How wide of a cut

all depends on how big you want the binding to be finished on one side. iirc, cut about 2.5 inch. consider the 2.5" size.... fold in half, stitch with 1/4" (there goes 1/2", leaving 2"), then fold round the quilt edge and stitch it down. leaves a tad under(cuz of the thickness of the quilt) 1/2" binding. smaller quilts look better with smaller bindings and bigger quilts with bigger bindings. tis personal preference tho for sure. fwiw, jeanne

Personal preference. Anywhere from 2" to 3" is not unheard of. Most of the time I use 2 1/4" or 2 1/2", but it depends on the loft of the batting I am using in the quilt....a wider binding seems to work better for a loftier batting. Keep in mind that you want the binding to be 'full' but not overstuffed...if your binding is too wide it will be flat and empty looking.

I always wrap the binding snugly around the edge of the quilt. No way for it to be flat when I do it that way.

I cut a wider strip than most for binding. For a standard French mitred double binding I cut 3.25" and sew with the edge lined up with the edge of the walking foot. The wrap to the back goes over the stitching line and the finished binding is just over 1/2". This is fine on larger quilts or those with simple piecing. It started because my beginner quilters found it easier to sew the bindings with a walking foot, and lining up with the edge of the foot kept everything easy. However if you do this type of binding onto pieced blocks (no plain border) you need to allow for the wider "seam" on the edge. As I have all my students stay stitch their quilts before trimming the edges for binding (yes, we trim before sewing on the binding - again, not everyone's choice) they can trim to allow the extra width in the bound edge and not lose any of the piecing in the blocks.

I cut mine 2.5", so that after folding, stitching etc. the binding comes out about 3/8". Seems just right to me, YMMD. Roberta in D

"~KK in BC~" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:ZsvBh.84608$Y6.60777@edtnps89...

I am a 2 1/2" person. I like how it looks and gives me enough fabric to make a neat binding without having to go through contortions to get it to turn. I have tried it smaller and larger, but am never happy with how it looks.

I like to use my walking foot for sewing on binding too. I move my needle over to the right until it is exactly 1/4" from the edge of the foot, so I can use the edge of the foot as a guide. For me, a 2-1/4 inch strip gives me a nice 1/4" binding, with plenty to turn to the back.

Julia > I cut a wider strip than most for binding. For a standard

I agree a 1/4" binding looks perfect on many quilts. But not all machines have needle positioning to the right of centre, only to the left. If a new quilter gets a good result the first time they bind, they are more likely to try a more demanding narrow binding (or piped binding) with confidence in the future. So I let them start with the wider binding and then decide where they want to go next time.

I have used bindings as wide as 2" wide on my own quilts. That one took 12.5" wide strips cut length-wise from the fabric. I don't remember exactly but I think the KS quilt required over 3.5metres of fabric for the binding! But it was worth it. That quilt has taken a LOT of punishment over the years and the binding hasn't stretched or worn at all and it still looks good when just washed (when not just washed it can look awful, but that's not my fault lol).

Wow! I am surprised at the variety of answers and I like it! I do mine around 3 inches or so usually but that is because I tend to sew in a bit farther than the 1/4 allowance. I always put on a border so I have that extra room.

I don't have a walking foot to use, I have just my almost 50 year old basic machine and the feet are just basic too so I make it work with what I have. I think that is why I tend to make mine a tad wider than what most of you do.

Thank you so much for the comments. It really helps me to know that there are so many reasons for the variety of widths of binding.

~KK in BC~

The only "standard" I know of is: 6 times the finished width plus twice the thickness of the batting plus a "smidge" for the turn of the cloth. For me, I like a narrow very full binding so I cut mine a scant 1

3/4"-2" sew with a generous quarter inch seam and it pulls around far enough to machine sew it in the ditch of the front. (Which I frequently do, even if I hand sew the back down.) This usually gives me about a quarter inch binding.

Pati, > I want to make a double binding (ie: folded in half and then sewn on and

You ditch stitch AND hand stitch? You have more patience than me LOL I hate hand sewing with a passion so it is hard for me to actually get to the point of finished if I have to hand it.

That being said....... I now am working on my first ever hand quilted quilt. Ugh. WHAT WAS I THINKING???

~KK in BC~

: > How wide is the norm for cutting this type of binding? Or is there a set : > norm or is it simply personal preference? : >

: > Just an inquiring mind. : > I know what I did, but what would you do? : >

: >

: > ~KK in BC~ : >

>

: >

Oh, I'm with you. I hate hand sewing, too. I always apply binding by machine. That much hand work, the dang things would never get done. The only thing I do by hand is labels, and that's only because I haven't figured out a way to do them by machine. LOL And what made you decide to do a hand-quilted quilt? Enquiring minds, eh?

Thanks, Julia!! I always have trouble keeping the 1/4" when I'm sewing on the binding--DUH--never thought about moving the needle over!!

I think I decided to try it just to say that I have actually done it. It is something that I know I probably wont enjoy a whole lot, but I want the bragging rights on at least one quilt? LOL I think it may not happen very quickly.... give me about 10 years or so and it may be close to finished??

~KK in BC~

: Oh, I'm with you. I hate hand sewing, too. I always apply binding by : machine. That much hand work, the dang things would never get done. The : only thing I do by hand is labels, and that's only because I haven't figured : out a way to do them by machine. LOL And what made you decide to do a : hand-quilted quilt? Enquiring minds, eh? : -- : TerriLee in WA (state) : remove the cats to reply :

You may find that you like it. I find hand quilting and hand applique to be relaxing, but I don't like to sew down bindings by hand, so I do bindings completely by machine most of the time.

Julia > You ditch stitch AND hand stitch? You have more patience than me LOL

sew the label on *before* you do the quilting and it can be done by machine then ;-) and with the added bonus of it being impossible to remove afterwards. the date of finishing can be added afterwards quite easily once it really *is* finished

HTH

Okay...a little off topic..but if you are doubling the fabric...and then taking a quarter inch allowance...don't you have a great deal of bulk right there...four thicknesses. I don't do double bindings...I know they are supposed to hold up well...but I have never had a binding wear out. But I love information.