Wednesday, October 29, 2008

a binding tutorial

This tutorial is for how to make continuous crossgrain binding.
It is how I bind the majority of my quilts.

Part I-How to make the binding strip.
First, measure your quilt. The quilt that I am binding is 57" x 73".
Add 57 + 57 + 73 + 73 + 12" (to account for miters and seams) = 272".

Divide that by 40" (a conservative estimate of the usable with of the fabric)= 6.8.
Round up to the nearest whole number, which is 7.
This is the number of binding strips needed.
I cut the strips 2.25" wide.
If you wish, you can cut them 2.5" instead.

For this quilt I am making scrappy binding. Since I am using various lengths of several fabrics, I will make sure that once they are all joined together they total at least 272".

Trim the ends of each strip at a 90 degree angle.
This is a very important step for accuracy.

Place two fabric strips right sides together making a 90 degree angle.

Press down the corner and iron.

Fold fabric back into place. See the crease? That will be your seam line guide.
Pin.
Sew on the crease, back stitching at the beginning and the end of the seams.

Trim corners leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
Iron seam, pressing the fabric to one side.

Connect all your strips in the same manner.
Iron in half lengthwise.

And your binding strip is done.

Part II-Attaching the binding to the quilt.

Before I start sewing my binding to the quilt, I like to lay it out and do a test run to make certain that the seams don't end up on the corners of the quilt, as this makes the mitering of the corners very difficult. I like to start laying out the binding about a quarter of the way down the quilt on the right hand side. (see sketch below.)

this seam is about 6" from the corner...

and this one is 4" from the corner...
which is about as close as you want to be...just in case things shift a bit when you are sewing.
pin the beginning of the binding strip to the quilt, and then place a pin about 10" after that.
using the second pin as your starting point, sew (with a walking foot) the binding strip to the quilt using a 1/4" seam allowance.

when you are nearing the corner

stop and place a pin 1/4" from the bottom of the quilt.

continue sewing until you reach the pin

leave the needle down, and pivot your quilt 90 degrees

back stitch to the edge of the quilt and remove from the machine
it should look like this
take the binding strip and flip it up
and fold it down onto itself again

start 1/4" from the top and continue attaching the binding

it should look like this
repeat for all sides of the quilt
when you get to about 8" from the starting pin, stop and back stitch
remove the quilt from the machine
(edited to add, if you would like to miter the two ends, see update below)
measure the binding so it overlaps by 1/2" and cut

open the binding
pin, right sides together

and sew together with a 1/4" seam allowance

finger press the seam open
line up the binding to the quilt edge
(you can pin here, if desired)

and sew the seam, joining up where you first started

then I like to trim my edges with pinking shears, near the edge of the fabric


edited to add:
here is an easy way to join the final two ends of the binding strips using a mitered joint:
when you get to about 8" from the starting pin, backstitch and take the quilt out of the machine.
measure an overlap equal to the width of your binding. if the binding strips are cut at 2.25", measure the overlap to 2.25".
mark it and cut the piece to length.
open up both tail ends
fold the left strip as shown in the photo. finger press the fold line.
pin the ends together as shown.
optional: use a water soluble marking pen to draw the 45 degree angle.
while the pins are still in place, you can test the seam to make sure that everything is pinned correctly and that nothing is twisted.
sew on the line/fold.
trim off the triangles leaving a 1/4" seam allowance.
finger press the seam open
fold the binding strip in half once again, pin in place.
sew the binding strip in place. trim off edges. Proceed to part III.
 
Part III-Hand stitching the binding
hide your knot in the seam
flip the quilt over and tack the binding down (I'll let the photo explain.)

when you get to the corner

miter it as neatly as possible

make a few extra stitches in the corner
and continue stitching.
If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them in the comments.

209 comments:

1 – 200 of 209   Newer›   Newest»
Gretchen said...

Excellent tutorial! Thanks for taking to time with all the pictures!

When pressing my binding, I like to first press it in half, then open it up and press the sides toward the center.

Finished my ragged squares quilt this morning - hope to get a picture up tomorrow!

M said...

I have seen several tutorials showing binding....but I love this one....definitely great for someone who is new. I always have trouble with joining the ends and yours looks totally doable. I cannot wait to try it.

smalltownme said...

That was a nice tutorial, and easy to follow.

Melanie O said...

Thank you so much for posting this! The time and effort you put into your tutorials is very much appreciated! Binding makes so much more sense to me now!

Anonymous said...

Thanks!!!

Unknown said...

I'm curious why you don't sew your two ends together on a diagonal when you join the beginning and the end. All your other joins are on the bias. If you do a finger press fold on the two ends, just shy of actually meeting, then open them up, stick a pin in the centers and put them at right angles, you can sew them and have a bias join.

Sherry said...

Great tutorial. I do my bindings the exact same way, the only thing I do different is I press my seams open (on the binding strip) other than that I do it exactly that way. It works for me.

CB said...

Hi! I'm Christin and I put your blog in my Google Reader quite awhile ago. It's one of my favs!

