Before you bind, you need to somehow “quilt” your quilt. How to Bind a Quilt with Mitered Corners. All that work! Repeat with all binding strips to create one long piece of binding that measures the quilt perimeter plus about 12 inches. Well, here we go again! Guide your quilt carefully and stitch slowly. If your quilt already has a built-in border, you may want thinner binding. So you’ve finished making your first quilt sandwich but now you’re wondering how to bind it like a pro? Pin … Trim the strip at about the halfway point of the unstitched edge, cutting the strip straight. Check out our simple placemat and coaster tutorial to have a play around with the binding methods in this post! Senior Technical Editor, Love Patchwork & Quilting magazine. To self-bind a quilt, you cut the backing fabric a couple of inches larger than the batting and top on all sides – large enough to allow for however much backing fabric you want to show on the front of the quilt. 2. When you reach the corner, miter it. Take the outer corner of the binding where you will begin sewing and fold the corner towards the edge of the quilt. When you reach a corner, put the needle down and pivot before sewing the next side. Choose the seam allowance that fits the look of your quilt. Once your quilt is quilted it needs to be trimmed in preparation for binding. Use the walking foot on your sewing machine to prevent the fabric from bunching up. How to Bind Scalloped Edges. You’ll need twelve to fifteen extra inches of binding material. This method gets me excited… because look at that stitch It’s so pretty… and straight! This is a longish video for me – but it shows you in tremendous detail how I bind a quilt. The instructions in this quilt binding tutorial show you how to make and bind a quilt with  double-fold binding. Join two strips by placing ends right sides together and sewing at a 90-degree angle. Dive into angled and curved binding, and learn how to apply each for fantastic results. This forms a diagonal line and hides the raw starting edge of the binding strip. let’s face it: Conceptualizing and making an art quilt is fun. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. You will just need your quilt, a ruler or measuring tape, and a calculator to figure out your fabric needs for quilt binding. After completing the detailed process of sewing a quilt (see How to Make a Quilt) the last step is to bind the edges with fabric to give your quilt a “finished” look. Finishing and putting a binding on it isn’t (at least for me). Materials to Bind a Quilt. Step 3: Attaching the binding to the top of the quilt. Fabric with a crosswise grain, as opposed to a lengthwise grain, is a sturdier choice for binding. It helps to use a large square quilt ruler for this (e.g. Supplies You Will Need For Quilt Binding; How To Bind a Quilt: A Step by Step Tutorial. Tuck this end into the folded binding at the start and pin in place. Learn more... Quilts are created when pieces of fabric are cut and sewn together in a pattern and layered with additional padding for warmth. This little lesson is just what I. If you’d like the binding to act as a border, you may want it to be wide. 1. Backstitch a few centimeters and cut the threads. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. Step 2: Sew strips together and iron. Trim away the extra fabric triangle on the outside of the seam, leaving ¼” seam allowance. Choose the width of your binding. Trim seam allowance to 1/4 inch; press open. To start off, unfold one end of your binding, trim at a 45-degree angle and press under by ½in along the short edge. Pinch the miter in place as you carefully move the quilt back to your sewing machine. Use your fingers to press the corner down and to the right, and then fold it back on itself (to the left) to make a mitered corner. Check to make sure that none of the seams on the binding strips are in the … Work your way around the quilt until all sides are folded and clipped in place. Sew the binding down, starting your stitching about 6” (15cm) from the tip of the binding point. You won’t find me being judgemental about many things – but I’m pretty dang picky about quilt bindings. When you get back to where you started, trim the tail, sew over the original binding by around 1 inch, then turn the quilt over and bind the other side. I've shown you how to make bias binding (you can find those instructions here, and you probably read one of my latest posts on how to cut scallop edges without Math (the template and instructions for my method on that can be found here Now, it’s time to actually do the binding! Read our magazines on your phone, tablet or computer. You should have excess backing and batting that needs to be removed.2. Fold the next edge up over the quilt, completing the mitre at the corner. Backstitch a few stitches to secure. Cutting the Fabric to Finish your Quilt: I like to do a double binding on my quilts – meaning there are two layers to the binding edge. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Refold your binding and finish attaching to the quilt. Make sure the folded edge covers the stitched seam on the reverse of your quilt by about 1⁄8in. You can bind your quilt with bias binding (I do both depending on the quilt) but I have found that straight bindings are easier if you have never done it before. To finish off, trim the end of the binding so it overlaps the beginning folded edge by about 1in. Adjust the quilt as needed to ensure your seam is straight. Lay two strips at a right angle with the ends overlapping, so that they form an inverted “L” shape. This article has been viewed 84,878 times. How to Calculate How Much Binding. Step 1 – Calculate and cut your binding strips Measure the perimeter of your quilt by adding the length and width of your quilt and multiplying that by 2. You can use many different fabrics if you want to create a “crazy quilt” effect. SAVE up to 82% on your first 3 issues when you subscribe! The traditional method is great for small items, such as mini quilts and coasters, while the seamed method gives you a more uniform finish on longer edges. Trim the seam to ¼in and finger press open. Finish stitching past the raw edge, making sure you sew down both the start and end of the binding. Step 4: Attach the binding to the back of the quilt. Of course, by now I have some experience sewing. As you sew, the material stretches as the needle punches through. Because of the direction of the grain, a split in one area won’t run along the entire length of the binding. There are good tutorials for that here, here, and here. Try 3 issues of Love Patchwork & Quilting for £5. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 84,878 times. % of people told us that this article helped them. Flip the quilt over and begin pressing the binding to the reverse, extending this fold all the way to the end of the binding along one side. 1. Continue all the way around your quilt top. . If not, use the below equation to determine the amount of fabric needed. Repeat steps 1-2 until all four corners are mitred, and finish according to your chosen method (see below). Clip in place. Every day at wikiHow, we work hard to give you access to instructions and information that will help you live a better life, whether it's keeping you safer, healthier, or improving your well-being. Keep in mind you’ll be cutting the fabric into strips that will then be folded in half. To make double-fold binding, you simply need one long strip of fabric, pressed in half lengthways, with wrong sides together. I usually machine quilt (or have someone else do it) my quilts these days. For machine-finished binding, this foot will help you achieve a flawless finish by hiding your final seam from the front. Steps . I spent many dollars on the, "I'm off to bind my first quilt. For hand-finishing binding, invisible thread is the perfect choice, especially if you’re not confident with your stitches. Start the The 45-degree angle should be intact under the fold. When you’re finished stitching, trim any rough edges or excess batting from the perimeter of the quilt to make sure it is neat and even. Last Updated: March 28, 2019 3. The folded edge of the binding strip should just cover the stitches visible on the back of the quilt. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. Before you can learn how to bind a quilt you must know how to prepare quilt binding. For more tips, including how to make the binding, read on! Part 1 of 3: Finding the Perimeter of the Quilt. Begin sewing at a 90 degree angle from the last stitch before backstitching over the corner to keep it in place. This means to attach the front and back, with batting in between. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Continue attaching more strips in this fashion until you have one long strip. The wikiHow Video Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Set the binding seam by pressing your stitching in place. Refold the binding and continue stitching at the point where you left off. Unfold the two ends and place right sides together, so the pieces are at right angles to one another. Fold the binding up at a 45 degree angle. Binding a quilt is the final step in finishing. Lay the remaining end of binding over the top, and mark where the strips meet. Bring the binding back down to … Stitch a diagonal line across where the two strips meet. Then I will have to figure out the labeling.". Rotate the quilt to the next side. Measure the four sides of your quilt to determine the length of its perimeter. Today I’ll be showing you how to bind your quilt! If you’ve never tried this method before, we’ll show you all the steps of binding a quilt, with step-by-step photos, a video guide and a starter project to get you practising your new skills! The most common width for your binding strips is 2½in, which allows for about 3⁄8in of quilt thickness. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. A 1/4” Piecing foot or a Walking Foot for your machine (This link goes to the ones that fit my machine so you can see them, you’ll want to get one that fits your specific machine.) Cut fabric into 2-1/4-inch-wide strips for binding. The binding edge should be in line with the quilt’s edge. With your quilt face up, stitch in the ditch between your quilt and binding. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Bias binding strips, with a grain that runs diagonally, are also good for sturdy binding. Fold the end of the binding strip under at a 45-degree angle at the corner, then laying it flat along the next edge. Message when this question is answered while sewing on binding corner to keep it in lengthwise... 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