Binding a Quilt by Machine

Many people will say that the only way to bind a quilt it to sew the final binding on by hand. That is fine if you enjoy hand sewing and have the time. And it is necessary if you want to enter your quilt in competitions. But for general use quilts, binding by machine is not only faster, it is also more durable.

If sewing by machine works for you, don’t let quilt snobs tell you that it’s wrong. As my husband says, at one time some people were against indoor plumbing too.

See it all

Below you will find:

• video
• how to calculate how much binding you need
• tutorial for adding binding

Calculating how much binding you need

Before you begin sewing, you need to make one long strip of fabric for the binding. To figure out how long to make it, measure all the way around your quilt. Add about 6″ for overlap, and about 4″ for each corner.

So if your quilt is 30″ x 40″, you would do this calculation:

30 + 30 + 40 + 40 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 162

You need a binding strip 162″ long.

If I was doing this, I would cut 4 strips width of fabric to see if that was good enough. You might end up needing a tiny bit more, but it will probably work out.

Adding binding to a quilt

In this tutorial, all stitching is done by machine. To hand stitch the binding, add it to the front of the quilt in this same way and then fold over to the back of the quilt and hand stitch in place.

Cut fabric strips

Use the step above to calculate how many strips of fabric you need to cut.

There is some debate on how wide to cut the fabric strips. Some people like 2″ and some like 2-1/2″. I personally like 2-1/4″. It is wide enough to fold over comfortably without having too much.

Try a couple of different widths and you will get to know what you like best.

If you have an edge with curves or scallops, you will need to cut the strips on the bias. But for regular square or rectangular quilts, cutting on the straight of grain is not only fine, it is easier to work with.

Cut the ends of the fabric strips off with a 90* cut.

Join fabric strips

Join the fabric strips together. If you are using a solid colour fabric, be sure to pay attention to what is the “right” side of the fabric. It is easy for it to get turned so that your joining seams are on different sides.

Offset the corners of the ends to get them to line up. Joining with angle cuts instead of straight eliminates bulk in the binding seam.

Once the strip is made, lay it out by the quilt just to make sure you have enough. There is no need to pin it on or do any exact measurements. Just lay it out loosely.

Fold and Press the fabric strip

Once the strip is made and you know it is long enough, fold it in half lengthways and press well.

Some people like to roll the folded strip onto an empty spool, but I usually just leave it loose.

At the edge of the binding that you are going to start with, fold the end down 1/4″ and press.

Stitch the binding onto the quilt

Align the raw edges of the binding strip with the edge of the quilt on the back.

Leave the first few inches loose, and then stitch with a 1/4″ seam allowance.

When you get to the corner, stitch off at a 45* angle. Cut the thread and remove from the machine.

Fold the binding strip back at a 45* angle. Use the stitching as a guide.

Fold the binding over, aligning the fold with the edge of the quilt.

Resume stitching 1/4″ from the edge of the quilt. Continue to the next corner and stitch that in the same way.

When you get around to the starting point, trim the strip to the exact size, and tuck the end into the opening you left at the beginning.

Stitch along until your stitches meet the starting point. Overlap by a couple of inches.

Fold over the binding flap to the front of the quilt. You can either fold over a bit at a time as you stitch, or fold it all at once and use clips to hold it.

Top stitch along the edge of the binding. The corners should fold in easily.

On the back of the quilt, back of the topstitching will be visible. That’s why some people don’t like binding by machine.

I don’t think that’s too much of a problem, especially if it’s a quilt that will be used a lot.

This method of binding will stand up to wear and tear.