This tutorial is excellent! Thank you so much! I recently started quilting and I have a lot of quilt sandwiches without finished bindings because I just can't seem to get it right. I'll take a stab at it again after looking at this. Thanks for taking the time to put it together and post it for us! :D

Anonymous said...

Ah! I have been doing it ALL wrong! Thank you so much for a thorough tutorial, I'm coming back to this later for reference!

Tine said...

Thank you so much for all the pictures! This is really a great tutorial :-) I like the point you made about not having a seam in the corner. I hadn't thought of that!!!

Kimonos and Sushi(OLD BLOG) said...

Wow what a great tutorial. I have always had problems with the corners. Thanks for all the great tips.
Andrea

Carie @ Space for the Butterflies said...

Thank you for another great tutorial - with perfect timing too because I've just got to the binding stage on a couple of practice quilts.

Maria Teresa said...

Tranks!!!

Maria Teresa

Maria Teresa said...

Ops! Excuse me..thanks!

. said...

What a great tutorial. The binding is the part I hate most about quilting. I had a finished quilt top sitting in my WIP pile for 2 years because I couldn't bear the thought of sorting the binding out. I did it eventually - but I wish I'd seen this first! LOL. Definitely going in my favs for the next quilty project.

Thanks.

xMx

Anonymous said...

Thanks! Great tutorial. Please can you also add how you "cast off" (?) the sewing when you either reach the end of the thread or finish the binding. It is a mystery to me and I always end up making a complete mess of a knot which is difficult to hide!

Amy Jo said...

I've always wondered how you get such pretty corners. Now I know!

And I'm anxious to see this quilt. The colors are lovely.

Duyvken said...

That looks great, AmandaJean. I love the look of scrappy binding and will definitely have to give it a go. Thanks for going to all the trouble of putting up another tutorial!

Angie said...

Ok, I needed this. I just finished a quilt, that I sort of used your log cabin and free motion quilting tutorials. I didn't do the binding very well. I'll do better on the next.

Link if you would like to see the quilt.
www.harrischronicles.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

Great tutorial! This is how I do my bindings and it works quite well.

Abby and Stephanie said...

That is almost exactly how I do my binding. I also did tutorials a while back. I love the scrappy binding fabrics.

Paula said...

This is awesome. I have a little quilt that needs binding! I'm gonna have to bring the sewing machine up next to the computer so I can follow the directions step by step! (or print it out lol).

Susan said...

This is such a great tutorial. It answered so many questions I have had for a long time, and also gave some great new ideas that had never occured to me, like pinking the edge of the quilt. Thanks so much for taking the time to make this tutorial.

house on hill road said...

as always, well done. i even learned a few tricks!

Anonymous said...

When sewing on bindings I've been doing it basically the same way but when I turn the corners I never did the last stitching that you show before folding the miter. Your way looks simpler so I'm going to try it. And I haven't tried joining the ends the way you did. I saw it demonstrated on Fons & Porter but with a diagnonal seam and I haven't had the nerve to try that method, so I still use another one that I learned. Your tutorial is great, easy to understand, and I will put your methods to use next time. Thank you.

Ruthie said...

Great tutorial. I'm goin to try the pinking shears idea. When I get to the end, I overlap my binding the exact measurement of the width of the binding and then sew a diagonal seam like in the first steps.

The Calico Cat said...

Thanks for the tutorial - love those colors!

Joyce said...

Thanks for the tutorial. I didn't know about backstitching at the corner. That would make mitering easier. I often use Elmer's school glue instead of pins while joining the strips and I like to angle the last join when I'm attaching the binding.

Blogful said...

Binding used to be the hardest part for me. My way is only slightly different than yours, but I like your way better. I used to trim the quilt first and then attach the binding, but I always got crooked edges. This way looks very neat. Great tutorial.

The Demanding Doll said...

This is the way I do my bindings but I have to say that you created an excellent tutorial. Great instructions and pictures.

Plum Blossom Lane said...

Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing your technique.

Meg said...

I like your explanation. I've been using the book Rotary Magic as a guide, but I'm going to try your method on the next quilt. Great tutorial, as usual!

Jilly's Space said...

When I grow up, I want to be just like you!! ;o)
Thanks again for a great tutorial, your blog is my fav!

Tonya said...

Great tutorial!!! Just in time too, I am in the process of quilting my first quilt, so will be at the binding step soon : )

Unknown said...

Thanks so much. I, being new at quilting read your blog all the time. I like the idea of using all the different colours on the binding. It makes it look so interesting. I will try this in the future. Corners, excellent guide.
It must have taken forever to upload this tutorial. So appreciated.

Coochies & All said...

This is an excellent tutorial! I'm new to your site and I'm already loving all the inspiration I'm getting here! I'm also new to sewing so your tutorials come in VERY handy - thank you so so much! :)
elaine t

Anonymous said...

So very neat and tidy! I love the corners! Thanks.

Loralynn said...

Wonderful tutorial! Very clear and the pictures are awesome!

Anonymous said...

Found your blog a few weeks ago and it has quickly become MY FAVORITE. Great tutorial, great blog - thanks!

Anonymous said...

