How to Bind Quilt With Scraps

Fabric scraps sewn into double binding makes a stronger quilt edge than purchased quilt binding.

Quilters usually have an abundance of fabric scraps. Each project yields a few unused pieces of fabric, and after a few such projects, the stash of scraps quickly increases. When finishing a quilt, you can put these small scraps to good use by sewing them together and making your own quilt binding. Double binding, also called French binding, makes a strong edging for quilts that you need to use and launder frequently.

Things You'll Need

• Measuring tape
• Fabric scraps
• Clothes iron
• Quilter’s ruler
• Fabric marking pen or pencil
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Hand-sewing needle

Instructions

1. Measure your quilt's perimeter with a measuring tape to determine how much binding you will need. Add an extra 8 to 10 inches to this measurement and make a note of the total.

2. Press the fabric scraps with a clothes iron.

3. Spread out the fabric scraps on a flat work surface. With ruler and fabric pen, measure and mark the fabric in 2 ½-inch increments across the straight grain of the fabric.

4. Cut the fabric scraps on the marked lines. Use a ruler and scissors to square off the ends of the fabric.

5. Lay out two cut fabric pieces perpendicular to each other, with right sides of the fabric together, and pin. The two fabric pieces should form a 90-degree angle. Mark and sew a diagonal seam across where the two strips of fabric meet.

6. Cut off the excess fabric ¼-inch from the sewing line. Working on the wrong side of the fabric, press open the seam allowances.

7. Sew additional cut fabric strips together in this manner until you have enough continuous binding for the perimeter of the quilt, plus an additional 8 to 10 inches.

8. Fold the binding in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides of the fabric together, and press.

9. Line up the raw edges of the binding with the raw edges of the right side of the quilt. Pin the binding in place. Using a walking foot on the sewing machine, sew the binding to the quilt with a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

10. Fold the doubled binding to the back of the quilt, where you will see a machine stitching line you made when sewing the binding to the front of the quilt. Cover this line with the folded edge of the binding. Pin the binding in place. Hand stitch the binding to the back of the quilt.

Tips & Warnings

• Cutting the strips 2 ½ inches wide will result in a finished double binding of ½ inch.

• Match the binding fabric with the type of fabric in your quilt. For example, if your quilt contains 100 percent cotton fabrics, use fabric scraps of 100 percent cotton to make the binding.

• Before pinning the binding to the quilt, lay the binding on the quilt top as you plan to attach it. Make sure there are no seams in the binding at the corners of the quilt. Adjust the binding placement, if necessary.

References

• Utah State University Cooperative Extension; Double Crossways Grain Binding; Debra Proctor, et al.; May 2008
• Quilters Cache: Learning to Quilt – Lesson Five – Making/Adding Binding!
• The Pattern Basket; Come Bind with Me; Margot Langeu
• McCall’s Quilting: Piecing Strips of Fabric

Resources

• Sewing: Binding a Quilt
• Thimbleberries: Quiltmaking Basics -- Binding