The first thing to know about binding is that there are as many ways to make it and apply it as there are colors on the color wheel.  This is the method I use most often.

How much fabric do I need:

Binding can match the border or be made of contrasting fabric.  Cut your binding strips 2" to 3” wide.  I generally use a 2” to 2 ¼” strip because I like a small binding.  So, how much fabric do I need to buy if I've altered the pattern and made my quilt larger or smaller than the pattern? 

  I calculate how many strips I need by adding up the 4 outside measurements and add 12” for a safety factor, divide that number by 40 (usable width of most fabrics)   and your answer is the number of strips you need to cut.

 EXAMPLE:  Your quilt is 44”x62”                                                                                    

1.  Add up all 4 outside measurements:  44+44+62+62=212 +12=224                          

2.  Divide 224 by 40:  224 divided by 40=5.6.   Always round up to the next even number, in this case 6.  You will need 6 strips, cut the width of your choice,  to bind a quilt that is 44”x 62”.  This rule will apply most of the time, even for your borders. It does Not apply if you are using mitered corners.                                       62"                                                                                                             44"  44"

                                                                  62"                             

Now, how much fabric will you need?                                                                                                                                  Decide on the width of you want for your binding strip.  I  use 2 ¼” so I take that measurement and multiply that by my 6 strips:  2.25 x 6 = 13.50 or 13 ½” of fabric.  (It’s always wise to purchase one extra cut in case me make a wrong cut.)   In this case I would purchase 1/2 yard of fabric.                         

Sewing the Strips together:                                                                             

                                                                        

You will sew all your strips together by placing them right sides together. Lay the bottom strip horizontally and the upper strip vertically and then sew a diagonal seam.  Trim to 1/4" seam allowance and press seam open. Sew on dotted line and trim on solid line.   
see fig 1 & 2                                                             

                                           
Fig 1                    

     

    













 fig 3               
press seams open

 Make one long continuous strip. (Bias binding is not necessary unless your edges are scalloped or curved.)

Hints:  Binding strips can be cut from 2"- 3 1/4" wide, depending on how wide you would like the binding to appear.  This is a combination of personal preference and proportion to the quilt.  Just remember that the binding should be filled with the quilt edge.  In other words, it should feel stuffed. 

 

If you are going to use wide binding, you will have to sew it on at a distance further from the edge than 1/4".  Otherwise, when you wrap it around, it will not be applied evenly on both sides or it will be empty of batting.

Fold and Press:

Fold the binding wrong sides together in half (lengthwise) and press.  The binding is now ½ the width of the strip you cut.  If you cut a 2” strip your folded strip will be 1”.   When you stitch the 1/4" seam allowance (which actually uses 1/2" since you have doubled the binding), you will have 1/2" left to pull around and stitch to the other side.  The ideal is for the batting to completely fill the binding.  It looks better and it wears better.

On most quilt projects, you would stitch your binding to the top (right side) of the quilt and hand stitch the fold to the back side.  On something like a table runner or baby quilt, which will receive heavy use, you might want to stitch the binding to the back, then bring the fold to the front and use your blind hem stitch or a decorative embroidery stitch to finish sewing.  Not only is this sturdier, but it will take less time.  This will NOT be invisible, so you might want to practice on a small scrap piece to see if you like how it looks before putting it on your real piece.

Sew binding strip to quilt:

Begin stitching your binding on one of the long sides, well away from the corner.  Leave a tail about 12-14 inches.  You are putting the raw edge of the binding to the raw outside edge of the runner.

You will want the corners of your bindings to look mitered.  Here's how.  Stitch to within 1/4" of the corner.  Stop sewing. Back tack a few stitches.  Lift your presser foot, take out the quilt and cut the thread.  With your quilt and the attached binding laying horizontally, fold the remaining binding up or vertically so that you have a fold that is at a 40 degree angle from the point or corner of the quilt.  Fig. 1. Pin.  Now bring the binding strip down, back onto itself so that the new fold is aligned with the raw edge of the quilt.  Fig 2.  Remove your pin.  Begin sewing right at the edge with a ¼” seam allowance and stitch down to within ¼” of the next corner and repeat for all 4 corners.

 Fig 1   Fig 2
Fold the binding edge back (Fig 1) and then down, with the raw edge against the edge of the quilt. (Fig 2)

When you get back to the first side, you will want to stop when you are about 12” from where you started. Fig A

 fig A  

 Joining the last ends together:

Take both tails of the binding and bring them together to meet in the middle of your open area.  Fold them back each onto themselves so that their folded ends meet.  Finger press or mark with disappearing pen. Fig B shows folds.  

   fig B   

Open each binding strip and lay them out like you did in the step of joining the strips.  Lay the left strip horizontally and the right strip vertically. Line up the fold lines as shown in Fig C.. Fabric strips are right sides together.

Fig C   

Sew on dotted line and trim on solid line to  leave a 1/4" seam allowance.  See Fig D

 Fig D

Trim seam allowance to ¼” and press seam open.  See Fig E & F

Fig E                                                       Fig F      

Now “snap” the binding back into place on the quilt top and finish sewing it down.  Fig G

  Fig G    

Completing your binding:

At this point you will fold your binding to the back side and pin.  Play around with the mitered corners so that you get the best look possible. Generally, the part of the binding that is “under” on the top side is folded back first.  Then the binding that is on “top” will be folded second.  This is hard to explain in words but once you see the mitered corner, you will understand.  If you need help, visit your quilt shop or ask your quilting instructor. 

Binding your quilt in this method makes all the joins of the bindings identical. 

 Sew Simple Patterns©