Snuggles Quilts Binding Tips & Tutorial

Hi everyone! For the next two weeks, I will be on the road so I have chosen a couple of light topics that I have covered before, but it’s been a while since I talked about them. This week, I will talk about binding your quilt. It’s one of those tasks that some of us love and some of us hate. I fall somewhere in between. I love it because it means my quilt is about to be done (YAY!) … but I hate it because it can be a tedious task. It’s not as exciting as piecing a block and then a quilt revealing the beauty from pieces of fabric. Which ever camp you fall in, I hope you enjoy this week. Let’s go!

Tips for Planning Ahead

Tip #1: Binding Color. If you plan for your binding when you are planning and cutting out the quilt project, you will be ahead of the game. At this time you can decide if you want your binding to fade into the background, by matching it with your outer border fabric, or work as a frame for the finished quilt top.

Here’s two of my quilts to demonstrate. Star Trail, on the left, has a contrasting dark binding to “frame” the pieced border. On the right is Criss-Cross Cabin Blooms. I matched the binding to the border fabric so nothing would detract from the appliqué.

But I don’t always use the method of binding on a quilt with appliqué in the border. In Hugs & Kisses below, I used a contrasting binding to frame the appliqué. I think it works better on this quilt because the border on this quilt is light as opposed to my other quilt. Just a thought.

Or you can use scraps from your quilt project and make a scrappy binding. It serves the dual purpose of making a pretty finish to the quilt and using up the extra fabric. I did this on the large table topper in Star Dash:

Tip #2: What Type of Binding. Once you decided on the color you want to use, you need to decide on whether you want single-fold or double-fold binding. Single-fold binding consists of only a one layer of fabric pieced from strips, whether scrappy or not. The binding is laid right side down on the front of the quilt top, lined up with the raw edges, machine stitched and then turned to the back to hand stitch in place. 

Double-fold binding is a wider strip, usually 2 1/4 to 2 1/2″ wide, that is folded over in half and pressed before attaching it to the front of the quilt. When it is turned to the back to be stitched, there are two layers of fabric over the edge of the quilt. Obviously, double-fold binding is more durable. Here are the different bindings (single fold on the left and double-fold on the center and right): 

Tip #3: How Much Fabric is Needed? So you’ve decided which binding type you want. How do you know how much fabric to buy? There’s an easy formula I use to figure how many strips I need to cut for my quilt top. This allows me to then figure out how much fabric I need. Here are the formula steps:

1. First I figure the perimeter of the quilt by adding up the length of all the sides. For example for a quilt that is 60 x 72″ here is the calculation:   60 + 60 + 72 + 72 = 264
2. I add 2″ to that measurement to account for the length of the binding used when turning the corners (I figure in 1/2″ per corner): 264 + 2 = 266
3. Then I divide that measurement by the width of fabric to determine how many strips are needed. I use 40″ for my usable width: 266/40 = 6.65.  Round up to the next whole number, so I need 7 strips for this quilt’s binding.
4. Now I multiply the strip amount by the size of the strips needed. If I am making double-fold binding and use 2 1/4″ strips, here’s my formula: 7 x 2 1/4″ = 15 3/4″. I round up to the nearest common cut of fabric, so I will need 1/2 yard to make the binding for this quilt. If I was only doing single-fold binding, I use 1 1/2″ strips so: 7 x 1 1/2″ = 10 1/2, rounding up, I would use 1/3 yard of fabric here.

Tip #4: Storage. So, you have your binding made. How do you store it so it doesn’t become a jumbled mess before you are done with the quilt? I like to wrap mine around an empty toilet paper tube or I fold it and secure it with a large binder clip.

You can then store this in the art bin or box where you have the pieces for the quilt stored. Now you won’t have to search for binding when it’s time to attach it.

So how do you store your prepped binding? I’d love to see your ideas.

Tips for Binding the Quilt Top

Tip #1: Prepare the Quilted Item. I recommend cutting away the excess batting and backing from the quilted quilt. Leave a scant 1/8″ (photos below) of the batting and backing. Since the binding is pinned to the top of the quilt using the quilt top edge as a guide, there will be batting and backing that extends out. I do this so when the binding is turned to the back, that scant 1/8″ serves to “stuff” the binding. 

Also, to achieve a full binding, I like to cut my binding strips for double-fold binding 2 1/4″ instead of 2 1/2″. If your binding is too wide when you fold it over to the back it will be empty at the top of the fold and that can make binding look flat.

Tip #2: Tip for Attaching the Binding. I like to start pinning on a straight edge at least 6″ from a corner. (left photo, below) I pin one side at a time for stitching. When I reach the corner while pinning, I measure 1/4″ up from the edge of the quilt top and pin the binding there. So when stitching this side, I know when I’m 1/4″ from the edge when I get to the pin. (right photo, below) This makes it easier to fold and turn the binding to start attaching it to the other side. It also helps to achieve a nice mitered corner when the binding is turned.

Tip #3: Binding Stitching. For double-fold binding, when stitching the first side, I start stitching about 1/2″ to 1″ from the beginning. (see photo below) This leaves a little “pocket” so I can tuck in the end of the binding when I get all the way around the quilt. Like I said above, I stop at the pin that marks 1/4″ from the edge to help make a nice mitered corner as I turn the binding to continue onto the next side. For single-fold binding, you can start stitching right at the beginning of the binding since you will not need to tuck the end.

Tip #4: Hand Stitching to the Back. I secure the binding in place with hair clips! I found that these worked great and we had a ton of them that my daughter abandoned at home when she went off to college. Great re-cycling tip here!

Here’s how I make the mitered corners when turning my binding. (photos below) When I get to the corner, I match up and pin where the two sides of the binding meet as shown in the first photo. Then I stitch up to that corner catching both folded edges. I then stitch up the diagonal “fold” created. As you can see in the last photo, it makes a perfect mitered corner on the front.

So, those are my tips for successful binding. If you follow them, I think you will find it easier to bind your quilt and you will be done in no time! Here’s my mini video tutorial on binding for some guidance if you are new to quilting. I cover all the steps!

That’s it for this week! I’ll be back next week with a post on storing and displaying these quilts now that you’re finished with them. 

Also, I’m working on a new Block of the Week feature! I will hopefully have my blocks done to start that sew-along in September. I didn’t get a chance to do it last year, but I had a series going in 2020, 2021 and 2022. I had fun doing it and I think you did too.

Happy Quilting!
Deanne