Close attention is necessary when the sewing machine is used by or near children. Now we’re going to fold over the binding back in half. For 1⁄2"-wide finished double-fold binding, cut 3-1⁄4"-wide binding strips and attach them using a 1⁄2" seam allowance. The quilt binding needs to be wide enough to sew 1/4 inch seam with movement to pull over and cover the raw edge and fold under 1/4 inch again. Some advantages to using binding cut on the bias. (You left 4 inches of it unstitched, remember? Trim away any excess backing fabric and batting (anything that extends beyond the quilt top) with scissors. You’ll also need a 1/4″ presser foot or another way to make sure the seam allowance is 1/4-inch. Folding (a, b) and stitching (c) a double-fold binding. © 2017-Present Nicki Hibbits. This is another way to stay up-to-date on the fun things going on at The Ruffled Purse. And when I trim I l cut about 1/8 - 1/4" beyond the quilt top edge. Send me an email at nicki@theruffledpurse.com and we can work together to get it figured out! (e.g. Thread, needles, pins/clips, tape measure, scissors, iron, iron board, and a marking utensil are other supplies you need. Most double-fold binding is cut in widths from 2 to 2 1/2 inches. 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. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. This tutorial shows you how to make your own double fold binding and attach it to your quilt. To determine how many strips to cut, you need to take the total length of the binding and divide it by the length of each strip you cut. A 1/4″ binding will just cover the ¼” seam allowance built into the blocks. To end your binding back where you started (what goes around comes around), trim the ending tail of the binding so that it overlaps the beginning by about 2 inches. While double-fold binding can be purchased, you can make your own. On the back side, use the blind-stitch to hand stitch the binding in place along the remaining crease, stitching directly over the machine stitching line. This is one of our favorites for simple bindings, such as around a placemat or hot pad or even as edging for a bag flap. Cut binding strips 2 1/2" wide on lengthwise or crosswise grain of fabric. 24. 20 $19.00 $19.00. Cut your binding fabric to 1 1/4" wide. To work out how much you need to make**, simply add together - Quilt length (x2) + Quilt width (x2) + 10" = Total length needed ** My quilt patterns will give you the binding fabric yardage and cutting instructions How To Sew Double Fold Bias Tape On A Quilt. This type of bias binding isn’t quite as durable as traditional binding, so use it for projects that won’t be handled or washed frequently, such as wall hangings and table runners. The fabric you select should be similar to the weight and quality of the fabric used in the quilt. There are two ways to cut the ends of strips you’re using for binding. To figure out how much fabric you need for your binding, you need to measure the perimeter (all four sides) of your quilt. This binding is made from strips of fabric, usually 2″ – 2½” wide, which are folded wrong sides together with the raw edges touching to create a double layer of fabric. The best tools for cutting fabric for binding and preparing the quilt top are. 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. Pressed for time? (the perimeter), Add 20 inches to the perimeter. It finishes at ½”, and as above, is most often used as an edge finish or for ties. I love this sewing room workhorse, so I created a short video tutorial for you on how to finish your quilt using double fold bias binding. Cheryl Fall is the author of 12 how-to books, has designed more than 2,500 projects for publication, and is the host of The Creative Life with Cheryl Fall on PBS. Your email address will not be published. You will need to cut a wider strip of clothing than your measurement to make a double-fold binding. Reply Delete Because it consists of two layers, double-fold binding is recommended for quilts that will get a lot of use. The binding strips for double-fold binding can be … Here are so some things to consider when deciding on the binding width along with corresponding measurements: In addition to the size of the binding on the front of the quilt, keep in mind the thickness of the batting you’re using. Most finished bindings are approximately 1/4-inch wide on the front of the quilt. WEB BONUS: Click here for FREE quilting lesson download from the experts at McCallsQuilting.com: Making and Applying Extra-Wide Quilt Binding. How to sew a curved corner. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Welcome to The Ruffled Purse® where you can discover (or rediscover) the joy of sewing! Let’s go put it on your quilt. Keep in mind that a darker color fabric will define the edge of the quilt better than a lighter color fabric. Click here for supplies: http://missouriquiltco.com Jenny Doan demonstrates how to bind a quilt the quick and easy way. Do not use the sewing machine as a toy. Press. 