diagonal works best

Angled seams lie with less bulk. I recently bound a quilt that my granddaughter had pieced. Used her scraps for binding. Great effect.

When you have a bright pretty color, I have done the diagonal only because it looked so good that way. I didn't know about the bulk at that time, but it just looks better. I used the scraps from the quilt I had made and that kind of binding really put a wow on it.

Diagonal seams result in less bulk and look more professional. Also I'd make the strips longer than 6" and would make them vary in their lengths. My daughter has done several this way, so I've done it also and think they look really cool. And it helps get rid of some of those excess scraps! :-D

I've used scrappy binding on a couple of quilts. Definately make your strips longer than 6". Make them various lengths and sew them on the diagonal b/c when you join the final strips when you're sewing the binding on-it's joined diagonally. some gets cut off. If the strips start out the same length and then there is a short one, it will be very noticeable. But if they were all different to start with, no one will know where they were joined. Clear as Mud?

Diagonal seams definitely work much better! I just completed two scrappy bindings and both had diagonal seams and went really well and looked awesome! I'm working on one right now that I couldn't do diagonal and I'm not looking forward to the bulk but I think it will look awesome when done!

I would cut the strips longer & join them on the diagonal.

use the diagonal pieces if you have the time, it truns out better.

I make that kind of binding for most of my quilts however I never thought of doing diagonal seams, for one I feel it takes more fabric than a straight seam and sometimes my piece is very small. I have never had a problem with bulk and I do stagger the length of my patches.

I love scrappy bindings. I think it gives a little playfulness to the quilt. I do my seams on the diagonal bc of less bulk. Sometimes the seams lands on the corner, but I don't have any touble with it. I cut my strips from 12 to 22 inches depending on how much "scrap" I have left.

I use scraps for binding alot & like the look of the diagonial seam.

It depends on the quilt you are binding. Pieces joined end to end look good if they stay no longer than 6 1/2-inches. Perhaps would look even better at 4-inches. A serious and/or formal quilt would not be a great candidate but a really scrappy quilt or 30's repro fabrics would look very cute. If you use the pieces joined on the diagonal it would look good on a diamond pattern quilt or something in batiks.

I cut my strips (various lengths) and chain-pinned them. I LOVE the mix of colors - I had 5 minutes to start sewing, then had to leave for work. Now I'm stuck in the store because of the blizzard! C'mon boys and get those plows out - Mama's gotta get home to her quilt! :)

if you start with 10 inch wide fabric, sew the diagonal and then cut these into 2.5 inch strips you will same a lot of diagonal sewing - which might waste some fabric, but you did start with scraps.

I like the diagonal seams, but I don't think it matters a hoot

I agree....six inches is too short. I just barely sewed a scrapy binding on a baby quilt. They were about 14 inches. I love scrapy binding.

I prefer the diagonal seam.

And less likely to split, as a weak point.

I think diagonal seams look best.

Definitely join them at a 45 degree, because you will get too much build up where both seams meet.

All the joints you make should be joined by a mitered joint but the 6" long pieces is fine if you want to use up scaps.

I have done this when I wanted to use up the scraps it is OK straight across if you are alternating the colours. However, I think it looks more attractive if you slant the join as it is less noticeable.

If you are binding a small item (like a Pot Holder) you can get by with a straight across seam, but if you are doing a quilt if you do straight across, eventually it will pucker and you have a mess. A diagonail seam and if possible make your binding strip diagonal across the fabric. If you start corner to corner on a 36 inch piece of fabric, you can get enough binding for a small quilt, like a lap quilt or if carefully cut you might be able to do a twin size quilt.

When I bind a quilt that is going to be featured in a magazine I certainly sew my binding strips together at an angle - it's easy to do and when you sew together that last section of binding you will never, ever see where you started and where you finished. But, if I am doing one just for myself and I have scaps I want to use I will but ends together just naking sure that no seam ends up at the corners.

Isew the binding on an angle even for a pot holder.