There are so many ways to bind a quilt, including purchasing pre-made binding. However, I only ever bind my quilts in one way: the way in which I was first taught by Caroline at Millie Moon. My sister-in-law recently asked me how I bind my quilts so I thought I’d record it here for her – and others who might want to learn.
Cut strips of fabric, either 2 or 2.5
inches wide. I tend to opt for 2 inches
for small quilts, such as those for children and lap-sized ones. I then choose 2.5 inches for larger
quilts. If the sides of your quilt are
longer than the width of your fabric you can attach two pieces together by
sewing them right sides together along the short edge and ironing opening the
seam.
You will need four strips – one for each
side of the quilt. Firstly, iron the
pieces flat to ensure there are no creases.
Next, fold the pieces in half lengthways
and iron. You might want to leave each
piece to cool for a few minutes before proceeding.
Now open up the pieces and fold each side
into the middle and iron them. This is a
little fiddly but gets easier with practice.
Finally fold in half and iron again.
To attach to the quilt open up one side and
align with the edge of the quilt top.
Pin in place and sew with a straight stitch along the fold line. Repeat on the opposite side of the
quilt.
Then repeat on the other two sides of the
quilt, ensuring the ends are smooth.
Next
trim all of the layers half way between the edge of the binding and the
line of sewing. This helps to reduce any bulk and make for a better
finish.
Once all four sides are stitched on, unpin
and fold the binding around the quilt edges.
You then need to secure these in place.
Originally I used pins but got fed up of being stabbed by them. I then discovered these sewing clips
(affiliate link) and haven’t turned back!
Finally, I hand sew the reverse of the
binding onto the back of the quilt. This
is a little time consuming but I love finishing my quilts in this way. Thanks for teaching me Caroline (over 5 years
ago now!).
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