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.
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This is a wonderful, simple explanation with great photos to give visual information! Thank you!!
Very best visual tutorial on miter corners.
Perfectly explained, thank you. I’ve always had problems with the corners.
I loved it. I am a visual person and I could see exactly how to do it. Thanks
I think I’ve finally got it. While not what I would call a true mitered corner it’s good enuf for me and easy. Thank you so much. Libbi Moore. moorehawgheaven@yahoo.com
This is by far the best binding instructions I have found anywhere. Thank you
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I have been looking for simplicity and most tutorials are confusing, might just be me! Thanks! By the way, what material did you us on your doll blanket? Very pretty!
I am a very visual learner so I want to let you know it was very helpful. Thank you
Very clear to someone like me that is so inexperienced. Thank you!
thanks! I’m a brand new quilter (well, so far, just sewing the tops and having someone else quilt it!) and this tutorial was very helpful!
Thanks a lot! I’m brazilian, but it was easy to understand you. I will run to try it in my project, a quilt for my grandson that will born soon.
Found this very helpful! Thanks ♡
Such a easy way u have described…thnk u so much
This is exactly what I was looking for. Great tutorial! Thank you!
Very instructive. Thanks a lot!
You made it very easy to follow. Thank you. Pictures help me a lot. Again thank you. So very helpful a Visio is to quick and I have to keep pausing this is great step by step
Very good instructions and photos!
Awesome instructions! Love the close up photos and yes, I am a visual learner. I am at the binding stage on a baby quilt and this was timely!
That was very helpful to this new quilter! Thank you ! Debbie
thank you! This is just how my mother showed me, but after she went home on the plane I could not get it right no matter how many tutorials I watched, until I stumbled upon yours! Hurray!! You have no idea how happy you have made me by showing with the fabric! s. kovats jan. 8, 2017
Very helpful. I’ve been trying to get the binding right. This helped me succeed. Thank you.
I like that, it’s really good and simple, thanks.
Thank you! I am a beginner quilter, I have read and watched quite a few binding tutorials and this is the first one that I have actually felt confident enough to had a go! So happy 😀
This is the best picture tutorial I have ever seen. I have tried and tried to do mitered corners using other tutorials, but this one is great and I just know I can do this now!! Thank you for sharing.
I have not sewn for many years (too many!). Now both of my grandchildren are expecting their own babies (and making me older). I have never mitered corners, what I have done is “rounded” them. I was saying a prayer that i would find something to help me, and don’t ask me how, but I found you. I don’t know how to thank you enough – you have rebuild my confidence in my sewing. I will definitely let you know how things turn out.
Searched through 5 quilting books for just this info to no avail. Thank you so much for the clear explanation, now I can finish my quilt beautifully!
I have searched over and over for a tutorial on binding quilt corners. This one I can do! Thank you so very much. Very clear, concise, and looks easy enough. I’m off to try it out.
Very helpful! Thanks.
Came across your awesome tutorial by doing a Google search! Thanks for this, I’ll be using it soon! 🙂
I’ve been watching youtube tutorials, like about 10 of them and was completely confused. Thank you for a great tutorial. Now to go sew my corners!
Thank you so much! Finally, something clear enough to understand – the pictures instead of sketches are perfect.
I just used this technique for the first time and for the first time I don’t have a quilt that puckers at the corners!!! Thank you SOOOOOO much.
What do you do if you want the binding to be, say 1″ wide, or do you not do that? I tried but, the corners just wouldn’t come out right… very frustrating.
You’d need to cut it wide enough. I’d probably do like 2 5/8″ strips (width of binding x2, plus seam allowance x2, plus a pinch for thickness). Press a 1/4″ seam allowance on the binding, and line up the pressing line at 1 inch from the quilt edge (that’s the tricky part). When you get to the corner, you want to sew to only within 1″ of the edge.
This was a wonderful tutorial. Thank you so much for putting it on the web. Easy to follow, and perfect corners.
I have no problem doing the binding on the back, but I go through fits trying to miter it on the front. Isn’t that weird? This looks good–fingers crossed it helps me 🙂
This is great for us visual learners!! I really like that it is photographs rather than pictures, makes it much clearer. Thankyou for taking the time to do this :o)
Just finished quilting my grand baby quilt and this will help me . Thanks
Thanks so much for your very clear tutorial. I’ve watched this done before, but always have to have a reminder when i give it a try. This is one I’ll bookmark for the next time!
Thank you for your help have been dreaming about how I could mitre the cornersof the first quilt I have made for my grand daughter.I have had several attempts and several unpickings. I love the tutorial and clear instructions.
WENDY, Could you put pictures of folding over the back to make a nice seam on the front on the internet??????????????
Unfortunately, I just don’t have time to do that! Sorry.
How do you hook your binding together at the end of the binding.
Thank you so much for this visual tutorial. I am just completing a quilt for the first time and this took away the stress of wondering just how to do it correctly. I just turned my first corner and it is looking beautiful!
This was a great help to me as I was making a quilt for my granddaughter and I had forgotten how to make a mitered corner.
This was so helpful. I am binding my first quilt…and looked at several tutorials. This was by far the most helpful. Thanks!
Love this tutorial! Thanks!
Thanks, this is really helpful to me, very clear 🙂
This was just what I was looking for! Thank you so much for this great tutorial. Now i can finish my first quilt.
This was SO helpful. Thank you for such a detailed post!!
Awesome, again!
Do you have any suggestions for if you are folding over the backing to create the border on the front?
The plus to doing that is being able to machine stitch it from the front nicely, and your stitching won’t show much on the back. Unfortunately, I have not done that recently (or necessarily successfully) any time in the recent past!
Thanks–the corners always give me a fit! Hope this will help mine look as nice as yours!
Very helpful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, I have had so much trouble trying to find a tutorial that has clear pictures and instructions. This is excellent.
I have just about been ready to chuck the whole quilting business (have only just discovered quilting) because I couldn’t get the back of the mitred corner (when binding is folded over) figured the stitching on to the front part, but not the back UNTIL now. So thank you so very, very much 🙂
I love quilting but I have a hard time doing the corners so I really love how you detail every step.
Thanks! Just what I needed today. I’ve finished quilts by turning the top fabric over the back and by “making and envelope” and turning the quilt right side out. Never tried binding before, but this project crys for a proper binding. Wish me luck.