How to Apply Binding Tape to the Edge of a Quilt
Binding a quilt is the last piece to putting it together. You've done the blocks, finished the quilting, and are ready to bind the edges. The easy way is to simply sew the top and back together, wrong sides facing, and turn it right side out. If you want to add a binding, however, it is a little more time consuming, although it looks better in the end and will hold up longer.
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Instructions
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Preparing the Binding
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1
Figure out the length of binding needed for your quilt. Measure around the edges of your quilt, and add roughly 12 inches extra, to be on the safe side.
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2
Cut a strip of fabric roughly 2 1/2 inches wide, depending on how wide you want your binding. The length should be the length you just measured. If you do not have a long enough fabric to go around the entire quilt, you will need to piece together enough strips to equal the correct length.
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3
Iron the binding strip in half, lengthwise, with the right sides showing.
Sewing the Binding
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4
Place the binding along the side of the quilt top, with rough edges flush with each other. Pin it at the end. Place another pin about 12 inches down. This second pin is where you will begin sewing.
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5
Sew along the rough edges, about 1/4 inch from the edge. Sew through both layers of binding, as well as all of the layers of the quilt.
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6
Stop sewing about 1/4 inch from the corner of the quilt. Cut your thread. It is time to prepare the binding to turn the corner.
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7
Pull the binding straight up, then turn it over, laying it on top of itself. This is called a mitered corner. Lay it down on the new side of the quilt and pin it in place.
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8
Sew it from the very corner all the way down the length of the new side of the quilt. Repeat the process at all the corners and along the sides until you come to your starting position.
Connecting the Binding Edges
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9
Stop sewing and cut the thread when you get about 8 inches from your starting point. Overlap the binding by about 1/2 inch and trim.
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10
Open the binding and pin them together with the right sides facing each other. Sew them together with a 1/4-inch seam.
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11
Lay the binding down on the quilt along the rough edge and sew it as you have sewn the earlier part of the binding.
Hand-Sewing the Binding
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12
Thread your needle and push it through the seam of the fabric, hiding the knot in the seam.
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13
Turn the quilt over and pull the folded edge of the binding forward, over the edge of the quilt. This will make the binding cover the first row of stitches, the edge of the quilt, and bring it to the back. It should fold over far enough to cover the machine stitching on the binding.
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14
Use your needle and thread to slip-stitch the binding into place. Make sure you sew the stitches close enough and tight enough to hold the binding in place.
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15
When you get to the corners, miter them like you did on the front of the quilt, with the machine. Take a few extra stitches to make sure that they will hold.
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16
The binding is finished when you get back to your original starting position.
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