Great tutorial! Thank you so very much for all the photos too! I can use all the help I can get! I'm about to quilt a quilt and then bind it, so I'm so happy to see this tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this great tutorial. I was wondering how you did your binding and love the idea of different colors. I'm new to quilting and just love reading your blog. It's been so helpful! I've learned so much. Thank you for all the inspiration!

Michaela said...

I have to say that this must be the best binding tutorial out there. Thanks Amanda!
I do it almost like it, but will make sure I upgrade. I like the idea of trimming with pinking sheers, it probably helps with the bulkiness around the edges and looks good.
How about the pictute of finished quilt???

Anonymous said...

Wonderful tutorial! This is very helpful as I tend to try and help my cousin over the phone with techniques and this will be great for us to reference to!
Thank you so much for everything - your blog is awesom!

Toby E. said...

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! THIS MAKES SO MUCH SENSE TO ME AND I UNDERSTAND IT. I'M EVEN MORE EXCITED NOW AND SHOULD HOPEFULLY GET STARTED THIS WEEKEND, BUT WITH HOW MY SCHEDUAL GOES, IT WILL PROBABLY BE FOREVER BEFORE IT'S DONE.

kat \ Taylor Made designs said...

How fantastic are you?
What a great tutorial. Thank you!

Regi said...

Thank you so very much... this is exactly the information I was looking for and it makes so much sense with the pictures!

Awesome tutorial!

Anonymous said...

what a great tute!

Erin said...

this is great. I was wondering if you cut your strips on the bias or not?

sulu-design said...

Wow. Seeing all of the nitty gritty that goes into making your fabulous quilts makes me appreciate them all the more... and wonder how the heck you get so many made!

Robyn said...

Thanks so much for this!! Now I just need to finish a couple more quilts to try it out!!

The Taylors said...

Thank you! Thank you! It all makes sense now. I bunch of posts ago you posted a link to a site that taught how to bind and frankly it left me puzzled! This is so much clearer. Thank you for taking the time to explain with photos and all! I love your site!

KateKwiltz said...

This is great! I've been doing this weird hit-and-miss thing when I get the part where the two ends need to match up...and your way is SO much easier! Thanks!

wyndesnow said...

Thank you for the well explained tutorial. I have 2 quilts sitting in my guest room that need binding. I dread the binding part, just dread it because I always make a mess of my binding. This should help tremendously.

Donna said...

Nice tutorial. Except I can't stand hand stitching the binding :)

Rebecca said...

oh thanks. this is JUST what i'm needing and is so timely!

Christina said...

Wonderful reminder, I have been skipping a step, thank you.

Come play block lotto with me http://patchesquiltworks.blogspot.com/2008/10/block-loto_30.html

Anonymous said...

Thank you sooo much. I am one of those wierd people who love doing bindings but your tutorial gave me a few hints which will make it even easier. Very much appreciated

Rebekah said...

thanks for posting such detailed pictures! The hand sewn binding on the back of my quilts is always so sloppy so it's great to see how to hide the knot and tack on the back (I usually use a diagonal whip stitch)

Amanda Jean said...

erin,

I do NOT cut my strips one the bias. I cut them crossgrain, which is from selvage to selvage.

aj

Philigry said...

ok, this is a huge help. i always wondered how you hide the start of your thread when you tack it down by hand.

Jane said...

NOW, I see what I was doing wrong with my mitered corners. After I folded the corner up and then backdown, I sewed from the very edge instead of starting 1/4" in. That explains everything! Hmmm, I don't think I've ever had that explained well. Too bad I JUST put a binding on my rag quilt yesterday!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH AMANDA!
~jane

Patti said...

Great tutorial! You explain things very nicely for beginners. I'm curious about one thing . . . why don't you do your final join as a diagonal bias seam too? The join lays much flatter that way, and makes it impossible to tell where it is because it looks like all the other joins. I've been doing it that way for years and find it lays much better.

Not trying to tell you that your way isn't right - of course it is, as there are no quilt police - I'm just curious as to your reasoning behind this.

Puppenkisterl said...

Wow! This is the best tutorial I have seen on this topic - it answers a lot of questions and I hope the next binding will be much easier to do than the last ones...

Thanks so much for this one!

Yours, Karin!

woolcat said...

That's wonderful, thanks! Your binding is lovely and neat.

Michelle said...

This is the best binding tutorial I've seen! Great job!

melissa said...

oh, you are good. you are really good.

Shelli said...

once again, BRILLIANT! What can I say. Thank you. EACH and EVERY binding tutorial on-line I've seen has just NOT been as detail oriented as yours, and I've ended up doing mine as straight-offs. I CANNOT wait to try my mitered binding now - you truly make it look so simple. PHEW! ;)

(PS - STILL finishing up baby quilt #3, and then I'll tackle my star quilt along, and I promise to show pictures on flickr...)

Rachel@oneprettything.com said...

AMAZING! I totally get it! I'll be linking to this.

Denise Felton said...

You rock, you rock! I've scheduled a link to this post to go live tomorrow morning (Central USA time). I hope it brings you a few extra clicks.

Denise
http://needlework.craftgossip.com

Anonymous said...

