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Creating and Applying Binding to the Quilt

Cutting

Whether you are making one strip of binding or ten, you should begin by assembling your supplies in your work area.  (You can find the materials for this lesson under Supply List.) 

I usually recommend prewashing your fabric whenever you start a quilting project; however, this won't be necessary for your practice strip.  100% cotton fabric will shrink when washed.  The dyes in some cotton fabrics will bleed.  By prewashing your fabric you will avoid any 'surprises' later.   You will also need to press your fabric with a hot dry iron as cutting wrinkled fabric accurately is almost impossible!  If you prefer to use steam in your iron be careful because this can distort your fabric.

I will be using rotary cutting tools (ruler pictured below) in this demonstration because these are quite popular with quilters.  Rotary cutting tools are used for both measuring and cutting.  Of course fabric scissors will do.  The difference being that if you use scissors you will first have to measure and mark the lines with a marking pencil before cutting. 

Fold the fabric in half from selvage to selvage.  Make sure it lies flat.  If the fabric wrinkles at the fold, then try refolding it.  You will need to fold the fabric again; folded edge to selvage edges.   Smooth out the fabric.  Check for any wrinkles.   You will be cutting through these 4 layers of fabric. 

After folding your fabric, trim off any uneven edges.  Using the above photo as a guide, place your ruler over the fabric.  If you are right handed you will always be cutting on the right side of the ruler.  If you are left handed you will want to place the area to be trimmed on the left side of the ruler.  Line up your ruler at the top fold (shown in the blue circle).  Make sure the horizontal line on the ruler is even with the fold.   Don't worry about any numbers here.  You are trying to get  the ruler 'squared up' so that you are always cutting on the cross grain.

 Hold the ruler steady and trim off the edge with your rotary cutter.  Start at the bottom of your ruler by the selvage (marked with a blue rectangle).  Move the rotary cutter away from your body toward the top of the ruler. 

Move the ruler over the fabric 2 ¼ inches from the trimmed edge.  Cut this strip starting at the selvage edge working toward the top folded edge.  You should have a fabric strip that measures 2 ¼ inches by 44/45 inches. 

Now you are ready to cut a 45 degree angle at one end of your binding strip.
Most rotary rulers will have this angle marked somewhere on the ruler.  (Notice the 45 degree angle marked on the ruller below.)  Line up the 45 degree angle's line on the edge (either one of the 44/45 inches edges) of the strip as shown in the photo below.  The ruler will be at a 45 degree angle to the strip.  Use your rotary cutter to cut off one end of the strip.  This cut edge will come in handy later when you apply the binding to the quilt.  It is much easier to cut it now than to try later when the binding is sewn to the quilt.

Before you move on to the next lesson, make sure your top, back and backing are sandwiched and ready for the binding.  If you need help in preparing the quilt sandwich, please view the Free Tutorial, Putting Together the Quilt Sandwich.

Next Lesson: Pressing