I have been admiring some older quilts, probably made around 1950 and see that the binding is about 2 inches wide - looks like the bindings I see on blankets. I usually make my bindings - cut bias fabric 21/2 inches, fold in half, stitch on and fold over the quilt edge and stitch down again; ending up with about a 5/8 inch finished binding. Does anyone know what is the perferred width?

I believe it's whatever you prefer. I usually cut mine 2 1/4" on straight of grain (unless I have to go around curves). It also depends on the batting you are using. Thicker batts will take up more of the binding when you turn it over the edge of the quilt. I like the look of a narrow binding, but it's only my preference.

I is your choice. Most quilts now are like you said ,cut 2 1/2. I some times cut 2 1/4 inches, depending on project. I have done some wider if I want it more like a border, but ususally use narrow esp. if matching outer border. I do have an old quilt from GGM, but she folded back to front since it matched sashing on quilt. I think the important part of binding is that it is even on both sides and filled with batting to edge.
GGM's quilt binding was about 1 1/2 inches wide

I like to cut mine 2 1/4" also. I learned that this helps ensure the width (of the binding)on the back of the quilt more closely matches the width on the front of the quilt when it's finished.

I also learned that quilt judges (at shows) look for bindings to be completely filled by the batting.
But it's definitely a matter of preference.

I think even back in the '50s the narrower binding was preferred. Almost all the old quilts I have seen have the narrower binding, I think because it wears so much better.

I'm a pretty firm believer in there's more than one way to do most things. But, that being said, "most" vintage and antique quilts (especially prior to 1920) had narrow bindings of straight-grain fabric often of a different print/color from the rest of the quilt. Indeed, Barbara Brackman, quilt historian, once said she had seen only one out of literally hundreds and hundreds of pre-1900 quilts with a bias-grain binding. Curved edges came into vogue in the 1920s and 30s and needed bias grain for those curves.

Oddly enough, quilting as a craft/art was a bit "lost" in the mid-1900s, after the heyday years of the late 1920s into 1930s. Many quilters of very late 1970s and early 1980s were either newbies or "rememberers" of their grandmother's work. Many who had mothers who were young women in the 1940s had to virtually reinvent the wheel to quilt.

Most of us at that time remember template piecing, not strip piecing, and turning the binding from the backing fabric to the front for binding. Many of the quilts had "modern" polyester batting that was thicker than nearly any generation before us had used and therefore had 'fatter' bindings.

It wasn't until 1980 that the rotary cutter, which had been recently invented in Japan, became available in this country for the garment industry, for instance. Quilters quickly found the new invention and it sold better in the US than anywhere else in the world!

Personally I'm SO glad I was fortunate enough to begin quilting with the forerunners of the "speed-piecing" method of quilting like Mary Ellen Hopkins. Because, even though there were few decent quilting books available in 1981-83, she wrote a magnificent primer for the new generation of quilters/fabric artists that truly set us free to think outside the original box and do things a different/better?/ faster way.

We can do most anything we please these days! We've come a long, long way, Baby!!!

Jan in VA

In one of the guilds I belonged to they had two different instructors one right after the other. The first one says she cuts her bindings at 3 inches because she likes them as the final framing and if you're going to go to all that trouble they should be seen. So then the next month the instructor says to cut your bindings at 1 1/2 inches so they're very narrow and not as noticeable. But both of them did say they use straight grain binding unless the quilt has a curved edge.

I think you can do pretty much what suits you and what suits the quilt.

Not sure how you get a 5/8" finished double fold binding from a 2½" cut strip (the math doesn't add up), but that's a fairly common cut width.

I always cut 3" strips and wind up with a finished 5/8" on front and back. I like wider bindings and they are easy to make full by leaving extra batting/backing beyond the quilt top. I trim 5/8" from the binding seam, then fold it to the back and hand stitch. The binding can be whatever width you like, but it should be proportionate to the quilt size and style...at least that's what judges have said.

I cut mine 2 3/4 inches and fold it in half. I would not want it any narrower than that.

I was taught that the binding should be cut at 2 1/4" then doubled unless you are using a loftier batting then you should cut at 2 1/2". But like so many things in quilting, it is really up to you and the look you are going for. Remember, no quilt police!

I like mine cut at 3" too.

I cut mine 2 1/2".

My favorite way is bringing the fabric of the backing over to the front, but the dimensions don't always work out to do that. When I do regular binding, I just do the 2-1/4" doubled attached to the backing and bring it over to the front.

I now cut mine 2 3/4 inches, fold in half, sew 3/8 in. seam and then fold over to front and stitch. I used to cut 2 1/2 but have found that the extra 1/4 in (1/8 in folded) makes binding easier to work with.

