Binding Question

[Peggy (SewAsylum)]

When you guys sew your binding on the front, with 1/4" seam allowance, then fold it to the back, do you hand stitch it right on the stitch line, or right above it to hide it?  Also, when you use a 2 and 1/2"  wide binding, folded in half,  and fold it back to meet the stitch line, then the binding is 1/2 full with the quilt seam allowance, and 1/2 empty. Is this important or is this something nobody cares about?  Should I be folding it back as far as it will go so the binding is "full" inside?  I hope this makes sense. I am trying to learn it the correct way. Thank you for any help!!

[ffq-lar]

Hi Peggy--as with most sewing techniques, there are a multitude of ways to apply the binding. Most agree that the binding--whatever width--needs to be full of batting. If you use 2 1/2" wide folded binding, don't trim the backer and batting up next to the edge of the quilt top. You'll want extra batting and backer for the binding to fold around, so if you must trim, trim it an extra quarter-inch away from the quilt top edge. That will give you a half-inch of binding showing on the front. Sew on the binding, wrap around to the back and classically you're binding edge needs to come up to the stitching line or over it. I'm a lazy quilter and I never trim the backer-binding until I've sewn on the binding. Then I trim it as I go--making sure the binding shows a consistent width on the front and that it's full of batting to the fold. If you want a narrower binding on the front, you can cut the binding at 2 1/4" or narrower and trim the backer/batting the distance from the stitch line that matches your target width. I like 2 1/4" with a scant more than a quarter inch of binding on the front.

Every judge in a quilt show inspects the binding carefully and notes whether it's straight, full of batting, and that those mitered corners are stitched shut.

I hope this helps a bit.

You may get lots more advice with different techniques--as I said, there are many ways to accomplish the same thing.

[jbnt9999]

I do everything above except sew my binding to the back and fold to front and hand stitch. I also always sew my binding on with a walking foot and take a little deeper seam. When I sew binding on charity quilts I cut it almost 3inches wide, sew with a larger seam allowance and stitch it with the machine using a serpentine stitch.

[LisaC]

Marci Baker has made several videos that are on youtube. She has the best binding videos I have seen, including videos on ending binding and how to bind different angles. Do a search on Marci Baker on youtube; she also had a website called Alicia's Attic.

[tyquilter]

I also always use a walking foot when sewing my bindings on and bring the binding slightly above the seam line on the back. I hand stitch making it invisible

[Merryjo2003]

I sew the binding on the front side with my millie before I take the quilt off the machine.  Then I trim 1/2 inch away from the binding seam (about 1/4 inch of batting extends past the edge of the binding).  If the binding is narrower or wider I just adjust the trim line.   I trim the quilt off the machine, then take the pins out of my zippers.  Takes a little practice.  I've been doing this for years.  Practically since I got my machine.  Had to teach myself because nobody taught it.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss.  I thought, it's just a sewing machine and why would I want to wrestle this big quilt at my DSM.  All my fabric is controlled when it's on the frame.  Hmmmm.....there must be a way! I think there's a you tube somewhere on the internet.  Most of my students struggle a little at first, but then tell me it's one of the most valuable things they learned! 

[Peggy (SewAsylum)]

I am doing this on a sit down long arm. All videos I have seen show to trim the quilt, then put on binding. So I wondered how they get a full binding. So I am still a bit confused. So when I trim the quilt I should leave extra space to "fill" the binding, or maybe cut a narrower binding?

[ffq-lar]

I am doing this on a sit down long arm. All videos I have seen show to trim the quilt, then put on binding. So I wondered how they get a full binding. So I am still a bit confused. So when I trim the quilt I should leave extra space to "fill" the binding, or maybe cut a narrower binding?

 

Trim the quilt so the distance from the quarter-inch stitching line to the trimmed edge matches the preferred width of the binding that shows on the front. If you want a half-inch of binding to show on the front, trim the quilt a quarter-inch beyond the edge of the top. If you want a quarter-inch of binding to show, trim right up to the edge of the top.

[LisaC]

For a strip of fabric cut 2.5" wide and pressed in half the long way; I trim 1/4" from the edge of my quilt top; this means backing and batting extend 1/4" beyond the edge of the quilt top. This fits for most battings; of course, if you have a thick batting you may want to cut a wider binding or trim closer to the quilt top. You can always test by pinning a test binding strip where you would sew it and then fold it to the back to see if it is too narrow or too wide and then cut your bindings accordingly. I've even used some tiny strips of batting scraps at times to "fill up" the binding. The 2.5" strip will yield about a 3/8" binding on the top due to bulk of batting;  I hand sew the binding down on the back side. 

[quiltmonkey]

You guys rock! Thanks for the great binding tips!

[jandcembroidery]

I sew the binding on the front side with my millie before I take the quilt off the machine.  Then I trim 1/2 inch away from the binding seam (about 1/4 inch of batting extends past the edge of the binding).  If the binding is narrower or wider I just adjust the trim line.   I trim the quilt off the machine, then take the pins out of my zippers.  Takes a little practice.  I've been doing this for years.  Practically since I got my machine.  Had to teach myself because nobody taught it.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss.  I thought, it's just a sewing machine and why would I want to wrestle this big quilt at my DSM.  All my fabric is controlled when it's on the frame.  Hmmmm.....there must be a way! I think there's a you tube somewhere on the internet.  Most of my students struggle a little at first, but then tell me it's one of the most valuable things they learned! 