That corner is brillant! I always have trouble doing my mitered corners but no more!

Julie said...

Sorry to be boring and repetitive but Great Tutorial! I like the use of the iron to identify the seam line when sewing the strips together. I also like the pictures of the upclose mitered corner - I've frequently given up and done the corners by hand because I've sewn too far. Thank you.

Jessica Christensen said...

I cannot wait to see this quilt all finished! I love green, and your colors look fantastic. I love to look at your work. You do such a great job, and it feeds my fix for when I don't have time to quilt.

lera said...

Love your choice of fabrics for the binding.

Thank you for taking the time to make that tutorial. I'll use this tutorial. Some day.

Unknown said...

Thank you for the tutorial. I always square up my quilts before attaching the binding, but your way intrigues me. I will have to try it next time.

sammyjo said...

im going to say a huge thank you because this post came just at the right time! I've been wondering how to do this as i've just started quilting and now i can finish my christmas blanket!

Thank you so much!

Renee said...

This is a super tutorial, thank you so much! I have yet to bind a quilt, I only have one top done, because I was scared. You make it look so easy. I will definately be coming back here when it's time to bind.

Dru said...

I just discovered your blog and I've always wanted to learn how to do continuous binding. With the pictures and instructions it looks so easy. I can't wait to try it.

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic tutorial !
Thank you so much for taking the time to write all these explanations.

As a complete beginner, binding feels a little bit intimidating, but the step by step pictures and detailed explanations really make it look much more doable !

I'll definitely come back to it.

Val said...

You just will not believe this but I have finished everything on my 25 year old quilt except the binding. I could not believe it when I saw this tutorial. I am still working on the other 2 quilts also, so please don't take them off of your blog. Still working on them. As always, thank you.

Dawn Montgomery said...

I have never seen such a perfect tutorial on binding before! Thank you!

marLou said...

You're fabulous, thank you. I'm just starting to quilt and the visuals truly are helpful!! :)

Sara said...

Like others, I think this is a very well made tutorial. Lots of photos really help!

But also like others, I wonder WHY you don't put that last seam in the binding itself on the diagonal. Is there a reason?

When I get to that point, I overlap the binding ends, and cut so the overlap is a "smidge" less than my binding width (2.25" in your case and mine). Then handle just like you did for all the binding joins.

And for the person who hates the hand work---I sew my binding on the BACK of the quilt. Then bring the binding around to the front and machine sew it down. I line up the crack in my sewing foot right on the edge of the binding, then move my needle one position to the right. That assures me that I will always catch the fold, but not by much!

Jen said...

This is awesome!

I've given you an "I <3 your blog" award - please come by and check it out! =))

Hugs, Jen

Bee said...

Wow...you have no idea how much I needed this tutorial! Thank you so much:) Makes me want to go down to my sewing room right now even though it is almost midnight here:)

Denice said...

ok - im gonna try it. i can never get the corners right. thanks for taking the time to put it online for all of us newbies out there!

Tiffany said...

Thank you! Now that I'm armed with your tutorial I think it is time for me to finally finish a quilt (that was supposed to be done for a birthday LAST May.)

Quick question -- you say to backstitch at the corners, but I was told I shouldn't backstitch with a walking foot... was that bad advice?

Thanks again, Tiffany

Jessica said...

I should have done a test run the other day to see if the seams in my binding overlapped with any corners but I didn't...of course that was the day that every seam hit every corner...what a pain!

Heather - Dollarstorecrafts.com said...

Wow, amazing tutorial. Thank you so much for demystifying binding!

Heather

Anonymous said...

Thank you! Good photo's on how to add a binding.
MIllie

I am Arizona; a person, not a place. said...

Great tutorial! There are so many photos, which is great. A lot of tutorials don't have enough, I think. I'm making a ragged squares quilt...thanks for your post on that. Its really pretty and I think it could showcase decorative stitches. I take FOREVER to pick out fabrics, though. I hate that about myself!! lol!

allie aller said...

What a service you have provided here! Thank you so much.

Alberta said...

Amanda Jean...that's the same way I bind my quilts! Love how clearly you wrote your directions with very clear photos...I'll be bookmarking this post for future reference when I'm not totally on my game! Thanks!

stacieknits said...

Thank you SO much for this tutorial! All of the pictures have made it SO clear. Hopefully, this will be the motivation I need to finish a long over due quilt.

Esther Gregory said...

I think your tutorial saved my life. Or at least my quilt. Not only is that the most clear demonstration of how-to-bind I've seen, but I didn't think of doing a scrappy border (and I was stuck because I didn't have enough of the fabric I was dead set on using). I just wish you had included a finished picture of your quilt.

Anonymous said...

I love that you added the pictures to demonstrate tacking down the binding on the back of the quilt... this is where all the other tutorials out there jump ship and the part that I'm most apprehensive about!

Mira said...

Oh my gosh, thank you 0_0
It's been a while since I've made my first quilt and I had forgotten how to bind a quilt. Thank youuu!!!!

Bridget said...

thank you so much for this tutorial!

Ali Honey said...

