Quilt Binding Tutorial – Part 4: How to Make Bias Binding

When you first started quilting did you ever in your wildest dreams think there could be so much you needed to know just about quilt binding?

It seems like such a simple step in the quilt making journey, but when you think of it, binding is not only the finishing touch – like a pair of shoes does for an outfit; it completes it. Pulls the look all together. Get it wrong and it can ruin the vibe. Make each piece seem wrong and ill fitting. But get it right and the whole outfit just sings.

Think of binding options as you do the shoes in your closet.

You don’t just wear one pair of shoes. No, you have your daily go-to, your gorgeous heels for dinner dates, running shoes for workouts, sandals for hot days, flats for comfort…, if you saw my shoe closet you’d know I could go on 😉

But, you get the point.

You have these shoe options because life has different activities that require the appropriate footwear.

In quilting, binding is akin to your shoe options. They offer you different functionality and variety in application to beautifully finish off your quilt designs.

How do you know which binding to use for which quilt?

The best rule of thumb is – if it’s got curves, you need the bias!

Are you a stripe lover?

Well, then today’s your lucky day because bias binding + stripes = match made in quilty heaven!

You know how those stripes look super cute on a diagonal? Well, bias binding is how you get them.

Just one more reason why it’s so good to have this technique in your quilty back pocket.

Let’s dive in!

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IS IT WORTH IT?

That’s always tough to say because you might have different expectations, but here’s why I find it worth it:

If I’m looking for a seamless finish, then I’ll go the extra mile

Plus, bias binding won’t fight you on the curves like straight grain  will. So if you want an easy peasy binding session where you need things to curve, then bias binding is the way to go.

WORDS OF CAUTION

Not much to look out for, but just be mindful of all that stretch.

While that’s the exact feature you’re normally looking to leverage for your project, you don’t want to over stretch your binding. So just be mindful to be gentle with her and ease her into your curves rather than tugging or pulling.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

What’s all the fuss about bias binding?

Bias binding just means that your binding strips have been cut on a 45-degree angle – aka the bias! When you cut fabric on the bias it allows your fabric to stretch.

This is important if you want to enclose any curved raw edges. The bias will allow your fabric to ‘stretch/curve’ over the curved edges without puckering too much (sometimes a little puckering still happens!).

If you tried attaching straight grain binding to a curve, the fabric would be stiff and stubborn about curving and would lead to lots of puckering.

So, bottom line, if there’s a curve in your project go with bias binding 😊

WHY GO THE EXTRA MILE?

When I was asking you on Instagram what’s stopped you from diving into the world of bias binding, at the top was the big question of whether the extra effort was worth the time invested.f I get it, when straight grain binding is so quick and easy to whip up, why go with a quilt technique that seems more complex.

And that’s just the thing, it seems more complex when, in fact, it isn’t.

I think the hang up, at least it was for me, was that the cutting was more complex .

It does take a minute to bust out of the straight grain groove, but all it requires is a little pivoting.

Literally.

You need to pivot your ruler AND your fabric.

That’s the base line of the differences between the two techniques?

WHEN TO USE BIAS VS STRAIGHT GRAIN BINDING?

If you’re wondering when you should be using bias binding or straight grain binding, the big tell would be whether you have any curves involved in your quilt.

You know how when your piecing curves or triangles I’m always banging on about not pulling or tugging on your fabric because all those bias edges tend to streeeeee-tch. Well, with bias binding you’re leaning into those properties allowing it to bend around curves smoothly.

Bias binding is the quilty rock star of bending around curves.

MATERIALS NEEDED TO MAKE BIAS BINDING

You’ll need the usual suspects to whip up your own batch of bias binding, including:

• Fabric of choice – here I’ve gone with a black and white stripe which I can’t seem to find anymore ☹
• *Cutting mat
• *Rotary cutter
• *Ruler
• *Secondary ruler (optional but comes in handy!)
• *Triangle ruler (optional but comes in handy! Plus she’s awesome for making quick work of trimming your half square triangles)
• *Marking tool
• *Pins
• *Sewing machine
• *Thread
• *Iron
• Ironing board or *wool pressing mat
• Pin cushion

HOW TO CALCULATE HOW MUCH BIAS BINDING YOU’LL NEED?

Another tricky bit is figuring out how much yardage you’ll need and how much bias binding strips you’ll need to cut to cover the entire perimeter of your quilt.

Here’s an easy formula to follow:

Perimeter of your quilt x width of your binding strips.

Divide that by 42 (or the width of your fabric).

Divide that again by 36” to figure out your yardage.

I like to tack on an extra 20” to 30” or so to account for the corners.

And that’s all there is to it!

HOW TO CUT BIAS BINDING?

There’s quite a few different starting sizes and techniques on how to approach cutting your bias binding strips. And this step is typically what I found a little confusing.