I'm glad everyone seems to agree that we should do what we like.

As to the 5/8 inch, I was referring to the binding that shows on the quilt front when all is finished. Sorry I wasn't more clear.

I like mine cut 205 inches but it is up to each person to decide what they like best.

I don't think bias binding needs to be used unless you have a curved edge. I use 2 1/4" when I finish by hand,2 1/2" to machine finish. you always want that binding to be "full" of batting. for utility & charity quilts, I turn back to front. quick, sturdy. Happy Quilting !

I cut 3" strips, across width of binding fabric, then piece on diagonal until
I get needed quilt perimeter length. Fold and press binding in half, machine
stitch to backing side, mitre corners, then fold over to top of quilt, again
machine stitch down with mitre corners. French Flat-fold method ??
Ends up 5/8 - 3/4" showing on both sides of quilt.

I cut at 2 1/2" on cross, straight grain or bias if the quilt has curved edge or will have a lot of washing.

I use Warm and Natural batting, cut my binding strips at 2 1/8" and finish by hand.

I cut mine 2 1/4-1/2 depending and on straight grain....

I cut mine at 2-1/2, BUT I cut the edge of my quilt sandwich 1/4" away from the edge of the quilt top. This makes sure my binding is full.

Thanks, Jan! That was a really interesting answer!

Up until my last project I always used 2 1/4" binding, doubled. On my last quilt the backing came out just a bit too short so my choices were either trim the quilt down or use a wider binding. I decided on the wider binding, 1" finished, 6 1/4" strip doubled. I really like the look of the wider binding and will definitely use it again, my daughter liked it too, the quilt was for her. I will cut my strips at 6 1/2" next time. I also learned through experimenting that you stop the distance from the corner equal to the width of the binding, for 1' binding stop 1' from corner to do your miter. Had to rip out more than once before I got it right.

I'm a 3" person too.

I like 2 1/2".

On full sized quilts I use 2 1/2 double folded, usually on the bias as it wears longer, but have used straight binding as well.
I sew lots of small quilts, table runners, wall hangings, etc. For these I like to use single folded binding cut 1 1/4". Before I sew the binding on, I firmly press the edge not sewn to the quilt 1/4" under and sew the unpressed edge to the quilt. Now I have the folded edge in place to either machine or hand stitch.

I do about the same, except I cut my binding strips to 2 1/4 and then finish by hand.

I think the design of your quilt determines the width that the binding should be.

I cut 2" for wall hangings and 2 and 1/4 for quilts.
it is jut personal..whatever you think will work.
i will say, that i was showing my SIL how to put binding on, and i wish i had checked all the way around the quilt, by the time i got to the last side..i noticed when she squared up the quilt, some batting was showing, more than 1/4". i told her if we continued, and when she washed the quilt, it would probably fray at that point. you need to be sure that the binding has a good latch on the the quilt on the front.

I do the 2-1/2", sew in half and then sew it on the quilt. Easy peasy!!!!! Edie

Thank you, I wondered how to manage the corners on wider binding.

I used to always make a narrow binding for all my quilts, doubling a 2-1/4" binding as many of you do. But when I attended an art quilt exhibition at Visions Art Quilt Gallery in San Diego recently, I noticed many art quilts finished with a pillowcase edge (without binding). That gave the quilts a free, unconfined feeling, which I thought enhanced their themes. My traditional quilts will still have bindings, but my art quilts will definitely sport a new look.

I have done all of the above. But have decided for most quilts I like it cut 2 1/2 inches. I do use narrower bindings on real small stuff like doll quilts, placemats and the like. All my bindings are folded in half, sewon on, and turned over.

I have done them with 2 1/4 and just recently 3 inches. I have an accuquilt go and have a 3" die I wanted to try. I really do like the larger binding, sets it off a little more. But again as everyone is saying, a personal preference.

It is whatever you want it to be. I usually cut mine about 2 1/2" or 3" and then fold in half and it makes a nice binding.

2 1/4" folded makes approximately 1/4" binding when finished. Straight grain or bias grain if there are curves in the border.

Depending on the thickness of the quilt batting, I cut 2" or 2 1/2", fold in half and sew the raw edges to the front of the quilt edge, turn to back, which leave me with a 1/2" finished binding, or 5/8" finished binding. Works for me. I like a tight binding.

Sounds interesting but what is a pillow case edge?

Sometimes I cut a wider binding and bring the majority of the fabric to the front of the quilt and it looks like a border. This is real cute on smaller items, I just did pot holders and mug rugs like this.

Judy in Michigan