This is something I've been wondering about for awhile. I normally cut my binding strips 2 1/4" wide and do the double fold method. I attach the binding on the front of the quilt with a quarter inch seam, fold over and stitch to the back. But the binding width on the back of the quilt is always wider than what is on the front. Is that normal, and totally acceptable, or should I be adjusting my seam on the front to end up with a more even amount of binding on both sides?

I'm asking this from kind of a show prospective, even though I don't have any showing plans as of now. I'd just like to have things down the right way in case I ever do decide to show. :)

I cut mine 2 1/8 ONCE. It barely covered the line where I sewed the binding on to begin with. As long as your binding is tight, filled with batting, your corners are square, (lots of mine aren't, somehow, I made a dip in them right before the point) I might have pulled too tight with the stitching. Anyway, NOW I use the method on Sharon Schamber's site, and I recommend it. Check it out, it will change your bindings!

what site is Sharon Schamber's site?

I cut 2 1/2" width double fold sew to front of quilt and miter corners. Then I hand stitch the back. That way both sides are the same and you don't see your machine stitch on front. Takes longer but like the results.

Sharonschamber.com

Rachel, I'm so glad you asked this question. I too, have the problem of my binding not being equal on both sides and not sure of how to correct it. I look so forward to all the answers. Does anyone have a direct link to the binding tutorial on SSN? :D :D

From a Judge. It is ok if the front and back is not the same as long as the width of the front is even and consistent and the back is even all around.
If you are having this problem then you need to either increase the seam allowance for machine sewing it down (if this is possible but may not be if you have piecing and 1/4" seam allowances) or you need to reduce the width of the cut binding.

You could always cut the batting to extend a little beyond the seam allowance. I usually try to get it 1/8" or so bigger and it works pretty well with 2-1/2" strips.

Mine is always a bit narrower on one side :D:D:D

I just watched the tute at Sharon Schamber's site. Wow is she thorough.
Personally as long as my binding covers everything and looks good, I'm happy. I don't worry if both sides measure the same.

I always cut mine 2 1/2". When I double fold and sew a 1/4" (that takes up a 1/2") then the front and back seem to come out more even for me, but I'm not a show person. Just what I prefer. :-D

Duh *smacking head*! Why didn't I think of reducing the size binding I cut in the first place?! Sometimes I wonder how I make it through the day! Thank you for pointing out the obvious for me! :D

But from a show standpoint it sounds like it's okay for the two sides to have a little different width, as long as they're both even on their own side. Thanks again!

Different judges will have different opinions, like on everything. I have seen the comments written by judges commenting on this particular thing.

I do not show either, but would like to if I get up the nerve, and I have always heard that the bindings are checked, so I try my best to make sure they are as perfect as I can make them. I might have a few lopped off points, but by golly, I have neat and tidy bindings!

Pam said: [/quote] I do not show either, but would like to if I get up the nerve, [/quote]

Pam...just on the basis of the quilt in your avatar...I say go for it! That quilt is gorgeous!

About the bindings question: I use 2.5", folded double. I use a .25" seam when I attach so I don't lose my points, then trim back and batting a smidge bigger when I'm done. That way my fold when I'm stitching down is right along the stitching line on the back.

Mine too, but that is ok. I cut my strips 2 1/2 inches. I want to make sure it covers the 1/4 sewing line from where I have attached the binding to the front and then I hand sew to the back.

Regarding judging, it depends on the judge, her certifications, and the size of the show. In a recent class presented by an NQA certified judge, we were told the front and back binding width should be as close to the same as you can make them. She also stressed that more quilts lose points on binding than anything else. Fullness of the binding, consistency of width, and sewn closed miters were all mentioned as very important.

Ditto! I hand stitch mine to the machine stitches (at about every 3rd stitch); I do not hand sew into the quilt backing fabric. If this is a "no no", I don't care; I intend to continue to do it this way. It's easy and guarantees that my binding is the same width in front and back.

Great info on bindings.

http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf


Here 'tiz!

rusty ;-)

OK now I see why Sharon Schamber gets prizes for her quilts. If I put my quilt on the floor I would have dogs on it. lol
Maybe someday when I have a room I can totally close them out of.

Oh thank you so much for the pdf! I have saved it to print out. You are a doll! LOL

I never follow the "rules." It's my quilt. I'll do it how I want.

