fabric in half, selvage to selvage, and lay it out on a cutting mat. Trim off the raw edge to get a nice straight edge to work with.
Note: I’m using scrap fabric in my example so you’ll see that I didn’t have a nice big piece to work with and I was cutting on the cross-grain.
Cut out the amount of strips you’ll need at the desired width (I’m cutting 2.5″ binding in my example).
Then, with the binding strips still folded together, trim off all the selvage edges (or wonky raw edges in my case) to get a straight edge.
Step 3: Sew Binding Strips Together
You then need to sew all the strips together into one continuous length. Place the short ends of two strips right sides together and sew with a 1/4″ (0.6 cm) seam allowance.
Keep sewing all the strips together until you have one long length of binding. I like to chain piece my binding strips by attaching a new piece to the end, making sure it’s not twisted, and then sewing without cutting the thread. You can see how I do this in the video tutorial at the beginning of this post starting at the 12:00 minute mark.
Press the seams open.
Next, press the binding in half, wrong sides together.
I like to wind my binding up or you can wrap it around a piece of cardboard to keep it neat.
Step 4: Sew Binding To The Quilt
Next up is to sew the binding to the quilt! You can start sewing the binding wherever really, but I like to start about half way along one of the long sides of the quilt. This method is my favorite way to attach binding and it’s really simple and easy to remember.
Leave about a 10″ (25.4 cm) tail and start pinning the binding to the right side of the quilt, lining up the raw edges. I will just place a few pins, or clips, and then place the rest of the binding on as I sew. Make sure all the layers are catching and the raw edges are flush with each other. I like to use a walking foot here to help feed the layers in smoothly, but this is optional.
Sewing The Binding At The Corners
When you reach the first corner, stop 1/4″ (0.6 cm) from the end (I like to place a pin to remind me when to stop), backstitch and cut thread.
Bring the binding up and away from the quilt and make a 45° angle with the binding at the corner (see photo below).
Then, while keeping that fold you just made in place, bring the binding back down so the raw edges meet again (see photo below). Place a pin or two at the corner to secure the binding in place.
Starting at the edge, backstitch at the beginning, and continue to sew the binding to the next side of the quilt. Repeat these steps for the remaining 3 corners.
When you reach the end, stop about 10″ (25.4 cm) from where you started, backstitch and cut the thread. About halfway between the space you left bring the binding strips to meet together. Press them down flat, either finger pressing or with an iron, to make a crease.
Open up the binding to make sure a crease was made. You can now use these crease as a guide or you can draw a line across the binding. Unfold the binding and place it right sides together, match up the line and pin. Tip: It helps to fold the quilt up a little and off to the side and pull the binding away from the quilt.
Sew along the marked line.
Before trimming the excess binding, double check that the binding fits snugly and isn’t too loose.
Trim off the excess seam allowance, press open and continue sewing the last bit of the binding.
At this point, I like to press the binding away from the quilt to make a crisp fold and make it easier to fold over to the backing side.
Step 5: Hand Stitch The Quilt Binding
The final step – hand stitching the binding to the quilt! I’ve always enjoyed hand stitching and it feels good to slow down with a cozy quilt on my lap.
Machine Binding Option: Some quilters choose to machine stitch their bindings, and that’s totally an option too! To do that, you would first sew the binding to the wrong side of the quilt so that it folds around the edge to the front. Then you would edgestitch along the folded edge on the right side of the quilt.
Start by knotting the end of the thread and hide it in the seam allowance under the binding. Then with the needle, pick up a small amount backing fabric along the stitch line – I also try to catch one of the stitches – and a small amount through the fold of the binding and pull the thread snug.
Then come back down and pick up again along the stitch line and back up to the fold of the binding. Try to keep your stitches hidden in the binding by guiding the needle through the “tunnel” of the fold. It’s totally fine if some stitches show – that just adds to the handmade look and shows you took time hand stitching your binding. 🙂 You can always make your stitches into the fold of the binding a little longer which can help speed up the process a little.
When you start to run out of thread, make a tiny stitch and make a small loop with the thread. Insert the needle into this loop and pull the thread tight. Insert the needle again into this stitch, make another loop and pull to make a knot.
To hide the thread tail, insert the needle into the binding (making sure not to go through to the front) pull through and cut the thread.
Repeat these steps all around the quilt!
Hand Stitching At The Corners
When you come to a corner fold the side of the binding that you’re working up to make a 45° angle and hold it in place. Then fold the other side of the binding down to form a folded angle at the corner. The two folded edges of the binding should meet and make a 90° angle at the corner over the stitch line.
You can place a pin or clip to hold the fold at the corner in place, and continue with your hand stitching. At the corner, place the needle through the stitch line on the quilt and through both folded edges of the binding right where they meet.
Repeat these steps on the remaining 3 corners.
And that’s your binding, and quilt, finished! The last step is washing the quilt to get that wonderful squishy quilty texture. 🙂
Hope you enjoyed this tutorial! Thanks so much for reading 🙂 Happy quilting!