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. Choose a Binding Width . Click here to read my full Disclosure and Privacy Policy.. The cuts you make on each end of a strip should be parallel to each other. Snip your threads and take your quilt out of the machine. Use a 1/4′ seam allowance and sew the strips together until you have one long piece of binding. My favorite method uses double fold binding that is attached to the front of the quilt with a sewing machine and secured on the back with the blind stitch. Most quilt patterns and kits have you cut your binding this way. This will allow you to sew the edges together in a way that will hide the ends of the bias binding. Get it as soon as Tue, Nov 24. After you cut the strips, you need to make a decision on how you’re going to connect them. . Wrights 117-706-031 Double Fold Quilt Binding Bias Tape, Black, 3-Yard. The extra 20 inches will ensure you have enough binding to go around the corners and overlap at the ends where you start and stop. 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. Now you have some double-fold binding. Fold the strip in half lengthwise with the wrong sides together (see a in the following figure). Binding is a strip of fabric attached to the front and back of a quilt that covers the raw edges. This is my favorite width for double fold binding— not too narrow and not too wide but just right in my opinion. Legal Disclosures. The main job of the binding is to cover and protect the edges of the quilt. You’ve got all the info you need: the width of the binding, the total binding length, and the direction you’re going to cut the fabric. Cut the binding along the selvage edge of the fabric for straight grain and at 45 degree angles to the selvage for bias. The cutting width of your binding strips depends on how wide the finished binding will be. 3. With right sides together, line up the raw edges of the short ends. Carrie Nelson of Moda Fabrics will guide you step by step on how to put wide binding on your quilt. Watch my video tutorial to learn: The difference between bias binding and straight cut (or quilt) binding. Divide the total by 40” (safest usable fabric width, especially if pre-washed) to determine how many cross-cut (selvage-to-selvage) strips are needed to make the quilt binding. For example, if your project calls for 20 inches (51 cm) of bias binding, then cut 21 inches (53 cm) to ensure that you will have enough to hide the ends. I’ll add 10” to that and come up with 254”. This measurement will be determined by the thickness of the quilt sandwich (as you can see here I have a very thin sandwich – I didn’t use a very thick batting – other times it may be thicker). (the extra). 4.6 out of 5 stars 353. Since the edges of most quilts are straight, the binding doesn’t need to be cut on the bias. She has spent almost all of her adult life either sewing or thinking about sewing. Most double-fold binding is cut in widths from 2 to 2 1/2 inches. When you cut your bias binding for the project, make sure that you cut a little more than you will actually need to cover the edges. Learn how your comment data is processed. You can sew a double bias fold on your quilt by cutting a few strips, lay them out on your quilt, and guesstimate the number of strips you will need. It can be cut either lengthwise (parallel to the selvages) or cross-grain (right angles to the selvages). About me... Use caution when working with sharp tools and objects including, but not limited to, scissors, needles, pins, and rotary cutters. Need help or have questions on this project, pattern, or tutorial? Single-fold binding has one layer of fabric covering the quilt’s raw edges. Cutting on these straight grain lines eliminates any of the stretchiness you would experience when trying to sew a bias cut binding on a quilt top with straight edges. If your quilt is made of blocks without borders or has a pieced border, use a narrow ¼” finished binding width. The extra wide double fold, is the extra wide single fold, folded in half. This is extremely helpful if you’re project has curved edges. Looking for more sewing education? Your email address will not be published. Step 1. Fold each side of the strip toward the center fold so that the raw edges meet in the middle (see b in the following figure). Now I need to figure out how wide to cut it. To determine long your binding strip needs to be, measure your four sides, add the measurements together and then add about 5". Though it may be a little harder to sew bias cut binding on a straight edge because it tends to pull out of shape, it may be worth the extra effort if you want the effect cutting on the bias gives with prints that have a direction. Here are two ways to cut bias binding strips. Many patterns will tell you how many strips to … Fold the binding in half so the raw edges