maviskw

I just got a blue ribbon on my quilt. One of the things the judge liked was my narrow binding.

When I trim my quilt, just before sewing on the binding, I leave a half inch or so beyond the raw edge of the top. The binding is sewn onto the quilt with a quarter inch seam from the edge of the quilt top. You need to do that to save your points on the border. Then I lay my quilt on the cutting board and trim with a ruler and rotary cutter to 3/8ths of an inch from the sewing if my binding is 2 1/2 inches. With a 2 inch binding, use the 1/4 inch line for trimming. I like to use different colored thread when the binding is sewn on so I can see that line through the ruler. I cut only about 6 inches at a time and always watch for the line on the ruler matching the sewn line. This way the width of the batt that needs to be enclosed is consistent.

Then you iron carefully so the binding is pressed away from the quilt and the "ditch" is open and free.
Fold the binding to the back and stitch in the ditch from the front. I used to pin this every inch or so, but didn't like being stuck every inch or so! ! ! Then I used the washable glue and ironed - - pasted - - the binding in place. That worked quite will. But I always need to pin the corners well. Now I can do it by just folding the binding to the back, hold it there with sixteen fingers and sew about six inches or so. I peek under when it is ready to sew and most of the time it is fine. Once in a while I miss a little. Then I go back and fix those spots, and you can't even see it from the front and it hardly shows on the back.

The 2 inch binding is a little harder to do this way, but I have done it several times with not too much trouble.

AudreyB

I use a 2-1/2" cut binding then I use the regular foot that came with my machine. It makes the perfect seam width to have a full binding. Your regular foot may be different from mine, but I have found that most work just fine. It measures a 3/8" seam.

copycat

Many thanks for the wonderful tips.

I will make practice samples using different widths for the binding strips and adjusting the amount of batting and backing remaining past the sewn seam line. So many great tips to try!!!!

tessagin

great binding tips for those who machine bind.

purplefiend

I make my seam allowance a little bit more than a 1/4" and that helps. I also sew it to the back of the quilt first and then turn it over to the front like you do. Are you using a walking foot when you sew the binding on? My Pfaff has IDT( built in walking foot), it helps to keep the binding smooth.
Sharon in Texas

sxboyer

I cut my binding at 2 1/4 and sew it at 3/8. I have to work to get it all in, but it really fills out the edge nicely!