How to Apply Quilt Binding by Machine

A machine-sewn binding can save time.

Although traditional quilters usually finish sewing a quilt binding on with tiny hand stitches, this can be an arduous and time-consuming activity. Instead of sewing around the entire perimeter of your quilt with small stitches, you can speed up the binding process by applying the quilt binding with a sewing machine. With careful preparation and attention to the little details, your machine-sewn quilt binding can look every bit as professional and attractive as a hand-sewn binding.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Fabric for binding
• Iron
• Cutting mat
• Quilting ruler
• Rotary cutter
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Thread (matching the binding fabric)
• Pins

Instructions

1. Measure around the perimeter of the quilt with the tape measure to determine how much binding you need to bind the quilt. Add 2 inches to this measurement.

2. Iron the binding fabric to remove wrinkles and then fold it for cutting. Bring the two selvage edges (finished edges of fabric -- often with a line of printing running along the edges) together and then bring the folded edge up to meet the selvage edges. Press the folded fabric to make the folds sharp. Place the fabric onto the cutting mat and use the quilting ruler and the rotary cutter to cut 2 1/2-inch wide strips. Cut enough strips to enable you to sew together one continuous binding piece for the quilt.

3. Place one binding strip horizontally on a flat surface with the right side facing up. Place another binding strip vertically on the flat surface with the wrong side facing up. Meet the right end of the horizontal strip and the top edge of the vertical strip by overlapping them at a right angle. Sew the two strips together with a diagonal seam across the area where the two strips overlap, stitching from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. Trim off the excess fabric to the right of the seam to make a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Fold up the vertical strip, press the seam and you should have one long continuous binding strip. Add additional strips in the same way until you have a binding strip that is about 8 to 10 inches longer than the perimeter of your quilt.

4. Fold the binding strip in half lengthwise with the right sides facing out and press the folded binding strip well. Unfold the left end of the strip about 6 inches and fold up the bottom corner to align with the top edge of the binding strip (creating a 45-degree angle.) Press this fold to make a crease and then unfold it. Cut along the crease. Fold over the edge you just cut 1/4-inch and press the fold. Refold the binding strip along the original fold line and press again. This finishes the edge of the binding strip for sewing and creates a pocket.

5. Lay out the quilt with the backside facing up. Place the binding strip to the right edge of the quilt about halfway between the top and bottom corners. Align the edges of the quilt and raw edges of the binding strip with the left corner pocket you created in the previous step facing up.

6. Begin stitching the binding strip to the quilt 5 inches from the end of the binding strip, using a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Continue stitching until you are 1/4 inch away from the bottom corner, then stop stitching. Remove the quilt from the sewing machine and cut the threads. Fold the binding strip straight up (creating a 45-degree angle) and place the quilt back into the sewing machine to begin sewing at the other side of the corner. Fold the binding strip straight down and align it with the edge of the quilt again. Start stitching 1/4 inch away from the corner and continue sewing until you reach the next corner. Stitch each corner in the same way.

7. Stitch to the point where the two binding ends meet. Cut off the raw end of the binding 1 inch beyond the point where the two ends meet. Insert the raw edge into the corner pocket you created in the other end and stitch to the point where you started sewing.

8. Fold the binding up and around to the top of the quilt. Stitch the binding to the top of the quilt by sewing as close to the folded edge as possible. When you come to the corners, stop stitching about 2 inches away from the corner, fold the binding edges so they meet in a neat, mitered corner and stitch to the corner. Turn the corner by placing the needle down into the quilt and rotating the quilt 90 degrees. Continue stitching until you come to the starting point.

References

• Pfaff: Binding Your Quilts