Well Done! The photos are very clear. I do my quilts like this too, the only thing I do differently is join the final seam of the binding on a 90 degree angle too - just like you joined the other strips.
Happy quilting!

Lina said...

Fabulous Amanda Jean - thanks for taking the time to do this. REally very helpful indeed!

Bridget said...

Thank you so much for your awesome tutorial! I have 2 quilts done except for the binding because I hate making bias tape. I love yours and can't wait to try it!

wardstorms said...

Thanks so much for this great tutorial. The timing was perfect as I read your post yesterday I was just about to sit down and make binding for a table runner. I decided to try two different fabrics sewn together on the diagonal the way that you describe. It was so easy and looks way better than the straight across way I usually do it.

Amanda Jean said...

tiffany,

I have never heard that you shouldn't backstitch with a walking foot. I always do with mine...I have on 2 different machines...and I have never had any problems with either.

aj

Tamara said...

Great Tute...hope you don't mind if I link your yuye to my blog...T, x

Kelly said...

AWESOME tutorial!!! I have been doing my binding a completely different way but your way makes much better sense to me. I can't wait to try it on the two quilts I have waiting to be done :)

Thanks so much!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the great tutorial...I've looked for binding info for some time and this is the BEST tutorial I've seen. The pictures are really helpful and some of the best I've seen. Thanks again!

Julia Fredenburg said...

So informative! Thank you!

Kelly said...

I tried this last night and I have to say that I LOVE it! It was slightly more time consuming than the way I was taught but the end result was totally worth the extra time! I do have one question... do you square your quilts before binding them? It doesn't look like you do in the pictures. I was taught to square the quilt and take all the excess fabric off before putting the binding on. I'm just trying to figure out which way gives a better result. Thanks!

allisa jacobs said...

This is such an excellent tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing, all your little bits of advice & great photos will help get out those 'kinks' I always come across in my bindings.
One question, curious as to why you trim the edges with pinking shears after the binding has been stitched & is ready to be hand sewn on the other side?
Thanks again :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you very much for this amazing tutorial. I followed it to the letter and my binding turned out great!

Kathy

KyQuiltlady said...

Thank You for this is a very good tutorial. I will tell my friends about it. I do mine this way except for putting the binding together with a miter.

Amanda Jean said...

kelly,

I do not square up my quilts before binding them. This way has been working great for me.

aj

Amanda Jean said...

allisa jacobs,

about trimming with the pinking shears....I used to trim my batting and the quilt back with regular scissors right at the ourside edge of the binding, but then sometimes the binding wouldn't be full because i had trimmed off too much fabric. this way it allows the binding to be full but not too bulky...it gives some wiggle room. does that make sense at all? I hope so. but if not, I'll try to explain it further.

aj

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for this tutorial. I was asked by a quilting friend if I could learn how to bind so I could bind her quilts. So she found this tutorial and I gave it a try. For someone who has never quilted before, I was able to successfully bind a "practice" quilt. The only thing I did wrong was I sewed the binding on the back of the quilt instead of the front so my nice seam was on the back and my stitches were on the front. OOps! I guess a quilter would have known that. Anyways, this tutorial is easy even for a beginner like me!

Thanks again,
Sara, CA

jacquie said...

just wanted you to know i tried your method of joining the ends. worked like a charm and soooo much easier than doing it the bias way. thanks!

John said...

ditto to what jacquie said -- there have been two things about binding that i haven't been able to master. your tutorial was the best explanation yet of joining the ends -- i just bound 2 mini quilts and the ends lined up perfectly on both. now on to my other dilemma ... i don't know how to hand stich at the corners!

Stephanie said...

Can I just say that I love you. LOL. I have been sitting here with a quilt for my niece (born in March by the way) um yeah, and too afraid to move forward with the binding. I have a billion tutorials on bindings and I searched through all my stuff because I knew this one was in there somewhere. You have made sense out of something I could NOT wrap my warped brain around. I greatly appreciate the time and effort U took from your schedule to help with this! Thank you so much!

Nichole said...

very nice tutorial. i had been using one from a quilt book i purchased but there were a few things in your tutorial that simplified the binding process. i especially liked the ironing the crease when sewing the strips together. i had been marking them with a fabric pen before! so much easier!! :)

Amberlee said...

For a beginner like myself I don't know how my quilt would have turned out without you! Thank you for all the time you put into your blog- it has become my favorite blog to check- Thank you!!!

Kim said...

I am having trouble tacking the binding. I noticed that your stiches are so neat. Do you have any suggestions? You can always see my stitches. I hate it! Please help!
BTW, I love your blog and check it everyday! You are such an inspiration!

Amanda Jean said...

kim,

you can always see my stitches on the back of my quilts, too. i think practice, practice and more practice helps. and if you use a thinner thread, that helps hide the stitches, too. i usually use hand quilting thread to tack down my bindings, but if you use regular thread, the stitches show much less. i hope this helps!

aj

Anonymous said...

great tutorial! thanks a lot!!!

Anonymous said...

Girl, you rock! I have never been able to make this kind of binding. I can't wait to try it. Keep em coming! I have been straight binding my quilts and have never seen this way of doing it. Thanks!

