How to Attach Quilt Binding by Machine

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

by Leah Day

Let's face it, who has the time to hand stitch binding on every single quilt they make? Not only is this time consuming, it's totally unnecessary when you consider how securely the quilt can be stitched by machine. The only time I ever, EVER stitch binding by hand is when the quilt might possibly be put into a show.

When binding, you want to first prepare your binding strips. I use 2 1/4" strips sewn together with a diagonal seam that's then folded in half and ironed flat. If I'm working on several quilts at once, I'll go on ahead and cut out the binding when I'm working on the borders (usually my binding colors match the last border color).

I use 2 1/4" binding because it gives the quilt edge a nice plump, rounded look. (Note: if you're binding a very densely quilted top, you might want to cut your binding at 2")

In quilt shows you can get points deducted from your binding if it is not plump enough and forms a crease. They judge this to be inferior because the quilt will wear badly when the fabric on the edges is creased.

Once the strips are cut, you need to sew them together. Check out the image to the right to see how to sew each piece together with a diagonal seam.

You can judge how many strips your quilt will need by cutting two strips and laying them out around the quilt. Always cut more binding than you need (you don't want to be pulling the quilt or the binding to fit).

Go to your iron and press each seam open, and then fold the binding in half (right side out) and iron flat. If I'm on a role with several quilts of the same binding color (most often black), I'll just sew all the binding together in one extremely long strip and bind all the quilts with it at once. It saves time as well as fabric to finish as many quilts as possible this way.

Once the binding is ready to go, lay the strip around the quilt and check to see that it will fit. You don't have to pin it or get all picky, just lay it around the quilt and eyeball it. Make sure that none of the seams hit a corner and that you have plenty of binding to work with.

Summary of this article: Cut several 2 1/4" strips - enough to fit around your quilt completely. Sew strips together using a diagonal seam illustrated above. Press seams open. Fold binding in half, right side out, and iron flat Lay binding around the quilt to check placement, making sure no seams hit a corner.

Check out How to Attach Binding by Machine - Part 2 to learn the next stage of binding your quilt.

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