are lined up. To get an accurate seam line when sewing the strips together, cut 3/8″ off the point on each strip end. 4.6 out of 5 stars 66. quilters use double-fold straight-grain binding or single-fold straight-grain binding, unless the quilt has curved edges, in which case they opt for bias binding. PEARL 7/8" Double Fold Quilt Binding, P/C, 25 yd, White. With the sides still folded in, refold the strip along the center crease, and press it to reestablish the center crease. If you’re determined to make your own double-fold bias binding, follow these steps: Cut strips of fabric four times wider than the desired width of the finished binding. Cut the number of required strips of binding, according to your pattern or calculations. For example, if you need a total of 220 inches (200 inches of quilt perimeter plus 20 extra inches), and each strip you cut is 40 inches long, you’ll need to cut 6 fabric strips. Cutting strips on the bias of a fabric that has strips results in diagonal lines on the binding. Leave the ends of the binding strips at a 90-degree angle after cutting off any selvages. $3.24 $ 3. 2. If not, see Step 9.) Sewing with a wider seam will chop off important design elements. For 1⁄4"-wide finished double-fold binding, cut 1-3⁄4"-wide binding strips and attach them using a 1⁄4" seam allowance. How Wide To Cut Quilt Binding? 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". The double-fold binding method uses a single layer of fabric on the edges of the quilt, making it more economical than traditional bias binding. You can even follow me on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube! There are two ways to cut your fabric when you make you binding - straight grain or on the bias. Fold the binding to the back side of the quilt. Place end of two strips perpendicular to each other forming an 'L', right sides together. Trim batt and lining even with the top. 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). Video Transcript: DOUBLE FOLD BINDING Binding – How Wide? Decide How Wide to Make the Binding. Tools and Supplies to Make Double-Fold Binding, Tips for cutting the ends at a 45-degree angle, Double-Fold Quilt Binding: A Beginner’s Guide, Applique Tools to Make Sewing More Enjoyable, Measure each side of the quilt and add them up. This post may contain some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will earn a small commission which helps keep my blog up and running but it won't cost you a penny more)! If you do this, when you sew across the width to connect the binding strips together, it will leave a lump in the binding when you attach it to the quilt top. How to attach strips of bias 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. It is really important that the corners of your quilt be square at 90 degree angles. If so, pick up double-fold bias tape in any fabric store. There are many different ways to make and add binding to a quilt. For my quilt top (60”x 62”), the sum of the perimeter is 244”. Open all the folds of the binding strip, and turn in 1/4 inch at the starting end of the strip so that the right side of the folded piece faces you. Amazon's Choice for double fold quilt binding. Use the lines on a rotary cutting ruler to get an exact 45-degree angle. The color you choose for the binding is up to you. Here are so some things to consider when deciding on the binding width along with corresponding measurements: Quilt binding is a strip of fabric that finishes a quilt. If your quilt or item you are binding has curved edges or corners, you need to cut your binding on the bias, at a 45 degree angle. Cut the binding strips with a rotary cutter and quilting ruler just like you cut strips to make 9-patch blocks in my 9-patch quilt tutorial. Also, like or follow The Ruffled Purse® on Facebook. Move your quilt about three to four inches down from where your stitching ended and start stitching your double fold binding down also with a ¼” seam allowance. Framing Your Quilt with a Beautiful Border, Quilting Basics: Choosing Cotton to Match Your Style. $17.20 $ 17. With sewing, you can create wonderful things for yourself, your home, and others. A regular sewing machine can be used to sew a binding on a quilt. It comes in a variety of colors and even some prints, such as gingham. In my opinion, double-fold binding is easier to work with because the fabric strips are folded in half with the raw edges together. 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). Now that you know how wide the binding is going to be as well as the total length of the binding, you need to decide if you’re going to cut the strips along a grain line or the bias. Measure the perimeter of your quilt and add approximately 24″. I use a 2.25" wide binding and a 1/4" seam. The center crease should lie along the very edge of the quilt. Using your quilting ruler, trim the end of your binding strips at a 45 degree angle, as shown below.