All my quilts get finished with a double-fold French binding. The following images show the first step in the process: creating the binding itself.
1. Cut 2 1/2″ strips selvage to selvage.
To calculate number of strips required: measure the outside of the quilt. Divide the total by 40″ (the length of a strip), round up. I cut one extra strip above that number to account for the waste in the bias seams used to sew the strips together as well as the overlap needed when attaching the binding to the quilt.
2. Prepare for sewing the strips together. Lay the strips out on the cutting mat. Place the ends just North of the 45 degree angle on the mat:
3. Mark a 45 degree line using a pencil:
4. Sew strip ends together. Note how the pencil line on the top strip ‘exits’ at the edge. The more accurate this placement the more even the strip joins will be:
5. Chain piecing makes the process go quickly. The tail of the bottom layer becomes the top layer in the next join:
6. Trim excess 1/4″ from the seam line:
7. Trim off the little corners:
8. Set each seam:
9. Flip over and press each seam open (clipping the corners in Step 7 prevents the seam from sticking out when pressed open):
10. Press one final time from the right side:
11. Fold binding in half and press:
12. Get your zen on and keep going!
Kathy Mack
Carrie + Diana
Ahhh, one of my favorite things in the entire world to make. No Joke. I could sit and cut, sew and fold binding and bias tape for hours. It’s so relaxing!
Thanks for your tip on how to cut the angles for piecing the strips together. To me, that’s always been the hardest part. I love the stack of binding you made!
Great tutorial! Thank you!
Great tutorial. I “know” how to make binding, but never do it in a nice systematic way like this, so things are off at the joins and it drives me crazy. I’ll use your tutorial next time I need to make binding. Thanks!
Kathy, I love your attention to detail. Thank you for explaining (with pictures) each step along the way. It looks so much better than my piece-as-you-go method.
Amy: I used to cut the 45 degree angle off on the ends before I sewed them together. Working with the bias seams was too fussy (it needed lots of pins) and trying to match the strips together just right was always a bit off. I’ve moved on to marking the line and cutting off the excess after they are sewn together, it’s resulted in less headaches and more precise joins.
ps I also like to stick a pin in my layers to keep them stable before I sew them together. I put the pin far enough away from the actual sewing line so it can stay in while I sew but I’m not going over the pin with my machine needle.
I make my own binding too, but I never thought to join it that way. I’ll do it this way from now on!
Question though: when i make double fold french binding, I fold it to meet in the center, then fold it again for a double fold. Yours looks like single fold? Aren’t there raw edges? I don’t use a machine so I can’t have raw edges anywhere!
Wendy: the double fold comes into play after the binding it initially sewn to the quilt. After the raw edges are sewn, the folded edge is flipped to the back (for hand sewing) or the front (for machine sewing). The raw edges are then trapped inside during the fold over process. I’m going to show attaching the binding in my next post.
I’ll research the terminology a little more and report back! I don’t want to confuse anyone
Thank you for the tutorial. This is very helpful.
And the fabric, can you tell me where the fabrics came from, I am especially looking at the stripe. I looked in your shop, but I didn’t see it anywhere.
The fabrics from the top:
Urban Garden Stripe Blue
Sole Sunflower Dot Blue
Amy Butler Charm stripe fabric from my stash
Mini Muu Mouse & Cheese Turquoise (long story, but this one is in my stash and never made it into the shop)
Flora Curlicue Blue
That’s how I do my binding and I never have any problems. Great pictures!
It’s one thing to generously share your knowledge with a helpful and timely tutorial. It’s another thing to make it so utterly gorgeous. Tutorial eye candy! Thanks for the info and the beauty.
I always make my bindings like in your tutorial. Love it! The magical moment of a nearly finished quilt!!
Oh my goodness! The mouse with cheese binding is KILLING me! I *love* it! :0)
I make my binding the same way.
I used to make the continuous bias binding, but this is so much easier and uses less fabric. Since I rarely make quilts with curved edges, the bias doesn’t seem so necessary. HOWEVER, I read somewhere that the diagonal direction of the binding’s weave when it is made on the bias wears better (stronger) than the weave of this type of straight-cut binding where the fold of the binding is parallel and perpendicular to the weave (and therefore the fold is presumably at a weaker point). I tend to disregard this since my quilts tend to be of the art on the wall type, or gentle use on the bed type rather than drag around baby quilts, but I wonder what you think or have experienced.
My favorite way to do binding.
Dang! Just last week I was scouring your site trying to find instructions for this!!!! Now that I have already finished my binding I wish I could have read this!! Aww shucks.
Thank you for step #5!! This is the way I always make my binding, but when I chain piece it I always get it muddled up and have to pick a few of them apart. I need to memorize step #5
I do my binding like this too. And I so love making binding (I think it’s the ironing!). Then I love hand-sewing it on the back side. I’ve always thought it was weird since most people really hate that part. Maybe I should get people to pay me to do it!
Awesome tutorial! Thanks so much – I get scared to cut binding. I’m going to print this out and try it out.
Great tutorial, thanks. My eye was caught by your ironing board cover – love the fabric. Did you make it or is it a commercially available item?
Kathy – thank you for this journal. I just love blogs where we can put as many pictures as we want. My only problem with bindings is that I don’t know how to roll it up as neatly as yours.
Kristin: I’m pretty lame about that whole discussion of bias vs. straight of grain. I’ve too heard the argument that you should use a bias binding on a straight of grain quilt and a straight of grain binding on an on-point quilt.
I don’t have any quilts old enough to give this the true test. We sure use the heck out of all the quilts in my house though. Washing, drying, dragging around the house, tents, and even sleeping. No wear visible on anything yet!
