Binding – tutorial

I know you can put a binding on your quilt without any difficulty  but if someone looking at this and find binding part is difficult, I hope this help.

I normally use straight double binding tape to bind my quilts which is cut along straight grain of fabric and folded half in length way. If a quilt has curved edges, it needs bias binding tapes but I leave that for another time.

The length of binding tape –

I cut fabrics for binding tapes from full width of fabric which is 44″ – 42″. I consider this as 40″ when I make binding tape because losing bits when stitching tapes together and adding extra for the corners, this 40″ gives a fair estimation. I divide each side of quilt by 40″. My book shelf quilt is 89″ by 89″ and I divided 89″ by 40″ which means I needed 2  1/4 strips of tapes for each side. 2 1/4 *4 = 9. I needed nine strips of fabric for binding.

The width of binding tape –

For most of my quilts, my binding tapes appear as 1/4″ wide on the front. For that, I cut fabric 2″ wide. If you want to be on the safer side, you may cut it 2 1/4″.

Now, I cut nine of 2″ strips and I have to stitch them all together to make one very long binding tape.

In order to reduce the bulk of seam allowance, sew them on a diagonal line. In this way, the seam allowance wouldn’t be bunch up in one place when folded.

I always place and sew tapes this way as you see on the picture right, the right side up tape comes from left and the wrong side up tape goes down. And I stitch from left top to right bottom of crossing point.

Place them straight from the needle and sew

Trim the excess

At this point, you may press the tape folded in length way. I don’t. I don’t think I never have. Whichever makes easy for you. I do finger press seams open though.

Trimming of a quilt –

After quilting, borders shrunk and you need to measure it from the  reliable line and trim it with uniform width. Here I lost 1/4″ and trimmed it to 5″ from purple fabric.

Start attaching the tape around middle of one side of a quilt.

Start sewing the tape on the front of quilt but leaving about 4-6” of tape not stitched (nothing critical there).

Back stitch to secure the start and sew.

Stitch 1/4” inside the edge of a quilt.

You only need big stitches for this part.

Make sure all three raw edges are in one place and do not stretch binding tape.

At the corner –

Stop sewing 1/4″ before you hit the corner and back stitch( the picture was taken much before that).

Cut the thread and remove the quilt from the machine. Fold the tape away from quilt to create a 45 degree fold.

Then fold it down to fit on next edge.

Make sure folded side of tape comes in a same place and raw edge stays on the edge of quilt.

Fold side

raw edge and corner

On the next edge, start sewing from the very end of the quilt.

Because of the thickness of a quilt and several layer of binding fabric, it may not be so easy for a machine to start sewing there. If that’s the case, starting off with a folded scarp of wadding will help to grab on the quilt’s edge.

Repeat on all the corners.

When the tape is attached almost all the way, stop sewing with about 8-10″ of gap left un-sewn.

Meeting of ends –

There are various way people do this part and for me this is the most reasonable.

Fold both end of tapes to find a meeting point. The shorter side of the tape needs to be folded at least 2″ away from the end. Crease well to mark the fold. Twice folded points (red dot) have to come to the same place when they are sewn together.

Open end side of tape and mark the fold with a marker (just so you can see where it is clearly).

The visible crease in this picture is a halfway of fabric, not the meeting point and the white line is.

Put the centre of start end of tape on the marked line without opening the fold. The new crease you just made on start end should be on the centre line on other.

You are placing red points together by placing the centre fold on the marked line.

Pin lower layer of start end to the other end and open the fold ( the purple pin on the second photo was used for this purpose).

Pin more (two white ones) to secure. Stitch from crossing point to crossing point like before. In this picture from top to bottom.

Check the length before you cut the excesses and then if you are4 happy, cut the excesses and stitch this gap.

Turn the tape over to the back of quilt and stitch down which I do by hand.

The fold in length way should cover the stitches made above. Again, my stitches are long (about 1/4″) but almost invisible. I stitch this way, while holding the edge of quilt and binding tape together with small and ring finger of my left hand. Thumb and index finger slide to left as I stitch.

On the corner, make sure you make neat mitre. Give a few stitches on the mitre too.

stitch to the very edge.

and come out on the mitre line.

give a few stitches to secure.

This way corner folds are opposite on the front and back.

I use polyester thread for stitching binding because it is stronger.

I love this needle from Clover because it is very sharp and eye end is neat. I don’t have to pull or push to sew, it just slides.

That’s it. Any questions and suggestions are welcome.

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