 

I'm still stumped about sewing on the frame. Do you quilt first, and then go back to attach the binding? I guess in order to do this, once you finish with the quilting, you unroll and sew as you go?

[ffq-lar]

Basic instructions for applying binding on the longarm. 

After finishing the quilting, roll quilt so you can attach to the top edge first. Fold prepared binding in half to find the center. Position the center of the binding at the center of the top edge. Pin if you like. I don't pin. Needle down in the center with the edge of the hopping foot touching the edge of the fabric--thus, a quarter-inch in from the edge. Use an acrylic longarm template to guide the foot--staying that quarter inch in from the edge. Stitch from the center out. As you approach the corner, treat it as you would on your DSM. Stop a quarter inch from the edge and sew off the top onto the batting. Go back to the center and stitch the same way to the other corner. At the corners, fold binding up/down to make the miter and start your stitching line off the top, still determining where the quarter inch in lies. Stitch onto the miter, backstitching if you like. Stitch as far down one side as your quilting field allows. Switch to the opposite side and stitch down. Alternate sides until you reach the bottom. Stitch across the bottom, using whatever treatment you like for joining the binding.

As you can tell, the key is staying on that quarter-inch. I have a template with a channel for this purpose, but find I can do as well with just a rectangular ruler. I've veered off the line and just backed up to get back on track. It's very forgiving. 

 

I can do the "invisible join" on the longarm, where you determine where the binding should join and manipulate the ends to stitch a diagonal seam. It's fiddly but do-able.

 

Short version--start in the middle. Stitch one side--other side. Miter those corners. Stitch stitch stitch. Miter miter. Stitch stitch---leaving the ends to join however you prefer. Takes 20 minutes for a queen.

[JustSewSimple]

I could turn my binding into 14K gold and still the judges would rip-it-a-new-one. They never like my bindings and I am so very careful!

[HeidiP]

Thankful I have been following this Forum for three years because I have learned so much!

I quilted my third quilt this week, a large queen and sewed the binding on with Millie. It was so much easier than with my DM and a big timesaver! Just laid the binding where it should go stitching about 12" at a time, sometimes with a short ruler and sometimes freehand. I trimmed 1/2 from the stitching line to get her off the table and I'm doing minor adjustments as I'm hand sewing it to the back side. The power advance was great. Just keep discovering advantages of my MIllie that I hadn't anticipated when I bought her. These are awesome machines!

[CWBowser]

I cut my binding 2 1/4". I use my walking foot on my classic (1530) Bernina. I move the needle over so the edge of the walking foot will be 1/4" from the needle. I run the binding and quilt I am sewing it to along the edge of the walking foot. That way I am watching the edge of the foot and not the 1/4" line on the throat plate. When I am done sewing it,

I pull the binding to the back and hand sew it, pulling the binding just past the machine stitched line. 

 

I find for me if I cut the binding wider then I won't get it filled with the quilt top, batting and backing.  This is probably as clear as mud. Sorry.

[Merryjo2003]

I usually quilt the quilt, roll back up to the top, start on the R side, using my left hand to guide the binding, and sew all the way across the quilt.  I don't use a ruler or channel lock.  I can go straight as an arrow just using my hopping foot as a 1/4 guide.  Very much like Linda explained.  It's a piece of cake after a few times.  Then you never want to do it another way!

[RitaR]

I use 2 1/2" bindings, and sew them on with a 3/8" seam.  it gives just a wee bit more on the back and I don't have to mess with measuring such and such out from the quilt top.  I use the Martelli Kwik bind, and the stitch in the ditch attachment.  They look so nice and easy to make.   By using the stitch in the ditch tool, I can maintain an equal distance along the stitches of the first binding seam, and it seldom shows..  

 

I think it is the Kwik Bind.  I'll need to check, and post diff if I need to.

 

Rita

[KathyG_Quilts]

So far, I haven't tried sewing binding on while the top is on the long arm, but after reading these posts I think I might try it.  AT the moment my shoulders ache from binding a large queen sized quilt today.  Once I have the binding sewn onto the front of the top, how I sew the rest depends on the use of the quilt, If it a bed quilt that will get washed fairly often, I will make the binding a bit wider so I can SID from the front and be sure to catch it on the back.  I have sewn off the edge too many times with a narrower binding.  I only sew it to the back by hand if it is a "special quilt."  I sewed for money for too many years to want to sew by hand if I don't have to!

[micajah]

Hi, I have a question to add here....how do you keep the quilt edges from being different widths. I love doing my binding on the machine, but have a hard time keeping the top width the same as the bottom width. The sides do not present this problem as I don't have a problem working down the quilt. It just seems that I end up with the top edge being off by as much as a half inch so when you fold the quilt, top to bottom edge, one edge is always longer. Is there a secret to maintaining the measurements? 

I've even used the channel locks to go across and down the quilt, so what am I doing wrong?

Appreciate any tips!

Debbie