Getting In a Bind

There are so many different ways to do binding! It can be part of your backing fabric, pulled over the front and folded. It can be a single thickness strip, sewn on, not very differently than the method I describe below, and then folded over the quilt, and then folded again and sewn on. 

There is no wrong way, there are only preferred ways to do things when it comes to quilting, and this is the way I prefer. It's called French Fold binding. I have found it one of the easier methods, for me anyway. 

I start with 2-2½" strips, though it can be as wide as multiple inches, if that's how you would like to make it. 

Measure your quilt sides, top and bottom to know how long your binding strip should be. Add 6-12 inches to that total, to give you some space for any issues that might arise. I don't have any photos of the 'connecting' of the two ends on the quilt, I will have to get some with my next project. However, leave several inches unsewn between the two ends of the binding. Laying them in place, put the right sides together (you should have that extra fabric here, to make this work) pin where a seam would occur. Pull the extra fabric away, and sew that seam, then lay the fabric back along the quilt and sew it down.

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  Sew your strips into a continuous strip.

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  Iron it straight, then fold and iron again.

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  Pin to the edge of your quilt. Trim or do it later.

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  Starting in the center, sew a ¼" seam, but leave a couple inches unsewn. Sew to a couple inches from the end.*

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  Trim quilt to the ¼" seam, fold over and pin.

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  Sew just over the lower edge of binding, on quilt top.

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  I like to include some information in my binding, but that's just me...