WEB BONUS: Click here for FREE quilting lesson download from the experts at McCallsQuilting.com: Making and Applying Extra-Wide Quilt Binding. Here's info for wider bindings. Using a Single Fold For a Quilt Binding. I add 10″ extra length to allow for seam allowances, corners, and just the feel-good relief of knowing I will not be short of binding. And repeat for each strip for the quilt. 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) is a standard size for binding strips, but you can make them wider or narrower if desired. Pinning is optional, but it will keep the strips in place together when you start sewing. It’s easiest to hold the binding fabric in place with Clover Wonder Clips. Using a Double Fold For a Quilt Binding. Does Quilt Binding Have to Be Cut on The Bias? For example, if you want a finished binding that’s 1/2 inch wide, cut strips that are 2 inches wide (1/2 inch x 4 = 2). If you decide that you are starting with a 1-inch width, you’ll need to multiply it by two and then add a ¼ of an inch at the end for your seam allowance. Continue moving the ruler over to cut as many 2.5-inch binding strips as you need to bind your quilt. Crossgrain binding is also cut in strips along the grain but it is cut from selvedge to selvedge. This can be done at the cutting table with a rotary cutter and ruler (not shown) or by hand with scissors at the ironing board. The size can be as wide as 4 inches for some thick quilts and as thin as 2 inches for thin quilts. Only use single-fold binding for light quilts that don’t see a lot of abuse and aren’t too heavy. If you are looking at a Too Cool T-shirt Quilt, the binding is about ½" wide on the front and back of a quilt. If you are a beginner and don’t want to deal with folding the binding while attaching it to the quilt, you can decide to cut four separate strips and sew them together forming a rectangle. 2 Multiply the number of strips by the strip width. References. The size can be as wide as 4 inches for some thick quilts and as thin as 2 inches for thin quilts. Bindings are typically the same size from quilt to quilt. Repeat the same for all corners of the quilt sandwich until you have all the binding material you need for the quilt. For 1⁄2"-wide finished double-fold binding, cut 3-1⁄4"-wide binding strips and attach them using a 1⁄2" seam allowance. Connecting Threads® and ConnectingThreads.com are registered trademarks of Crafts Americana Group, Inc. Keep in mind you’ll be cutting the fabric into strips that will then be folded in half. Once you are done with the quilting, you will know what width of binding you will need and how to apply it on the quilt. If your number has a bunch of decimals after it, then round up. 2. How To Sew Double Fold Bias Tape On A Quilt, Brother CS6000i Computerized Sewing Machine Review, Best Sewing Machine for Free Motion Quilting in 2021, How to Sew Quilt Squares Together by Hand, 4 Differences Between Sewing And Quilting, 3 Differences Between Patchwork and Quilting, How to Embroider Letters with a Sewing Machine, Best High End Sewing Machine for Advanced Sewers in 2021, Best Heavy Duty Sewing Machine For Leather And Denim in 2021. ... Cut strips of fabric at 2.5″ wide. Cut binding strips 2 1/2" wide on lengthwise or crosswise grain of fabric. Measure the four sides of your quilt to determine the length of its perimeter. After you are done, fold your strip into two and iron it down to form a double-fold binding. The thickness refers to the vertical size of all the materials used to make the quilt sandwich. Decide how wide you want the binding strips to be. Grab your ruler and measure the width of the paper to where you placed the mark. How to Cut Fabric for Quilt Binding. The size of the binding is determined by the size of the seam allowance used when the binding is sewn on and how loosely or tightly the binding is folded to the back. ... Stop 9" to 10" from where you started to sew the binding on the quilt. How do you know whether it will fit and appear as you originally wanted it to be? If you have never worked with quilt binding before, then you might find it a bit confusing when it comes to cutting it and fitting it onto your quilt sandwich. Here’s the width to cut the strips for finished binding widths from ¼” to ¾”: Tap or click here to pin This refers to the entire width of your binding as it will fit your quilt sandwich. My mug rug is about 7 1/2" on each side, so my math is 7.5 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 7.5 + 5 = 35". You can find bias tapes of all sizes and materials in any fabric store and apply it to your fabrics. Trim the starting edge of the binding to a 45 ° angle as shown below if it is not already cut at a 45 ° angle. You should cut your binding depending on the size of your quilt sandwich in terms of thickness and the size of your seam allowance. How we attach the binding with your machine is unique, but very simple. There are two main approaches