Cathy: I made my ironing board top. I have all the pictures, I just never wrote the post! I love that fabric as well. It’s one of those ‘trolling the aisles of Jo-Ann’s looking for cool fabrics’ prints. All it had on the selvage was ‘Made in Japan’.
easy-peasy! I usually make continuous bias binding. This method is so much easier. Thanks Kathy!
Oh this is fantastic! Great information and wonderful pictures. I’d love to link to this if you don’t mind!
I can’t wait for part 2. Even though I don’t quilt, I like to make floor cloths with binding, and I’ve never figured out a good technique. Thanks!
I love to make binding tape too! Thought that I would share a cute little something I did with a happy mistake. I made one set of binding way too narrow, but it came out cute with two sets!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teacherlady/2956279820/in/set-72157603809201625/
Wow! What a fantastic tutorial! I have never made binding before! I’ll have to share this with my mom so we can make it together!
HUGS!
I’m one of those people that dread making bindings. You’ve given me pause to consider the “tranquillity” side of it! Super great tute and your photos are ultra helpful. Here’s hoping the next time I make binding my zen can overcome my desire to curse my burning fingers!
Thanks for the amazing tutorial. Two silly questions from a rather inexperienced binding-maker
Is this starting with 1 yard of fabric (hence 40 inch length)? And since the binding is cut straight, not on the bias, does it lay funny?
Tina: I feel like I definitely need to do a prologue post on that binding. I’ve received quite a few e-mails asking me follow up questions. I cut my binding strips selvage to selvage with the grain so I’m getting my 40″ length with only 2 1/2″ of fabric (hope that makes sense).
The bias vs. straight grain debate. There are a lot of opinions. I will use a bias binding if I have curves I need to go around, they’re pretty much a requirement for that type of binding otherwise it would never lay properly. I’ve also used a bias binding when I wanted a certain effect with the fabric, usually a stripe that I want to appear as if it’s winding its way around the quilt.
Beyond that I’m not sure I have ever seen a difference so I do what’s easiest!
Very nice tutorial!
I ALWAYS use bias binding, no exceptions. Main reason: bias binding wears better than binding cut straight. This might not matter so much on a wall quilt, but it’s noticeable on a bed quilt. Also, I just love the way bias-cut binding looks on a quilt–it develops a soft roll that is just hugely visually satisfying to me. I love how bias behaves in a lot of sewing situations and this one is no exception.
Have you ever tried Judy Martin’s Point Trimmer for the angles? It works like a charm!
This is a great tutorial! I havealways pre cut my 45 degree ends and then try to match them up; this is so much easier! Do you have instructions that shows the easiest way to join the two ends once the binding has been stitched to the quilt? I leave a tail at the beginning so that I have something to work with. I get to the end and try to measure and cut to join on the bias but inevitably run a tad short!
Sally: I have an awesome technique for joining the ends. I use the method of sewing them together with a 45 degree seam but I have a little trick for how to match up the ends and sew them that is foolproof. Writing that up has been on my to do list for a very long time. Hopefully I can make that happen soon. It’s too hard to describe with words otherwise I’d try.
Thank you so much for your step by step with pictures! It was a great big help. One of my quilts called for this particular binding and didn’t say which way to cut it. Thank you again!
Could you do a tutorial on how to actually ATTACH the binding to the quilt? I have instructions, but they totally don’t make any sense to me (no pictures to explain) – and as a first time quilt-maker, there aren’t that many resources I know of to help…
I’ve been meaning to do a tutorial on how to attach the finding
Amanda Jean of Crazy Mom quilts has a very good tutorial on her blog here:
http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html
It’s almost exactly the same way I like to do it.
Have fun!
[...] Double-Fold French Binding – Creating the Binding [...]
Your instructions for making french fold binding are very precise and easy to follow. Having colour also really helps.
Do you know how to make a TWO FABRIC FRENCH FOLD BINDING????
I have a reversible quilt and would like to make a different colour of fabric on each side.
PLEASE HELLLLLLP.
extremely helpful description and pictures
Thank you, this was how I have been binding my quilts just never heard it called French Fold binding.
The demo was great.
KATHLEEN
wonderful! I’m looking forward to binding my quilt and table topper now! Was so frustrated before because no one explained how to do it as easily as you!
I just started quilting and came across your website looking to find out how to sew a French fold binding and it worked out perfect! Thanks for the demo. Looks like a great website.
Big omission for newbys…
It would be nice on step 2 of you would have said to “Lay the strips out(WRONG SIDE UP) on the cutting mat.”
I’ve now got to shorten each of my strips and redraw the lines on the wrong side of the fabric.
Oh well, good thing I bought a yard. Mistakes make one NEVER forget. Thanks!
This is best instructions I have seen. It simple and easy to follow.
Checking on Double-Fold French Bindings. I’m doing a scolloped edge on my quilt, and need bias tape because of the curves. Can I sew this on as Double fold French Binding, or stitch on as ‘Bias Binding’
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your weblog and wished to say that I’ve truly enjoyed surfing around your blog posts. In any case I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you write again soon!
Well written articles like yours renews my faith in today¡¯s writers. You¡¯ve written details I can finally agree on and use. Thank you for sharing.
[...] one and twoQuilting Tutorials List by Cluck Cluck SewQuilt Binding Tutorial by Heather BaileyDouble-Fold French Binding by Pink Chalk StudioQuilt As You Go Tutorial by Lawson and LottiHanging Sleeve by Tallgrass Prairie [...]