Quilt Along for Beginner’s – Part 5: Attaching Binding & Completing Quilt

Welcome back to Part 5 of our Quilt Along! This is it! Our final week is finally here!

If you’re new here, take a moment to get caught up with

Part 1: Gathering Supplies, Selecting, Calculating & Buying Fabric, and Pre-washing

Part 2: Squaring Up Fabric, Cutting Straight Fabric Squares and Designing Layout

Part 3: Sewing Squares into Rows & Completing Quilt Top

Part 4: Creating Your Quilt Sandwich, Basting & Quilting

Those posts are FULL of great information that you don’t want to miss out on!

How did quilting go?

Are you in love with your nearly finished quilt and ready to put the final touches on it? ?

This is our final week of our quilt along. We will be completing the binding and preparing our quilt to gift (if desired).

Let’s jump right in and get started!

For your convenience, this post may contain affiliate links and pictures. You can read my full disclosure statement here.

If you haven’t decided on fabric for your binding, now is the time to do so.
I like to wait until my quilt top is put together to make a final decision on binding. So often the vision in my head for a quilt top is different from how it actually turns out. Waiting until it’s put together to decide on my binding allows me to make sure the final quilt looks as beautiful as my vision. 🙂

Step 1: Cut Fabric for Your Binding

To cut the fabric for our binding, we have to know exactly how much fabric we need.

Measure the length and width of your quilt and multiply it by 2. Add 20″ to account for seams and corners.

For this quilt, my measurements are:

40 + 40+ 28 + 28 + 20 = 156″

Divide by 40 – 40″ is a safe average width of fabric. Often fabric is 44-45″, but it’s best to err on the side of caution here. Dividing by 40 will give you the number of strips you need to cut for binding.

156/40 = 3.9 = round up to 4 strips of fabric needed

My go to method for binding is double fold binding. I love how durable and relatively easy it is to complete. There are many ways to bind a quilt, this is just my favorite.

I cut my binding strips 2 1/4″ wide. I need 4  strips – each 2 1/4″ wide (as long as the strips are cut selvage to selvage. If not, you may need more strips).

Step 2: Sew Your Binding into a Continuous Strip

Once our strips of binding are cut, we need to sew them together into one continuous strip of fabric.

Take 2 pieces of binding material. Place them right sides together at a 90 degree angle. They should be perpendicular to each other.

Use a quilting ruler and a fabric marking pen to mark  a 45 degree angle.

Pin or clip (I use and love these mumcraft clips) the fabric together and sew on the marked line. Trim away the excess fabric, leaving about a 1/4″ seam allowance.

Sewing at a diagonal like this eliminates excess bulk in one place.

Repeat these steps to join piece three to the end and so on until all pieces are pieced together.

Go back and trim the starting point of your binding at a 45 degree angle.

 

 

Step 3: Press the Binding

With the binding strips pieced together, it’s time to press it.

Fold the binding in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press the length of the binding strip. You want the pretty sides facing out.

I use a generous amount of Best Press spray during this portion. It helps to get a nice crisp seam and I find it easier for me to work with the binding.

Step 4: Pin Binding to Your Quilt

First we need to square up our quilt. To do so, I simply pull out my square quilting ruler and rotary cutter and cut away the excess fabric.

Once your quilt is squared up, it’s time to apply the binding. Start roughly in the middle of the back side of your quilt side.  Line up the raw edge of your binding with the raw edge of your quilt. Pin or clip your binding, leaving a 6-8″ tail.

Pin or clip roughly every 3 inches or so until you reach a corner. Pin 1/4″ from the corner.

Fold the binding strip up away from the quilt at a 90 degree angle.

Fold the binding back down over the quilt, create a tuck underneath.

This should form a triangle (pictured). This will create a mitered corned when flipped to the front side of the quilt.

Continue pinning or clipping around the quilt, making sure to fold & flip the corners as described.

 

Step 5: Sew Binding to Your Quilt

Now that your binding is pinned to your quilt, we just need to sew it in place.

Line up your walking foot and sew with a 1/4″ inseam. Continue with it until you reach a corner.

When you reach a corner stop 1/4″ from the corner and sew off the quilt as pictured.

Line up your walking foot again and begin sewing with a 1/4″ inseam.

Continue this process around the quilt.  Make sure you sew off and restart at the corners.

Continue sewing until you are 6-8″ from the starting point.

Fold fabric to meet seams in the middle of the unsewn space. Fold or press seams (just enough to make them visible to sew).

Open fabric strips. Place right sides together. Clip or pin on either side of the crease marks.

Sew on the crease marks. Double check the length to ensure it is correct. Once you confirm the length, trim the excess. Sew this portion down with a 1/4″ inseam.

This is what your quilt should look like now.

Step 6: Sew Binding to Front of Quilt

I apologize in advance, I was in the quilting zone and didn’t take many pictures of this step. So I’ll do my best to explain, but don’t hesitate with any questions!

Flip the binding to the front side of the quilt.

Sew to the left of the seam line. This will ensure your stitches don’t show up on the back binding.

Stop 4-6″ inches from the corner. Fold the bottom edge up and then the side edge over to create a nice mitered edge. Pin or clip.

Continue sewing, repeating the mitered look at each corner, until you get back to the start.

Trim all the loose or extra threads on your quilt.

At this point, I always toss mine in the washer on delicate. It helps to remove fabric pen markings and gives it the beautiful crinkly look I love.

 

Step 7: Enjoy your Beautiful Creation!

Congratulations! You made it through!

All that’s left to do is enjoy the beautiful quilt you created! Forget about any mistakes (we all make them, it’s the beauty of handmade items) and just appreciate the time and love that went into creating your quilt!

As your working, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions you might run across! I tried to be as thorough as possible, but if something is unclear please let me know! I am more than happy to add videos or clarification, if needed!

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