Binding Tutorial - My Way!

Mitered corner of binding on quilt

I have a very unique way of going about binding my quilts. I have never seen it done this way by anyone else, and I think it works quite well! Actually, let me clarify, the portion of the binding (sewing it on and creating mitered corners) I picked up along the way...probably from the back of a quilting magazine (Fon's & Porter?) in their "How To" section. Ever since I learrned to do binding with the mitered corners, i've never look another direction. The part that is unique to me is what I do once the binding is sewed onto the front of your quilt and it comes to completing it. Some binding tutorials have you start by ironing your binding in half and then folding the edges into that center fold and ironing again so that you have both sides turned in. Then you would sew it on to the front of the quilt and hand stitch it to the back. Well, I don't like this step. I always burn my fingers and it's never quite right...so, here is what I do:

1. Creating the Binding. First - sewing together your binding strips. I generally cut 2" strips the length of my fabric (which ever "length" is longest). I don't cut on the bias like most instructions suggest. I've never had a problem not cutting on the bias. With one of my strips right side up, I lay the other strip right side down at a right angle to the first strip. I then sew a diaginal (as in the diagram above). I usually iron this "line" in to have something to follow along to keep my line straight. You could also draw this on with a ruler. After all of my strips are sewn, I trim the seam allowence to 1/4". Then I iron the seam making it one long strip of fabric to sew onto my quilt.

2. Getting ready to sew on your binding. With right sides together, match up your binding edge with your quilt edge about a third of the way down one side. You don't want to start at the edge of the quilt as you will not have an easy time of mitering that corner. Next, fold the end of the binding at an angle (as in the picture), rather than just folding it over into a straight fold, and secure with a 2 pins to hold in place. I just started doing this with my last quilt after reading someone's comment in a magazine saying there is no reason we have to have these straight binding startings/endings. I agree! Why not, your binding strips are sewn together at an angle, so this just keeps with the "look".

3. Sewing Your Binding on. I don't find it necessary to pin my binding onto my quilt, I just make sure my quilt is squared up and match up the edge of the binding with the edge of my quilt. Sew a 1/4" seam allownance.

4. Coming to a Corner. When approaching the corner of the quilt, stop sewing 1/4" from the end. Backstitch a time or two to secure and cut your thread. As you see in the picture, I place a pin 1/4" from the end as I approach it to help me see just where to stop.

5. Turning the Corner. Rotate your quilt, flip up your binding at a right angle and hold in place. Check to make sure that it is creating a nice diaginal that matches up with the corner of your quilt.
6. Turning the Corner (continued). Keeping fabric in place from previous step, pull fabric straight down over the angle created. Pin in place and begin sewing a 1/4" seam allowance from the top edge. Backstitch a time or two to secure. Continue sewing binding onto quilt. Repeat this step for all corners. When you reach the start of your binding again, I sew the binding over my original diaginal fold until I reach the straight portion of the binding after that fold. Trim away excess binding not needed.

7. Making it Look Pretty. Here comes the first of several parts that I came up with on my own. It may be done by others, but i've never seen it explained this way and just came up with it one day out of the blue (becuase I hate the iron in half, fold in sides and iron again method). With the top of the quilt facing up, I iron open the binding. I think this gives it a nice, crisp look for the binding on the front of the quilt.

8. On to the Back. Now flip over your quilt and iron down the binding to have a nice fold over of the binding onto the back of the quilt. Continue around whole of quilt until back to starting spot.
9. Yeah, I don't have a title for this one. This is perhaps the quirkiest part of my method. Tuck the edge of the binding under the 1/4" seam allowance created when you sewed the binding onto the front of the quilt. Iron down, creating a fold. Another way of putting this is that you are folding your binding in half to create the finished edge that will show on the back of your quilt. The difference is instead of just folding it, you are tucking that raw edge behind the quilt itself, butting up to the stitching of the 1/4" seam allowance.

10. Almost Done! And finally, I like to fold it over onto the back and iron it down just to help it stay in place and to make my life a bit easier when it comes to hand sewing the binding onto the back.

And hopefully I didn't miss anything. If something doesn't make sense to you, ask me and i'll clarify. It's always difficult when your creating directions yourself. You are familiar with what you're writting about and can sometimes over look simple things. I hope you like this method of binding a quilt!

On a side note, I use a blind stitch when sewing my binding onto the back of my quilts...at least I think that's what the stitch is called. I know that this is not the general stitch suggested by "others" but I don't like the stitch that is suggested by other quilters. See how the stitches are visible?

I think i've seen this called a "slip-stitch" elsewhere. When using the stitch that I use (blind stitch) the stitch is completly hidden and I find it gives a very secure stitch. It's like what you use when sewing on applique by hand. I tried to find a good online tutorial, but can't find one. So, I think I will have ANOTHER tutorial coming up soon. I'm going to take pictures as I sew my binding on to the back of my quilt (that's in the pictures above). So, stay tuned!