Ellie m. said...

what do you do at the end? just got the string off? wont it come un done?

Amanda Jean said...

lulu,

at the end i knot it so it won't come undone and then hide the end of the thread in the binding.

aj

Crisanne said...

Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial! I just completed binding my first quilt, and there is no way I could have done it without your instructions. I knew the general idea of how to bind, but was going to guess my way through it. Luckily I found your tutorial! Wow, your pictures and instructions were so easy to follow! My binding turned out great!

Anonymous said...

AJ, in the mitering pics of the binding tutorial, it looks like you have sewn on the binding with twin needles. What are the two seam lines for? One is the binding but what is the second one? Is it a basting stich for your quilt sandwich? Thanks!

Amanda Jean said...

chris in georgia,

i didn't sew the binding on with twin needles. after the quilt is quilted, i sew around the perimeter near the edge of the fabric to tack down all the edges. then i sew on the binding. a friend told me about that tip. she said that it makes the binding easier to attatch and the quilt has a smoother finish. does that make sense? i hope that helps.

aj

Little Bug Moments said...

Thank you! I have never been able to get the hang of binding but I did it successfully today with your tutorial. It looks great.

Ellen said...

This is the umpteenth quilt binding tutorial I've looked at- and the ONLY one that makes ANY sense to me!

Thank you SO MUCH for this! Crazy Mom, you rule!

Anonymous said...

Muuah! Thank you so much for your PERFECT explanation. I needed this to help me with my first attempt at binding a quilt properly! I mentioned you here:
http://nikkifilosa.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/binding/
Thanks again!!! nikki

Anonymous said...

I don't mind being the millionth person to say thanks. That tutorial was wonderful. The binding was so daunting on my first quilt but I always (try to)finish a project so I researched and yours was the best! My binding looks...great for a first one!

Nile e Richard said...

Olá amiga,boa tarde.
Procurando tutoral para aprender um pouco mais acabei chegando aqui.
Muito lindo os seus trabalhos o seu pap está espetacular.
Te adicionei no meu blogool para focar mais facil te visitar.
Boa continuação de tão lindos trabalhos.bjtos.Nile.

Caroline ~ TrilliumDesign said...

Great tute!! I'm a novice quilter and this totally explained the binding process. My first quilt is a success - thank-you so much :)

the blonde potato said...

Thanks for this excellent pictured tutorial. Now I just need to know how to cut out my binding fabric on the bias....

aubreyp said...

Thank you so much for this tutorial! When I am creating something, I like to make it as best as I can and start out using correct methods, and this was definitely true for the binding on my first quilt that I just finished this morning. I was able to follow your tutorial because you did a fabulous job with descriptions and photos along the way. And then I was able to put it into action. My binding is the most beautiful part of the quilt. Thank you for such a great tutorial!

Ann said...

Excellent Tutorial!

Anonymous said...

Love the tutorial , I make scrappy binding 90% of the time as I love the look my question is how do you know where to sew edge of binding to keep it square if you do not pre square the quilt . I have always lined up on the edge of quilt , please explain..

Edwina J Murray said...

This is the best information I have ever seen on doing this! I am going to post a message on my blog, telling everyone who reads it to come to yours and get ready to make great bindings!(if that is permissible) Thanks you so much for all the time you put into doing this.

Kama said...

I used your tutorial when I did my first quilt and just recently was looking for a good tutorial, but I had forgotten where this was (with so many quilting blogs out there). So glad to find this again because the one that most of them are pointing to isn't as detailed as I would like. This tutorial takes the cake! Thanks for a great job!!!

Chrissy said...

Love this tutorial. Did you cut the strips on the diagonal? I always thought you had to do it that way. If not, that will save a ton of fabric and time.

Bobbinoggin said...

I'm used to doing bias binding for clothing, but wasn't sure how to do binding for a quilt. Your tutorial was perfecto. The only modification I did was to sew the joining end and beginning piece diagonally in order to match the rest of the binding.

Thank you very much for your help. I will make sure to include your tutorial on my blog the next time I modify links. =oD

Shannon said...

Love it! Thank you so much for this! I used it to create my very first binding on a quilt, and it turned out fabulous! Thanks a million!

Anonymous said...

Thanks you so much for posting such a clear and easy to follow tutorial. I just finished my first quilt and can't believe how well it turned out. I used your site often when I got stuck and always found it so helpful.

Lea said...

Thank you SO much for sharing. I have read many tutes on making binding and I think now I have finally got it. Thanks for taking the time with this and sharing your knowledge.This is an excellent tutorial-right then I am off the make my binding for my first quilt!

Elizabeth from ND said...

I just wanted to thank you for all of your tutorials, especially this one on binding. I have never had anyone close to me that is interesting in quilting, so I am mostly self-taught. You site has been extremely helpful to me - your instructions are so easy to follow! Thanks again - you are a great quilting inspiration to me!

Jamie K said...

I have never been able to figure this out...I'm a newbie! Thanks for the awesome advice. Love the blog!!!

Anonymous said...