to cutting binding, namely: straight grain or bias grain. Quilt binding is a strip of fabric that finishes a quilt. This technique is especially useful if you choose to sew the diagonal line without drawing it first. Double the width you got from the paper if it’s a double fold binding. This tells you how many strips to cut; round this number up. For quilts made without borders, the binding should be ¼” finished width, so the binding’s seam allowance doesn’t cover up the quilt blocks. The equation is based on 42″ wide fabric, cut straight on the grain, and 2-1/2″ wide binding. But first, here are some simple instructions for making your own quilt binding. With measurement determined, it’s time to cut your binding and prepare it for stitching. Binding Basics - Part 3: Preparing the Quilt, Binding Basics - Part 4: Attaching the Binding by Machine, Binding Basics - Part 5: Hand-Stitching the Binding to the Back, Binding Basics - Part 2: Making the Binding, Nine Patch Lesson 1: Basic Piecing with Charms, Nine Patch Lesson 2: Speed Strip Quilting for a Baby quilt, How to Sew an Accurate Quarter Inch Seam Allowance, Machine Quilting with Golden Threads paper, How to Pick the Right Quilting Design for Your Quilt. Double-fold binding is also referred to as French-fold binding. For a general overview of how to attach binding, see the tutorial on Quilt Binding Basics. You’ll need twelve to fifteen extra inches of binding material. Divide this number by the width of your fabric (normally 42in). By: Kathryn Hatter Updated September 15, 2017. Apart from the aesthetics, a properly cut binding provides the quilt with the strength and stiffness it requires to last, especially for heavily used quilts like blankets and bed covers. Sewing with a wider seam will chop off important design elements. Cut the binding lengthwise with the width you just determined from the free measurement to fit the entire length of your quilt sandwich leaving an allowance for a 90-degree fold. A quality quilt binding is: Full - the top, batting and backing extend to the very outside edge of the completed binding; Specific to the type of quilt – an antique looking quilt looks best with a skinny binding; Covers the stitching line used to attach the binding to the quilt; Even all around the entire quilt; Flat - no puckers or twisting Essentially, you need to cut double the size of your primary width when working with a double-fold binding. © 1999-2021 Crafts Americana Group, Inc. All rights reserved. You can use a rotary cutter or any other cutter. Draw a diagonal line exactly from corner-to-corner on the edges where the strips intersect as shown; this is actually easier to visualize if the strips extend beyond each other slightly. Some people prefer to cut the entire binding to cover the quilt sandwich perimeter instead of doing it edge by edge, but this is purely up to you to decide. A wider binding is just going to be too wide. You will need to cut a wider strip of clothing than your measurement to make a double-fold binding. Using 2 1/2" strips might be recommended for early beginners, especially if you're going to be attaching your binding entirely by machine (so that attaching leaves room for 3/8" instead of strictly 1/4" seam … With more experience, it is possible to skip drawing the line. Step 6: Finish sewing the binding Trim off the extra fabric, leaving a 1/4” seam allowance. Binding size refers to the width of the finished binding as it appears from the front of the quilt. Example: if you want a 1" binding, cut the binding at 4.5", cut the batting 3/4 inches wider than the quilt top, and sew 1/4 inch in on the quilt top and binding. Then you will turn the strip to the front folding it in to hide the edge and hand stitch it to the quilt to cover the entire edge. In most cases, an inch of binding will suffice for thin quilt sandwiches but the width could be much wider if you are going for an even wider seam allowance and are working with thick quits. Sometimes it’s easier to just use ready-made bias tape instead of making your own from scratch. This should be the width of your quilt binding if it is a single fold binding. Bias binding is binding that is cut at a 45 degree angle from the selvedge. Follow these steps to cut your quilt binding to the right size: Start with a piece of paper to measure and determine how wide your binding will be. Straight grain is used for quilt sandwiches with straight edges and sharp corners such as squares, rectangle and triangles. Pins or hair clips work well, too. Cut binding strips 1 1/4" wide. You don’t need to cut on the bias if you are working on square shaped edges. The seam allowance determines how much of the binding will be cut to cover the edges of the quilt sandwich. Baste around quilt 3/16" from the edges if desired. You can make quilt binding in any size you'd like, but 2 1/4 (2.25 inches) or 2 1/2" strips are most common - this will give you a binding width of about 