The best way I found to keep it straight in my head is to start with a half yard cut (but a fat quarter works too!).

Remove your selvages and then lay your half yard cut out and open on your cutting mat (not folded).

Then, using a triangle ruler with a 45-degree edge, cut off the bottom left triangle of your half yard cut (it’s too small to use for a strip anyways). This will give you a nice 45-degree line to follow for your bias strips.

Next, using the longest ruler you have, line up the 45-degree line along your 45-degree cut edge. Measure 2.5” (or whatever width you want your bias strips to be) and cut. Continue cutting using the 45-degree edge as your guide to ensure your strips stay on the bias.

Tip – use another ruler butted up against the edge of your first ruler to get the full length of the strip you need to cut!

HOW TO STITCH BIAS BINDING?

Once you have your bias binding strips cut, it’s time to stitch them together into one long continuous strip.

The good news is, this is the exact same process you use to create your straight grain binding strips!

Start by laying one of your strips right side up on your cutting mat.

Lay your second strip right side facing down at a 90-degree agree to your bottom strip.

Align the diagonal edges and make sure your top and bottom tips are extending past the edge of the fabric by 1/4″. This will ensure your two pieces of fabric stay lined up after stitching!

Pop a pin in place to keep it secure.

Run your hand along that top strip and make sure it’s now facing right side up. Repeat the steps above with your next strip.

Continue in this manner until all your strips are pinned together.

Chain stitch (here’s a tutorial on chain piecing if you’re new to the technique) the strips together.

HOW TO PRESS BIAS BINDING?

When it comes time to press your binding strips, make sure you press vs. iron them!

What’s the difference?

Ironing is the back-and-forth motion you use when ironing a shirt or dress. Pressing is the act of lifting your iron, placing it in a spot that needs to be pressed, leaving your iron there for a few seconds and then lifting and placing your iron in a new spot. Why press instead of iron? Well, ironing involves lots of back-and-forth motions which can stretch and distort your fabric. This is doubly true when dealing with fabric that’s been cut on the bias (remember bias means stretchy!). Pressing helps limit this unwanted stretching.

You can see ironing vs. pressing in action in this video here.

Now that you know the importance of pressing instead of ironing, you want to set your seams and them press your seams open. This will help reduce bulk and encourage things to lay flat, so it’s worthwhile to take the time to press your seams nice and flat.

If you plan on attaching your bias binding to a quilt with curved corners or edges, then you’ll want to go ahead and press your entire bias binding strip in half.

If you plan on attaching your bias binding to a sewing project such as the Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat, then you can skip pressing your binding in half and go straight to attaching her to your project 😊

HOW TO ATTACH BIAS BINDING TO YOUR QUILT

Attaching your bias binding to your quilt is the exact same process as attaching your straight grain binding.

Start by lining up the raw edges of your binding along the raw edges of your quilt. I always suggest starting about mid-way on the left side of your quilt. Leave a good 12” of your binding unstitched to make attaching your loose ends easier for you (trust me on this one, you want some wiggle room otherwise it will be really tricky maneuvering it under your machine). Make sure to back stitch at the beginning and end too. See the Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 1 for detailed instructions on attaching binding strips to your quilt.

If you’re attaching your binding strips to a quilt coat or a sewing project, then you still want to align your raw edges, but this time you don’t want to have your bias strip folded in half. You will be folding and finger pressing your strips in place after you have the first side tacked down.

HOW TO FINISH STITCHING DOWN YOUR BIAS BINDING?

To secure the second side of your bias binding you have a few options. You can stitch her in place:

• With a blind stitch – tutorial here
• With some big stitch hand binding – tutorial here
• By machine

I opted for big stitch hand binding for both my Etched Diamond Quilt x Hovea Coat and my little zip pouch. I just love the way the chunky stitches look against the black and white stripes!

TOP 3 TIPS TO NAIL BIAS BINDING EVERY TIME!

Here are my top 3 tips to ensure you have bias binding success every time:

1. Take your time with cutting your strips. The more accurate you are the more ‘on point’ your strips will be.
2. Use the largest ruler you have! Or butt a couple of rulers together to make cutting your strips a breeze!
3. Press don’t iron! I know, I know, I tend to harp about pressing habits, but it’s only because I noticed a huge different in my sewing and quilting when I started paying attention to this!

And that’s all there is to it!

Now you have a full repertoire of binding techniques in your quilty back pocket, including:

• Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 1 – Binding Basics
• Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 2 – Blind Stitch Binding
• Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 3 – Big Stitching Binding
• Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 4 – Bias Binding (you’re here!)

I’d love to know, what’s your favourite binding technique to use and how do you tack your binding down? Share in the comments below so we can all see what our go-to is!!

Happy quilting!

xo,

Shannon

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