I've noticed quilt patterns call for an approximate 1/2" finished binding. Is there a reason for it to be that size or can it be wider?

Tracybug Creative said...

Thank you, thank you, thank you,
I'd be lost without your oh so helpful tutorials! From the bottom of my quilted heart, I thank you!

Arlyna's Blog said...

Thank you so much for this great tutorial... I'm now on the last step of my first 'quilt' which is the binding part and this tutorial made me confident that I can do it. Thanks again.

A quick question, why sew by hand the binding and not by machine?

Melissa said...

This tutorial is seamless!! I couldn't have finished my quilt without it. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I will be recommending your tutorial to all of my quilting friends!

christine said...

Thank you so much for your clear instructions...I couldn't have finished my quilt for my Mother~in~law without you! I am new to quilting (and blogging, for that matter) and I really appreciate that you've taken the time to put this tutorial together. Thank you again!

Unknown said...

thank you, thank you! I DID IT!!!!

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU for showing the way the the corners actually work out when they get flipped around to the back-side for hand sewing! I just couldn't wrap my head around how that was going to work out!

Diane Bohn said...

Thank you for the SUPER tutorial!! I absolutely LOVE your site! :) I am finishing up my second quilt (one for each of my children), and you have helped me a ton! Especially w/the binding, this quilt is a vast improvement over my first quilt. (I attempted to do the binding following directions in another book and ended up wasting a ton of fabric. :( But your site came to the rescue!) Thanks again! :)

Diane

Unknown said...

Thank you, this is the more helpful binding tutorial out there, the pictures are great!!

Cath and co. said...

Every other tutorial left me totally confused! Thank you SO much!

Anonymous said...

I love your blog! I just started quilting and set up a blog about it. I would love to hear what you think.

Shelby said...

Great tutorial! It was SO helpful! I have just started quilting and the binding was what was most hindering me! I'm just working on placemats now but hope to get to make a full quilt soon!

Unknown said...

Can you recommend a yarn that is good to tack quilts? I have been using Red Heart and it ravels the first time it is washed. Just ruins the look of my quilts.

Tabatha said...

This is great! Thank you so much!!!

Michelle said...

This is a great tutorial! I am a new follower (and blogger) and binding has been difficult for me. I love the pinking shears tip!

Thanks for taking the time to post this!

Michelle

Paula said...

I just completed my first binding using your tutorial - I was really nervous but your clear instructions were wonderful and it came out perfectly! Thanks so much!

Little Bluebell (Adrianne) said...

Thank you! You saved me last night. I always have the hardest time joining the binding ends at the very end. I was trying to do another method, it wasn't working, the fabric was already cut (so the tails were short) and I was freaking out! Your method of the 1/2 overlap was so easy. It worked perfectly. Thank you. Thank you. :)

Gladys said...

Hola! Antes que nada disculpas que le escriba en español, pero no sé inglés, pero leo y sigo su blog gracias al Traductor de Google! Vine a agradecer este Tutorial de colocación del bies, el cual seguí para terminar mi primer quilt! Lo mencioné y agradecí en mi blog, pero quería expresarlo directamente a Ud.! Muchas Gracias! Un fuerte abrazo! Que tenga una bella semana!

Quilter Mom of 3 said...

I just bound my daughter's quilt using this tutorial...Thanks SO much...the finishing stitch is also ALOT easier than a hidden stitch!

Melissa said...

This is an awesome tutorial. Very simple and basic enough for the beginner (me) to understand. Before finding this tutorial I watched several youtube videos and got completely confused. @.@ With this tutorial I was able to finally finish a mini quilt! Thank you so much for posting this. ^_~

Anonymous said...

I did it! My first binding ever! Your tutorial was a great help. Thanks so much

Kayla said...

Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial! I just finished my first quilt and I don't know what I would have done without your help! This was a very easy to understand tutorial. Thank you!

Ty and Zara Franklin said...

Wonderful tutorial! My grandma has shown me before and I just didn't quite get it. I do now! Excited to bind a quilt! Thanks for sharing!

Anonymous said...

Leave it to you to provide the absolute easiest way to join the starting and ending points. This finally makes sense to me - thank you!

J.J. said...

I linked to this tutorial from my page. Please let me know if you would rather I didn't! Thank you :)

http://omigodshedidnot.blogspot.com/2010/12/first-quilt.html

Angie said...

Great tutorial! Thanks for sharing all of the details on this process.

That's Ms. Amy to You... said...

Unbelievably helpful. I procrastinated on finishing my daughter's quilt for a YEAR because I was so intimated by the binding. And then I pulled it all together in an afternoon! I only have the hand-finishing to complete & that will be a snap! Thank you so much for posting this tutorial.

dreamalittle said...

This is a great tutorial, I'll be using it and I've posted it on my blog!

Gombos Timea said...

Thank you very much for this tutorial. It really helped me a lot.

Beginning Quilting said...

There are a lot of tutorials about binding and I think this is one of the most detailed and most informative one. It's great to know that you've shared the step-by-step process of binding since a lot of people would usually have trouble with joining the binding ends. With people who are beginning quilting, this tutorial is surely a big help! Keep on sharing your awesome ideas about quilting!

my happy bluebird said...

