Tutorial – Quilt Binding with Mitered Corners

Updated 4-25-12 with new and improved pictures!

In honor of Sew, Mama, Sew’s quilting month I am finally getting around to posting this pictorial tutorial (say that 10 times fast!) on how to do quilt binding with mitered corners. There are plenty of fabulous tutorials out there (like Heather Bailey’s, for example), but so many of them had drawings that I decided to do one with real live pictures.

Another mini/doll quilt  is going on the wall of Cosette’s room, ala Hillary Lang’s doll quilt wall.

I’m binding a doll quilt here, and I like my binding pretty narrow, about 1/4″ wide. I cut my binding strips 1 1/8″. I figure 1/4″ finished binding on the front and back, plus 1/4″ seam allowance on the front and back, plus 1/8″ for quilt thickness.

(If you prefer a wider binding: For example if you want it 1/2″ wide, cut your binding strip at least 2 1/8″. Match your raw edges, and sew with a 1/2″ seam allowance. You can add a 1/8″ or more if you have a thicker quilt, too. I use very thin cotton batting, so that’s all I usually need.)

I don’t usually use pins here because I think it’s easier to match my raw edges as I sew. Start your binding strip in the center of the bottom of your quilt, and fold the raw edge over 1/4″.

Working on the front of the quilt, with right sides facing each other, match the binding and quilt edges and sew with 1/4″ seam allowance. When you approach the corner, stop 1/4″ from the end of your quilt. I like to backstitch here.

Fold the binding strip straight up, creating a diagonal fold.

Being careful not to disturb the first fold, fold the strip straight down.

Now, matching raw edges and starting at the very top, sew this length with the 1/4″ seam allowance. Again stopping 1/4″ from the edge. (Remember, if you making 1/2″ thick binding, use that measurement instead.)

When you get all the way around, overlap the edges of the binding strip. The bottom layer should be folded over 1/4″ so that no raw edges will be sticking out. (Or check our Heather Bailey’s method for continuous binding… I think this works just as well, and is easier. You can always run a few hand stitches in there to hold it down nicely).

Once you have sewn the binding all the way around, fold it open and press.

Flip the quilt over and press your seam allowance about 1/4″ (Or up to 1/2″ if making the thicker binding).

Make sure that when you fold it again to sew it to the backing that the binding will cover the stitching from attaching the binding. Yup, this’ll do to cover my stitching from the front!

Fold the binding over the back and pin into place. Making sure that you have the 1/4″ seam allowance folded all around the corners also.

Fold straight across the corner.

Then just fold the next side over and pin. You can tuck a little in the corner if needed and adjust your fold so that you have a perfect mitered corner.

Hand sewing the binding into place:

With your thread coming up through the fold of the binding, insert the needle at the same point in the backing. You only need to catch a few threads, not more than 1/8″ or a few mm.

Working parallel to the binding, bring the needle up and through the first layer of the binding. Again just catch no more than 1/8″ of the binding, and bring the needle up through the fold of the binding seam allowance.

When you get to the corners take a stitch or two in the same fashion up the mitered corner and back.

Repeat, repeat, repeat! With a little practice you should be able to have a beautifully finished binding with invisible stitches!

White side is machine stitched, pink side is hand stitched.

Hope this helps for those of us who are visual learners. Please let me know if there is anything I can add to make this tutorial better. I love to get feedback.