Right. As I understand it, this is an important point with quilt judging, which is kind of the standards we sort of try to go by mostly in our ordinary everyday fun of quilting, (although of course we can actually do anything we want - "It's our quilt!")

So here's what I do - When I have sewn on my front side of the binding, and am ready to go to the back and handstitch down the back half of the binding, I trim my quilt sandwich not on the line of the edge of my quilt top, but rather about 1/16" or even 1/8" out from the edge of the quilt top,
- making a tiny bit more batting and backing to cover with the binding as I sew along on the back.

I get great results with this extra bit of "filling" for my binding.

I have to way in here, as a quilting teacher, my answer is yes, it does need to be the same on both sides. It is easy to do. I usually use a 2 1/4" strips for binding and do the double fold method (this is the best method to use since it usually the binding that wears the most on any quilt) then machine sew it to the front of the quilt using a full quarter inch seam allowance and mitered corners, then trim backing and batting to equal a little less than half of your binding when it is folded out flat. Then, using the hidden running stitch hand sew the binding to the back of your quilt using the stitching line from the front as your guide to place your needle as close to the bottom side of the front stitching as possible. This is the way I do it, the way I teach it and the way several quilters I know who do show their quilts do it. Hope this helps. Good luck with your binding.

Hugs, Gail

Has anyone ever used less than 2 1/2 for the starting width of your binding? What were the results? Have you used 2 1/4? Is this unacceptable?


I have a few tops that I am finishing now that I hope to have judged in a show in the fall and I never really thought about the dos and don'ts for binding. I usually do my binding like many have already mentioned but now I'm going to look up the tutorial. Thanks for bringng this up!

Thanks Gail -guess we posted at the same time.

[quote=kayquilt]what site is Sharon Schamber's site
http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

[quote=costumegirl]Has anyone ever used less than 2 1/2 for the starting width of your binding? What were the results? Have you used 2 1/4? Is this unacceptable?


The last binding I did I used 2 1/4 binding and glued it down. So far this has worked the best for me. I'm going to experiment with different sizes and such and see which method I like best.

As others have replied, I use Sharon Schamber's method and OMG!! It comes out so nicely!! It does need to be a bit wider on the back so that it covers the line of sewing from the front.

I think that being even and totally filled with the quilt/batting is most important.

There is no "rule" about a quarter inch finished binding according to current judging standards either, if there ever was one. The binding width should be proportional to the size and design of the quilt.

Love your siggie!

it will always be a little wider on the side you hand stitch, in your case the back because you are pulling the binding down over the stitching line, to cover it, so it is normal, if it were the same or narrower the stitchs would show that you used to machine stitch the first half...make sense?

Same here. I have tried different widths but end up going back to this size.

Before sewing on my binding, I usually trim my quilt to straighten the edges and square up the corners. Most of the time the quilt edge is straight, but sometimes it has gotten crooked a little bit during the quilting. This way I know that my quilt edge is straight and corners are square. After sewing on the binding with a 1/4" seam I add a 1/2" strip of batting inside the binding so I know it is full. It just looks nicer than a flat binding.

I cut my binding 2 3/8, just shy of the 2 1/2, I use the edge of my walking for seam allowance and trim after binding is attached, leaving about 1/8 extra of backing and batting. Sometimes I need to trim it a little with my scissors while sewing by hand to the backing. I have has two quilts hang in shows, MQX and Images, the judges did not comment on my bindings. I was not looking for a ribbon (good thing, cuz I didn't get one) LOL
I changed the way I miter my corner after taking a class from SS and my corners are always dead on, now.

I usually cut my bindings 2 1/4" wide, but regardless of however wide I cut them, I press them down the length of the middle. Then when I sew it on the top of the quilt I sew it halfway across the half that is on the top. When I flip it over to hand sew the back, I just barely cover my stitches from the front. That keeps both front and back just about even.

Judges at our show have made comments that they like to see it the same on the back and the front of the quilt. And always full (front and back fabrics and batting extending all the way to the fold) I always cut mine 2", sew with a 1/4" seam, and still have a little extra on the back, as I do pull it snuggly around the edge to tack it down. I have even considered cutting mine at 1 7/8" and a friend told me it will even work with 1 3/4" cut width, but I have not tried it yet. And on miniatures, you would want as narrow a binding as you can do.

http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ee%20Stuff.htm

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