Finally!

I’ll admit, the first time I bound a quilt I was pretty intimidated. But now after I have done it more than a few times I love it. It is so fun to put the finishing piece on your quilt.

This is my favorite binding technique, called the double-fold, or French-fold, binding.

Double-Fold Binding Tutorial

1. Determine how wide you want your binding to be. You will then four-times it and add 1/2″ for seam allowances. I wanted a 1/2″ binding, so I cut my strips 2 1/2″ wide.

2. Cut enough strips to equal the circumference of your quilt (add all the sides of your quilt together and add about 10-15″).

3. You can sew your strips together using a few different methods. The easiest is just a regular straight seam:

-Match up the ends of your strip, right sides together and sew a seam. Sew all your strips together to create one long strand.

For angled seams in your binding, follow the following steps marked with a *:

* Position the strips perpendicular to each other with right sides together.

* Draw a diagonal line across the wrong side of one strip. Stitch along that line.

* Trim off the excess fabric, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance

* Press your seam allowances open.

Use whichever method you want! Now…back to binding:

4. Take one end of your long, continuous strip and fold under 1″. Press.

5. With wrong side inside, fold the strip in half lengthwise and press. I like to press with one side minisculey longer then the other so that when I sew my binding on I make sure to catch both sides.

You should have a big pile that looks something like this:

Of course you could wind it up nicely if you wanted. I have before…but not this time.

6. You can choose to pin your binding strip on at this point. I don’t pin, but just go at it…slowly. Start in the center of the bottom edge. Place the binding strip on the quilt top, aligning the raw edges of the binding strip with the quilt top’s raw edge.

Starting 2″ from the folded end, sew through all the layers using 1/4″ seam allowance. Continue sewing down the side until you are 1/4″ from the corner of the quilt.7. Once you are 1/4″ from the corner of the quilt backstitch and clip your threads (or don’t. I’ve heard both ways). Take the quilt out from under the presser foot.

8. Fold the binding strip up, creating a diagonal fold. Press with your finger.

9. Holding that diagonal fold in place with your finger, bring the strip down in line with the next edge

10. Start sewing at the top of your new side.
11. Sew around the whole quilt, turning each corner just like the first.

12. When you get back to your starting point, stick the raw end of the binding strip inside the folded end. Then finish sewing. Backstitch to secure.

If you prefer less bulk where the beginning meets the end you can just seam the ends together by opening the tails, stitching with right sides together in either a diagonal or straight seam.

13. Now turn the binding over to the quilt back. Clips to hold your binding in place or pins come in handy. Hand-stitch the binding in place, making sure to cover your binding machine stitch line. You want to take small stitches as close to the edge as possible. Match your thread to your quilt to hide your stitches even more!

14. When you reach a corner fold a miter as you reach it. Take a few stitches in the corner to secure it.

And there you go!