How to Bind a Quilt: Step-by-Step Method and Binding Strip Chart for Every Size

How to bind a quilt, step by step

1. Trim the quilt square. After quilting, trim the batting and backing even with the quilt top using a Omnigrid 12-1/2 in Square at the corners and a long Creative Grids 12.5x24.5 ruler along the sides.
2. Cut the strips. Cut strips 2 1/2 in wide across the width of the fabric, selvage to selvage, with a sharp Olfa RTY-3/DX 60mm. Use the chart below for how many.
3. Join the strips on the diagonal. Lay two strips right sides together at a right angle, sew corner to corner, trim to a 1/4 in seam and press open. Diagonal seams spread the bulk so the binding lies flat.
4. Fold and press. Fold the long strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press with a hot iron such as the Oliso TG1600 Pro Plus. Roll it onto a spool or cardboard to keep it tidy.
5. Sew the binding to the front. Start partway down one side, leave a 10 in tail, and sew the raw edges of the binding to the raw edge of the quilt front with a 1/4 in seam, using a walking foot if you have one.
6. Miter the corners. Stop 1/4 in before each corner and backstitch. Fold the binding straight up at 45 degrees, then back down along the next edge with the fold level with the quilt edge, and continue sewing.
7. Join the ends. Stop about 12 in from where you started. Overlap the tails by exactly the strip width (2 1/2 in), sew them together on the diagonal, trim, finger-press open and sew the last section down.
8. Finish on the back. Fold the binding over the edge to the back so it just covers the stitching line, hold it with Clover Wonder Clips 50, and hand stitch with a blind stitch or machine stitch in the ditch from the front.

How do you calculate binding for a quilt?

You need enough binding to go all the way around the quilt, plus extra for the corners and the join. The formula:

1. Perimeter = 2 x (width + length).
2. Add 12 in for mitered corners and joining the ends.
3. Strips = total length divided by the usable length of each strip, rounded up. From 42 in cotton with about 40 in usable, each diagonal join uses roughly one strip width, so a 2 1/2 in strip adds about 37 1/2 in.
4. Yardage = strips x strip width, divided by 36, rounded up to the next 1/8 yard.

The chart below applies it to our standard sizes. Each size has a detailed page, for example queen quilt binding and throw quilt binding, and the calculator handles any measurement.

Buy binding fabric when you buy the quilt fabric. It is a small amount, but a matching print can sell out by the time the top is quilted. More sizes: twin, king and baby.

How wide should quilt binding be?

For double-fold binding, 2 1/2 in is the most common strip width. Folded in half and sewn with a 1/4 in seam, it wraps a quilt with low-loft batting and shows a finished edge of roughly 3/8 in on the front. Narrower strips give a crisper, thinner edge; wider strips suit thick or wool batting that needs more fabric to wrap around.

Jelly rolls are cut at 2 1/2 in, so a leftover strip from a jelly roll is instant scrappy binding. For a clean, even width, cut strips with a rotary cutter and a long ruler rather than scissors. An electric die cutter with a AccuQuilt GO! Strip Cutter 2-1/2 in die cuts 2 1/2 in strips through several layers at once.

Should quilt binding be cut on the bias or straight grain?

Straight-grain binding, cut across the width of the fabric, is the standard for quilts with straight edges. It uses the least fabric and is easy to cut and handle.

Bias binding is cut at 45 degrees to the selvage, which makes it stretchy. You need it for curved edges, scalloped borders and rounded corners, because it bends smoothly around a curve. Many quilters also prefer bias binding on heirloom quilts, because the threads cross the edge diagonally, so wear is spread across many threads rather than one. Plaids and stripes cut on the bias make an attractive candy-stripe edge.

Continuous bias binding is usually made from a square of fabric: a queen needs a square about 36 in on each side for 2 1/2 in strips. Store-bought double-fold bias tape is generally too narrow to bind a quilt sandwich with batting; it is designed for garment edges and thin crafts.

How do you do mitered corners on quilt binding?

A mitered corner is a neat 45 degree fold on both the front and the back. It takes three moves:

1. Stop 1/4 in before the corner, with the needle down, and backstitch a couple of stitches. Remove the quilt from under the foot. Mark the 1/4 in point with a pin or a Clover Chaco Liner if it helps.
2. Fold the binding up and away from the quilt so it makes a 45 degree angle and continues straight in line with the next edge.
3. Fold it back down along the next edge, with the top fold level with the edge you just sewed. Start sewing from the top edge down the new side.

When you turn the binding to the back, the fold forms a miter on the front automatically; fold the back corner the opposite way so the bulk is split, and add a stitch or two to hold the miter closed. Rounded corners, trimmed with a plate or template, skip mitering but require bias binding.

Can you bind a quilt by machine?

Yes, and many quilters bind everyday and gift quilts entirely by machine. There are two common methods:

• Back to front. Sew the binding to the back of the quilt, wrap it to the front, and topstitch along the fold. The stitching is visible on the front but perfectly even.
• Front to back, stitch in the ditch. Sew to the front as usual, wrap to the back so the fold extends just past the stitching line, clip it in place, then stitch in the ditch from the front. The line of stitching catches the binding on the back.

Machine binding is faster and more durable for quilts that get washed often. Hand binding with a blind stitch is invisible and traditional, and many quilters find it a relaxing final step. For long hand-stitching sessions, good light matters as much as a good needle; a daylight floor lamp such as the Daylight Slimline 4 Floor at your chair reduces eye strain.

For machine binding, a walking foot or dual feed keeps the layers from shifting, and a machine with a strong motor handles the thick corners. The Janome HD9 offers presser foot pressure adjustable up to 5 lb and bundles an even feed foot, helpful when binding thick quilts.

Do you quilt before or after binding?

Quilt first, then bind. Binding finishes the raw edges of all three layers together, so the quilting must be complete and the edges trimmed before binding goes on. The exceptions:

• Quilt-as-you-go quilts are quilted in sections and joined, but they are still bound after the sections are assembled.
• Envelope or pillowcase finish: the top and backing are sewn right sides together with the batting, turned through an opening and then quilted. This makes a quilt without binding, common on baby quilts and minky-backed throws.
• Self-binding: the backing is cut larger and folded to the front as the binding. It saves a step but gives a less durable edge.

Planning the backing? See how to back a quilt, and for the whole process from the start, how to make a quilt for beginners.