1/4" on the front and back of your quilt. Cut binding strips 2½in wide then cut your binding strips to measure 2½in (6.5cm) wide. After determining the width, you can go ahead and cut the binding strips to size based on the perimeter of your entire quilt. A 3" binding is recommended when you're learning to use these tools but after that you can create wider & narrower bindings. Continuous bias cut 1 1/4-inch wide is perfect for most curved stems and applique vines. Most quilting cotton will be 40”- 44” wide. Some people prefer 2.25″ but 2.5″ is easier and I like a fatter binding. Trim batt and lining even with the top. Most quilters would prefer to buy ready-made bias tape instead of having to make their own binding and wasting good fabric. With a double fold binding you will fold the binding strip lengthwise with wrong sides together. Quilt binding should be cut 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide for large quilts or 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) for small or wall-hanging quilts. Watch this instructional quilting video to sew a wide binding on your quilt. Now turn the paper over the edge of the seam and mark where the binding will reach plus allowance at the back of the quilt. Make sure to choose a bias tape that is the right size and probably has a color that is compatible with your quilt. A 1/4″ binding will just cover the ¼” seam allowance built into the blocks. Make sure you have enough strips to go all the way around your quilt plus at least 1 foot. Now you are ready to sew it on! It’s mostly used for bulkier quilts and those that will see a lot of abuse as it provides better reinforcement to the edges. Note that the tail end of the strip on top becomes the strip on the bottom when the next strip is added. ((Length of all sides of quilt + 10″) / 42″) x … So yes, you must quilt before you even think about binding. Bias grain is used if you are working with a quilt sandwich with oddly shaped, scalloped or curved edges. ... Place the quilting ruler over the fabric to cut your first binding strip 2.5 inches wide. Fold the binding toward the back side of the quilt. How are you going to cut your binding? If the quilt doesn't have borders, a binding sewn to edges with a 1/4" seam is the best choice, since that width matches the 1/4" seam allowance that's built-in to the edge of most quilt blocks. The method shown below shows trimming off the “bunny ears” as well. It helps to look directly where you are sewing to (where the sewing line will end) and not at the needle; your eyes will guide your hands there. Begin stitching at the edge of the quilt, and end at the other edge, backstitching at both ends to secure. Strips to cut — Take your length of binding total and divide it by the width of your fabric. Now line up your top row of binding, having a half inch extra binding beyond the edges. The charming Winter's Night floral quilt pattern features an extra-wide striped binding. The 2-inch wide maker will make 1-inch wide double-fold tape, which is great as a quilt binding. So this quilt is only about 37 so I’m just going to need 4 strips to bind this because I … If you’d like the binding to act as a border, you may want it to be wide. So when you start cutting your binding one of the things to remember is that your fabric is, and this is for a straight binding we’re not talking bias at all we’re just talking straight binding, your fabric is about 40 inches wide. Binding is the very last thing you will do after you have done the quilting. There are two main types of binding you should know about even as you decide the width of your binding. Open the strip so that the wrong side of the fabric faces up. Decide How Wide to Make the Binding If your quilt is made of blocks without borders or has a pieced border, use a narrow ¼” finished binding width. This refers to the entire width of your binding as it will fit your quilt sandwich. Click the link below to download our free lesson on how to apply extra-wide quilt binding. Lay the strips with right sides together and perpendicular to each other. 11. So, using your rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat, cut your binding into strips. At the same time, the size of your binding will double if you choose to use a double-fold binding. Required fields are marked *. Place the piece of paper over the quilt sandwich and use a ruler and pencil to trace your seamline lengthwise. To work out much binding you will need, measure the quilt all round and add about 20in extra. Place the raw edges of your binding lined up along the raw edge of your quilt. This is especially challenging if you have limited binding fabric to work with and need to get it right the first time. Even better, have the binding material ready to be cut as soon as you are done with the quilting. To determine long your binding strip needs to be, measure your four sides, add the measurements together and then add about 5". At the back of the maker is where the fabric is inserted. This way, you can attach them to your quilt directly. There is no predetermined width or length that should be used for all quilt bindings. At the same time, the size of your binding will double if you choose to use a double-fold binding. Measure around this opening so you know exactly how wide your fabric strips need to be (2 inches for the 1 … It gives you a very full binding with no saggy baggy empty spots. You then take this binding with the raw edge and I align it to the edge of the quilt and sew a ½ inch seam allowance. Press the binding in half lengthwise and seams open as you come to them. Your email address will not be published. