How much binding do I need for my quilt?

Quilt binding chart: strips and yardage by size

Double fold binding cut across the width of quilting cotton (40 in usable after selvages). Binding length is the perimeter plus 10 in for quilts up to throw size, 12 in for twin to queen and 20 in for very large quilts. Fabric is rounded up to the next 1/8 yd.

* The strips use the cut exactly, with nothing left for a straightening cut. Buy 1/8 yd more if your fabric is off grain or you plan to prewash.

Metric binding chart (6.5 cm and 6 cm strips)

Strips cut across 102 cm usable width. Extra length 25 cm up to throw size, 30 cm for bed quilts and 50 cm for very large quilts. Fabric rounded up to 10 cm. Bed sizes are UK coverlets, a good guide for metric beds.

* An exact fit again: buy 10 cm more if the fabric needs straightening.

Look at the 84 x 90 in row in the chart: 360 in fills nine strips exactly. The 12 in of extra length is still inside that total, so you are fine, but there is no spare. That is the size where an experienced quilter cuts a tenth strip, just in case.

How do I calculate binding for any quilt?

Four steps, the same ones our binding calculator follows:

1. Binding length = 2 x (width + length) + 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm). Use 20 in (50 cm) for very large quilts over about 100 in (254 cm) a side. The extra covers the diagonal joins, the four mitred corners and the final join.
2. Strips = binding length / 40, rounded up (metric: / 102). Use your real usable width if your fabric is wider.
3. Fabric = strips x strip width.
4. Buy that length rounded up to 1/8 yd (4 1/2 in) or 10 cm.

Worked example: throw at 2 1/2 in

Quilt 60 x 70 in.

1. Perimeter = 2 x (60 + 70) = 260 in. Add 10 in: 270 in.
2. 270 / 40 = 6.75, so 7 strips.
3. 7 x 2 1/2 in = 17 1/2 in of fabric.
4. Buy 1/2 yd (18 in).

Worked example: queen at 2 1/4 in

Quilt 90 x 108 in (a long queen with a pillow tuck).

1. Perimeter = 2 x (90 + 108) = 396 in. Add 12 in: 408 in.
2. 408 / 40 = 10.2, so 11 strips.
3. 11 x 2 1/4 in = 24 3/4 in.
4. Buy 3/4 yd (27 in).

Worked example: metric throw at 6.5 cm

Quilt 150 x 180 cm.

1. Perimeter = 2 x (150 + 180) = 660 cm. Add 25 cm: 685 cm.
2. 685 / 102 = 6.7, so 7 strips.
3. 7 x 6.5 cm = 45.5 cm.
4. Buy 50 cm.

Plan in one system from start to finish. A 2 1/2 in strip is 6.35 cm, so cutting "6.5 cm" for an inch pattern, or 2 1/2 in for a metric one, changes the finished binding a little. Both are good bindings; just stay consistent along one quilt.

What width should I cut binding strips?

Double fold binding (also called French binding) is the standard. The strip is folded in half lengthwise, so two layers of fabric guard the edge of the quilt. That is why it wears so well.

Our advice for a first quilt: cut 2 1/2 in. It is more forgiving. If your seam drifts a little or your batting is a touch thick, a 2 1/2 in binding still wraps to the back and covers the stitching line. Once you know your machine and your batting, try 2 1/4 in for a slimmer finish.

The rule behind both: the binding should be filled with batting right to its fold. If it feels empty, the strip is too wide for your seam; if it will not reach the stitching line on the back, it is too narrow. Sew a short sample on a scrap sandwich of your real batting when you try a new combination.

Single fold saves fabric but has one layer at the edge. Width depends on your batting thickness, so test a short piece before you commit.

How to bind a quilt, step by step

1. Cut and join the strips

Cut your strips across the width of the fabric. Join them with diagonal seams: lay two strip ends right sides together at a right angle, sew corner to corner, trim to 1/4 in (0.75 cm) and press the seam open. A 45 degree join spreads the bulk along the binding instead of stacking it in one lump, so it disappears once the binding is folded.

