The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Quilt Binding

So, you’ve just finished quilting your gorgeous quilt; you trimmed up the sides and squared the corners. Now what? The final step of the quilting-making process is yet to be done. I’m not sure why, but for some reason, quilting corners of binding has got a bad rap.

I don’t understand why because I LOVE binding my quilts. It’s a fun process and so satisfying once it’s done!

I’m going to show you how to make quilt binding and how to attach binding to a quilt using mitered corners. Let’s do it!

How To Make Quilt Binding

This is a simple tutorial for how to make quilt binding from yardage. I also made a video tutorial on YouTube that you can check if you would rather watch a tutorial.

Step One: Calculate the Binding Length

To calculate how much binding you need for your quilt, all you need to do is add up the lengths of each side of the quilt and add 10” to that total to ensure you have plenty for your quilt binding mitered corners. 

So for this example, my mini quilt is 9 ½” x 18 ½” so I need to add:

9 ½” + 9 ½” + 18 ½” + 18 ½”= 56”

56” + 10”= 66” 

So my binding needs to be 66” long, and I like my binding strips to be 2 ½” wide. 

I’m going to be adding binding to a mini quilt that I made using the quilt as you go method.

Step Two: Cut the Binding Strips

I will be using yardage to cut my binding strips, but you can also use jellyroll strips to save a little time. 

I need two strips for this project. I will cut them 2 ½” x WOF (width of fabric.)

Step Three: Sew the Strips Together

To sew the strips together, first lay your first strip down right side up. Next, lay the next strip right side down on the strip like the image below.

Sew a diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the top right corner. You can draw a line using a water-soluble ink pen to make sure you have a straight line. 

Trim the excess fabric leaving a ¼” seam allowance.

Continue this step until you have a binding strip that is the correct length for your project.

Step Four: Fold and Press the Strips

Take the long strip to your ironing board and press all the seams open with your favorite iron.

Now you want to fold the strip in half and press it to create the binding. This is called double-fold binding. 

Once you get to the end of the strip, fold in the raw edges about ¼” and press it to conceal the raw edges.

Quilt Binding FAQS

How Wide Should Quilt Binding Be?

Typically, most quilters will cut their strips between 2 1/4″ to 2 1/2″. You can use wider strips if you prefer a wider binding. It really depends on your personal preferences and the look that you are going for.

What Do I Use for Quilt Binding?

You can use quilting cotton yardage, jelly roll strips, silky fabric, or even bias tape. You can also add trim for an extra design layer.

Super Simple Tutorial on How To Sew Binding On a Quilt

Now let’s through the step-by-step tutorial on how to add binding to a quilt. I’ll show you how to do an easy mitered corner and how to finish the quilt binding using a sewing machine. 

Step One: Beginning the Binding Process

First, we want to start sewing the binding to the front of the quilt. Choose any edge of the quilt and place the folded-over end of the binding anywhere on the edge.

I usually place it around the middle of my chosen edge. Line up the raw edges of the binding with the raw edges of the quilt. 

Start sewing the binding to the quilt using a ¼” seam allowance. You want to leave about a 2” tail of the binding like the image below. We’ll stitch this “tail” down later. 

Don’t forget to backstitch at the beginning to ensure those stitches remain secure. 

Continue stitching the binding down till you are about 2” away from your first corner. Now comes the fun part: Mitered Corners!

Step Two: Sew the Mitered Corners for the Front of the Quilt

Slowly continue stitching till you are ¼” away from the bottom edge of the quilt.

With your needle in the “down position,” lift your sewing machine foot and rotate the quilt 45°. The point of the corner should be pointing right at you.

Put your foot down again and stitch all the way to the corner, backstitch, and sew forward again to the corner so your needle goes past the quilt corner.

Lift the sewing machine foot and rotate the quilt another 45°. Take the binding and fold it back and create a 45° angle with the folded binding.

Now, keeping that 45° angle in the binding, fold the binding down so the raw edges of the quilt binding are lined up with the quilt raw edges. 

Place the quilt back under the needle, put your foot down, and stitch the quilt binding into place using a ¼” seam allowance. You can backstitch a few stitches to ensure those stitches are secure. 

You just attached your first mitered corner! This is the commonly used quilting corners of binding and my personal favorite quilt binding method. 

Step Three: Continue Attaching the Binding to the Front of the Quilt

Continue following the instructions from Steps #1 and #2 until you are about 2” away from the beginning of the binding strip.

Step Four: Secure the Quilt Binding to the Quilt Top

Lay the end of the binding on the tail of the binding you left at the beginning.

Trim the end of the binding strip so it goes past the stitches about 1”. I like to trim it at an angle to cut down on the seam bulk.

Open the tail of the binding and tuck the end of the binding into the pocket you created.

Hold the strips down so the raw edges are lined up with the raw edge of the quilt, and sew the rest of the quilt binding. Backstitch to hold the stitches in place.

Step Five: Attach the Binding to the Back of the Quilt

Flip the quilt over and fold the binding over to the back of the quilt. You can use pins or clips to hold the binding in place.

Begin sewing the binding about ⅛” away from the edge to the back of the quilt. The quilt binding width on the back will be about ½”.

Sew the binding down to the edge of the quilt till you are about 2” away from your first corner.

Step Six: Finish Sewing the Mitered Corners

Fold the binding over the edge you are sewing, then fold over the next edge to create a 45° fold.

Continue stitching ⅛” from the edge of the binding. Stop stitching but leave the needle down when you stitch the first stitch on that bottom edge of the quilt. 

Rotate the quilt while holding that 45° fold. Begin stitching ⅛” from the folded edge of the quilt binding. Stitch forward a couple of inches, and then check out that GORGEOUS mitered quilt corner.

Step Seven: Finish Attaching the Binding

Continue attaching the binding to the quilt following Steps #5 and #6. Once you reach where you began attaching the quilt binding to the back of the quilt, make sure you backstitch to secure the stitches. 

You just completed your quilt binding corners and your entire quilt project! Congratulations!

Final Thoughts

I hope you had as much fun as I did quilting corners of binding onto your quilt. This truly is one of my favorite parts of quilt making, and I hope I changed at least one person’s mind about sewing mitered corners.