Binding math
 

I want to make binding out of a fabric I love, but there is so little left I'm not sure if I can get as much as I need out of it. When joining strips on the diagonal to make binding, how much do you allow for each join? How much for the turn on each corner, folding it back on itself when finishing one side, and then continuing on the next side? I think I may be able to squeak it out, but it will be really close! Thank you for any help.

if you think you are close, I would be safe and join the binding at 90 degrees. it will certainly give you some extra. I would guess that if your binding is 2.5 inches wide, you will lose 2.5 inches with each diagonal seam.

Here's a binding calculator that shows how much you need plus some figures showing how much to add for corners etc. It might help you. https://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/...Calculator.php They show adding 10" for what they call margins.

Excellent suggestion. I hadn't thought of a 90 degree join. And I think you're right about the 2.5 inch loss at each seam if doing a diagonal join, though I would think it would be a total of 5 inches for each seam -- 2.5 inches for each of the two ends joined. (Does that make sense??) And thank you, cashs_mom for the binding calculator link. Very helpful!

A lot of people (like me) cut their bindings 2 1/4" wide. Maybe you would have enough fabric if you cut 2 1/4" strips instead of 2 1/2" strips? I did cut a binding 2" once, when I didn't have enough fabric.

You could always make a 'flange' binding. Or 'line' the binding. The measurements are the same but the fabrics are opposite for flange as to lining. For a 2 1/4 inch binding, you will need 1 1/2 inch wide strips of your preferred fabric and 1 1/4 inch wide strips of your alternate fabric. Once you sew the strips of each colour together, you then sew the two strips together and press in half. For a lined binding, you would lay the binding with the narrower strip up, on the front of your quilt and sew. Then finish as usual.

I cut my binding at 2 1/4" also. Seems to work well for me

Another possibility, is to join your strips end to end with just a straight 1/4" seam, instead of joing them diagonially. That way you are only losing 1/2" each strip (1/4" each end)

2.25 for me too. Ever so long ago, someone told me to measure the top, bottom, and sides and add 12 inches. So far it has worked. I prefer the diagonal joining because it seems to lay more flat. But it could be my imagination or simply falling back on an old habit.🤭

I figure 40” of usable fabric per strip. Calculate how am any strips I need and divide into the yardage you have to work with. If 2.5 or 2.25 is available you are good to go. If less, I will line as GingerK suggested

I agree if you think you may run short don't do them diagonally but straight. A lot of quilters do it that way. I have done it both ways and they both work out fine.

I have used Edyta Sitar’s method cutting 1.75” strips successfully when short on fabric. if you watch the video you see you still have a double fold on the edges.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWauykQzr7w

Have you thought of the continuous bias binding method? It's a little tricky at first but 2 seams and a long cut, I use rectangles instead of squares. I figure how many square inches of binding I need and then measure the fabric. Sometimes I have a few to many seams in the binding but its the fabric I wanted and I don't really notice the seams unless one is dead center in the corner.

Book marked the calculator. That is clever and simple.

cashs mom thank you for the link to the binding calculator. And also there are so many suggestions and solutions here which I was not aware of. Will be following this thread.

I like that binding calculator. I can find out how much I need if I'm buying or juggle the width to find out how wide I can make it out of the fabric I have.