2. Fold and press

Fold the long strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press. Wind it loosely around a card or an empty spool so it does not twist.

3. Trim the quilt and start sewing

Trim the quilt square, cutting the batting and backing level with the top. Start halfway along one side, never at a corner. Leave a tail of 8 to 10 in (20 to 25 cm) unsewn, then sew the raw edges of the binding to the front of the quilt with a 1/4 in (0.75 cm) seam. A walking foot feeds all the layers evenly. Some quilters sew 3/8 in (1 cm) with 2 1/2 in strips for a fuller binding.

4. Mitre the corners

1. Stop sewing 1/4 in (0.75 cm) before the corner and backstitch.
2. Lift the needle and turn the quilt. Fold the binding straight up, away from the quilt, so the fold makes a 45 degree angle at the corner.
3. Fold the binding back down, level with the next edge, with the fold even with the top edge of the quilt.
4. Start sewing again from that edge and carry on to the next corner.

When you turn the binding to the back, the fold forms a neat mitre on both sides all by itself.

5. Join the ends

Stop sewing 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) before your starting point. Lay both tails flat along the edge of the quilt. Overlap them by exactly the cut width of your strip (2 1/2 in for 2 1/2 in binding, 6.5 cm for 6.5 cm) and trim off the rest. Open both ends, lay them right sides together at a right angle, and sew corner to corner. Check that the binding lies flat on the quilt before you trim the seam to 1/4 in. Press it open, refold, and sew the last section down.

6. Finish by hand or by machine

Hand finish. Fold the binding to the back so it just covers the machine stitching, hold it with binding clips, and sew it down with a blind or ladder stitch. Invisible from both sides and the classic choice for heirlooms and show quilts. On a throw, it is a calm evening with a good film.

Machine finish. Two ways. Sew the binding to the back first, wrap it to the front and topstitch close to the fold. Or sew it to the front as above, wrap to the back, and stitch in the ditch from the front so the stitches catch the binding underneath. A decorative stitch works beautifully too. Machine finishing is fast and tough, our pick for baby, picnic and dog quilts that will be washed every week.

Bias binding for quilts

Straight grain binding is perfect for straight edges. Bias binding is required for curved or scalloped edges, because only bias stretches enough to ease around a curve without puckering. It also wears longer on edges that get hard use, because no single thread runs along the fold.

Cut bias strips at 45 degrees to the selvage, join them, and apply them exactly like double fold binding. Ease the binding around curves; pin it and let the feed carry it, never pull.

Continuous bias from a square saves cutting and joining many short strips. A square of side S yields roughly S x S / strip width of bias. For 270 in of 2 1/2 in binding, most methods start from about a 27 1/2 in square, and for 685 cm of 6.5 cm binding, about a 70 cm square. Methods differ in how much they lose to seams and ends, so make a test with yours before cutting into a favourite print.

Mistakes and fixes

Starting at a corner. The join lands where it is hardest to hide and the first mitre fights you. Fix: always start halfway along a side.

Binding ends that will not meet. Usually the overlap was wrong. Fix: overlap by exactly the strip width before you trim and join.

Wavy edges. The binding was stretched as it went under the foot. Fix: let the walking foot feed the binding; guide it, do not pull.

Bulky lumps at joins. Straight joins stack every layer of the seam in one spot. Fix: 45 degree joins, pressed open.

A binding that will not reach the stitching on the back. Strip too narrow for the batting or seam. Fix: cut 2 1/2 in (6.5 cm) next time, or sew a scant seam; test on a scrap sandwich first.

Running out by one strip. It happens on sizes that land exactly on a strip, like 84 x 90 in. Fix: buy the rounded yardage in our tables and cut one extra strip when the count is exact.