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together (see a in the following figure). Is there a standard width that you can use for reference when cutting quilt binding? If you’re making a baby or crib quilt, you can probably use 2-1/2 to 3 inch wide strips, but you’ll also have to trim down your backing and batting a bit. Sew along the diagonal line; chain-piecing makes sewing the strips go faster and keeps the pieced seams joined together for trimming (do not cut the strings yet). Quilt a wide binding. Step 6: The last step is to fold the binding in half (edges together) and press with a hot iron. Leave a good 7 to 10 inches of binding loose and, using your walking foot, take a couple of stitches a ¼" away from the edge and then back stitch a few times to secure it all in place. Now remove the paper marker from the binding fabric and transfer it to a flat surface for measurement. You only need to cut a single strip of fabric of the right width and stitch its wrong side up to the back of the quilt. For example, you could make your binding strips 2 inches (5.1 cm) for a narrow binding, or 3 inches (7.6 cm) for a wide binding. To make a double-fold binding, first, decide how wide your binding should be based on the size of your quilt and how much of the binding you want to show at the top. And if you need a full tutorial on how to attach the quilt binding to the quilt, HERE is a good tutorial. The binding strip is 3 inches wide but then I fold it and hence the name – straight of grain double fold binding. For example, for a standard 3⁄8"-wide finished double-fold binding, cut 2-1⁄2"-wide binding strips and attach them using a 3⁄8" seam allowance. Choose a Binding Width . This leaves the whole block visible, while a … If the line is off, the pieced strips will not be straight (upper example). Turn in the ends even with the quilt edges and turn the binding to the back. Many quilters like to spray the binding with Mary Ellen’s Best Press, starch or sizing for more stiffness. What to Consider When Cutting Quilt Binding, What Exactly Is Single-Fold Binding and Where Is It Used. Always keep right sides together. However, bias cuts are necessary if you are working on oddly shaped quilts or those with curved edges that require a specific angle of binding. Lay the long end of the binding on the quilt as shown. Cut your binding fabric to 1 1/4" wide. To make this quilt fast and simply we can use any print. You could do this for a wider binding as well, but the formula would be 4x the width of the finished binding + .5 inch. For example, mine is 40” wide. Rolling the binding on an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube helps keep the binding tidy for storage, if not attaching it right away. How wide would you cut your quilt binding for it to fit your quilt? For my mini-quilt, I only needed about three per side, but for a throw-sized quilt, it takes about 100 clips to go all the way around the quilt. Cut the binding along the selvage edge of the fabric for straight grain and at 45 degree angles to the selvage for bias. The wide binding method uses the quilts batting as part of the binding. The width of the binding is really up to you and this allows you to size up a quilt easily to fit the needs. Although pressing the binding is by far the most common practice, some quilters skip this step due to lack of time and/or energy or the idea that the precise location of the fold changes as the binding is folded to the back of the quilt. An upside of narrower binding? 10. Press the center fold. Your email address will not be published. Binding size. However, it’s always good to have the binding material ready or at the back of your mind even as you make your quilt sandwich as it may influence the final aesthetic of your quilt. It is really important that the corners of your quilt be square at 90 degree angles. Single-fold binding is a type of binding that is only folded once and sewed on the quilt. Quilt binding allows you to finish the edges of your finished “quilt sandwich” in a professional way. Luckily, deciding the width of your binding comes down to the thickness of your quilt sandwich and the size of seam allowance you are going for. 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