Quilt Binding Tutorial

This is a tutorial on putting a binding around the edge of a quilt.  It is really a simple thing to do, so, don't make it harder than it actually is.  Cut your strips for your binding 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 inches wide, cutting enough strips to go all the way around your quilt.  Cutting across the width of your fabric.

Join these strips together as shown in this picture, placing right sides together.

Place under machine like you see in this picture.  You will sew from the upper left hand corner to the bottom right hand corner and turn to make sure it fits properly.

Please note that I have left the least little bit of the bottom strip sticking out from the bottom to the top and to the right.  This was done so you can see the bottom, so it will go straight.  You will sew by the top strip, corner to corner, NOT the bottom.

After you have sewn your strips together,  fold and press this strip in half lengthwise.  Leaving apprx. 5 inches tail hanging loose, begin sewing the strip (on top) onto the quilt edge using your quaarter foot.  Let your quilt edge peep out from under your quilt ever so slightly at the edge.  This will prevent it from sliding underneath the binding and not get caught in your seam.

Note the quilt edge peeping out from under the quilt.

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Just before you get to the corner, stop 1/4 inch away from the corner, with the needle down, pivot your quilt to where you can sew it directly into the corner.  Cut thread and turn the quilt around.  Let your pressure foot help you hold your quilt in place while you prepare the corner.

Fold your strip into kind of triangular position as shown in the above picture.

Bring it back down into position as shown.

When that is accomplished, begin sewing at the end and continue around coming to the end, leave a 5 inch space on your sewing space and for the tail, 8 in length also and trim off excess..........Now you must join the ends in a seam just like the other seams have been joined.  To do this you must measure...  If your binding was cut at 2 1/2 inches, then place the excess tails on top of each other lapping them.  Measure the lapped over binding and it must be a 2 1/2 inch lap. Now you can trim off the excess tail and sew together just as you did the other binding strips.  It should fit exactly.  You can now finish sewing on your binding.  Now press open the binding seam so it lays toward the backside of your quilt and hand stitch on the back.  If you have followed this guide, you will have pristine sharp corners and a lovely quilt.  Don't forget your labels.