Finally, a binding tutorial that I can understand. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I completed the binding on a potholder that has been sitting on the side since last January. I wanted to do a small project first, before trying a quilt, and I was so frustrated about the binding part. I can move on now -- and I think I will use your other tutorials to do so! Thank you again!

Missy said...

I just used your tutorial to finish a quilt. I loved how easy it was and will most likely use it again until I don't need step by step instructions. Here's how it turned out: http://craftymisst.blogspot.com/2011/05/new-quilt-finish.html

Heleen Groot said...

i've just made my first ever scrappy binding (well partly). Thank you so much for the tutorial. I felt very industrious sorting through my leftovers an turning them into something useful! Thank you.

Speattle said...

Thanks for the clear and concise directions. I will be binding a quilt this afternoon.

Judy said...

Doing the tails has been so frustrating for me that I almost want to give up quilting altogether. Some say sew at angles to the ends and I have tried and tried. I have two rulers and I still can't figure them out. YOU have Made it so simple. Thank you, Thank you. What a blessing you are. Judy

Mary Deckert said...

Thank you for the tutorial! A question: How do you maintain a 1/4seam with a walking foot? I have a quarter inch foot that is my saving grace when quilting, but it has an edge that requires me to trim the quilt edges before I sew on the binding, otherwise the edge would be dragged across the excess fabric. My bindings come out OK, but there is so much fraying from having to trim in advance of the binding. I would rather do it your way, but I'm not sure how to maintain that 1/4 inch seam. Is there such a thing as a 1/4 inch walking foot?

Kim said...

I am making my first quilt so I really don't have any idea how to do most of this stuff but I really understood your tutorial. Thanks so much for sharing!

Sara Ferrell said...

When you use this binding method, how wide does your finished binding end up being on the front and back of the quilt? (I'm trying to figure out measurements for my blocks along the edge...)

Kizzie said...

Thank you!! I am a very visual person so this was a perfect tutorial for me. I made a table runner and had no clue how to bind it "right", now it looks awesome!! Thank you!!!

Terri Ann said...

Wonderful tutorial! You've given me some confidence that I may actually be able to do this! :) The photos were very helpful but it'd be great if you could add photos where your quilt top doesn't match the extra batting. I was a bit confused why you were pinning your binding so far in the quilt for a minute till I squinted at my conputer and realized that was the spare batting!

MellieWo said...

I just finished another quilt using your tutorial :) Thanks so much for doing it. I got lots of compliments and I always send people to your blog for binding help. I tried machining both sides and it worked ok. You could always post a machine tut ;) Love your quilts!!

Nurse Tami said...

Tell me you are left handed. I am following your blog and am working on what I call my first "real quilt". Your tutorials have really helped! I think I am doing this right but I happen to be working right to left with the needle in my right hand.

Erin :) said...

I just finished a 2 sided t-shirt quilt and needed to know how to bind it as I've never done it before. This tutorial sent from google (and God) was the answer to my prayer! And so, redundantly--I say, Thanks Amanda Jean!

erin :)

Di said...

Thius is the best tutori8al on binding I've seen. I have followed your instructions (and pictures) and managed to SUCCESSFULLY attach the binding to my project.
Thank you so much for this tutorial.

Anonymous said...

Thank you once again for this. I have this tutorial bookmarked and come back to it every time I do a binding. So simple, yet every time I forget the "secret" to the perfectly mitered corners and getting the binding strip finished off to fit exactly. You have forever changed both my quilting process and the freedom I find in the creative process! Thank you so much!!!

Sarah said...

Thanks so much for this tutorial! It has made my life soooo much easier!
Nurse Tami - I also have the needle in my right hand and tend to work from right to left...my mom thinks I do it backwards...but it's just the easy way for me to work. :-)

Edileusa said...

estou começando agora meu primeiro trabalho e foi muito informativo seu artigo. claro e objetivo. Gostei!!! Nota dez.

Hellen said...

Thank you! I just read through several tutorials that just confused me. Yours was very clear and now I am confident that I can do it :)

chrisee said...

You make it sooooo easy to follow! 'A picture saves a 1000 words.' Thankyou for all your time, all the pictures AND all your words!

Anonymous said...

This is a great tutorial, Thank you! I am sewing a wall quilt for my daughters class and I have never done this sort of thing before. Can you sew the final step oppose to hand sewing it? This is going to be a wall hanging and I have very limited hand sewing skills.

battynurse said...

Bookmarking this as there are some helpful points I didn't use. I took a class but it's been about a year and I'm just getting around to doing the binding. The part I'm struggling with right now is the hand sewing it down on the back. Mostly because it's taking forever! Thanks for the tips though and hopefully next time I do this my back will look more like yours.

Erin said...

Hi,
I just wanted to thank you for this post, it's the one I always come back to, so clear & easy to follow.
Tonight I have been finishing he binding on a table runner, my fingers have given up for the evening now though!
:)

Unknown said...

This is a great tutorial! I will be using very soon...thanks so much!

Jenafaye said...

Best tutorial ever! Binding was scary until now.

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