Quilt binding is one of those finishing steps that can completely transform the look of your quilt — crisp corners, smooth edges, and beautifully stitched finishes make all the difference. When I first started quilting back in 2015, mastering binding became my personal mission. It pushed me to learn how to blind stitch, refine my hand‑sewing skills, and discover which tools actually make binding easier, cleaner, and more enjoyable.
After years of trial, error, and plenty of “why is this twisting again” moments, I’ve narrowed down the quilt‑binding notions I reach for every single time. The best part? You don’t need a huge collection of gadgets — just a handful of reliable tools that help you cut, join, press, and stitch your binding with confidence.
If you’re just getting started or want to upgrade your binding toolkit, this guide walks you through the essential notions I’d buy all over again.
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Quilt Binding Tutorial Series
I remember feeling all kinds of overwhelmed when I bound my first quilt. Figuring out how to join my binding strips without getting them twisted and then learning how to do nice binding corners followed by the head confusion of how to join the ends. So many moments of confusion – ha!
To help you avoid those paralysing moments of ‘what now’, you can refer to the 4-part Quilt Binding Tutorial Series that covers:
- Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 1 – How to make and attach your binding
- Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 2 – How to blind stitch your binding
- Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 3 – How to big stitch hand quilt your binding
- Quilt Binding Tutorial Part 4 – How to make bias binding (essential if you’re binding anything with curves 😉)
Now that you’re armed with how to make everything, let’s dive into the tools and notions you’ll need to see you through each step.
Essential Quilt Binding Notions
Here’s everything that I like to keep in stock in the sewing studio for all my quilt binding needs:
1. Tools for Preparing Your Fabric
A good foundation of any quilt project is how flat and wrinkle-free your fabric is. Things are so much easier to cut and piece when you’re working with nicely pressed fabric. To achieve that, here’s what I turn to.
Iron
Any iron will work, so long as they get hot enough. I’ve tried lots of irons over the years, and this is the one I’m currently using on the regular. You can read why I love it here.
Why a wool pressing mat helps
I was on the fence about these for the longest time, until I finally took the plunge, and then loved it so much that I decided to upgrade. Read about how that impacted my sewing flow here.
Fine mist spray bottle
I used to use steam in my irons and have since abandoned that habit.
Why?
Lots of reasons, but the main one is that I have more control over my steam, and it prolongs the life of my iron by not adding water to the reservoir. I now use this to create my own steam.
Tailor’s clapper
This is a nifty tool that’s used by garment makers, but it comes in handy for getting incredibly flat seams, which is key to making flat and seamless binding strips 😉
2. Tools for Cutting Your Binding Strips
Once you have your binding fabric nicely pressed flat, it’s time to turn your attention to cutting your binding strips.
It doesn’t matter if you prefer a 2.5” or 2.25” (or larger/smaller) binding strips: you’ll still need the following essentials to create those pretty strips.
Cutting mat
This is a notion that I encourage you not to skimp on. I’m not one to buy the best of the best for everything, but in this instance, it really does make a difference. This one has served me very well, and I love that it’s double-sided, which has extended the life of mine wonderfully!
Rotary cutter with a fresh blade
One of the first things I learned in cooking school was the importance of sharp knives. You’d think the sharper the tool, the more dangerous, but the opposite is true.
A dull tool leads to a greater risk of slipping. This applies to your rotary cutter blades, too!
Tip – I switch my rotary cutter blades on the regular, which is why I always have packs on hand to easily swap for a fresh one.
Long Ruler
I learned early on that a long ruler is super handy for cutting larger/wider pieces of fabric. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I picked this beauty up. It makes cutting strips from yardage easy-peasy.
3. Tools for Joining Binding Strips
When it comes time to join your beautifully cut binding strips, these are the tools I always pull out.
Small Ruler
You can absolutely use the larger ruler I mentioned above in the Cutting Tools section; however, you’ll find that working with such a large ruler for a tiny mark is super awkward, and it just seems to get in the way.
This cutie gets me through so much of my quilt marking and cutting needs, and is used in every quilt I’ve ever made. It’s a good one to have on hand.
Erasable marking tool
The mark you make won’t be visible (at least it shouldn’t be, but if you’re working with a light fabric, then make sure your marking tool is indeed erasable 😉).
I’ve shared some things to beware of if you’re using these in other quilt steps, but for binding, they’re my go-to.
Pins
I love these as they’re not too big/long and they’re super sharp. But any pin that keeps your strips from shifting on you will do the trick!
4. Tools for Sewing Your Binding Strips
With your binding strips tentatively joined with pins, it’s now time to lock everything in place. Here’s what you’ll need.
Sewing machine
I’ve made binding on a couple of different machines, but I upgraded my machine several years ago to this beast of machine, and I haven’t regretted it once. You can read more about what I love and dislike here.
Small snips
I love to chain piece my binding as it makes super quick work of it. If you’ve never tried chain piecing, you can learn more about that in this tutorial. I like to keep a small pair of scissors at my machine that I tuck into my Sit ‘N Sew Pinnie so I never wonder where they’re at – ha!
Cutting mat + rotary cutter + small ruler
After checking to make sure my binding strips have been joined correctly (I’ve made the mistake before of joining the wrong side of the fabric facing up – bleurgh. So, before I cut my dogears off, I just run my hand the entire length. The same trio you used earlier works here, too for trimming dogears and checking your joins.
5. Tools for Pressing Your Binding Strips
No surprises here — you’ll use the same pressing tools you used to prep your fabric:
- Iron
- Wool pressing mat
- Fine mist spray bottle
- Tailor’s clapper
6. Optional Accessories
Binding Babies
Back in the day, I picked up some Binding Babies because I found them super cute, wanted to support a small business, and thought they’d be handy. Sadly, the latter wasn’t true for me. So, I now simply wrap the binding around my hand so that it’s nice and tidy, doesn’t get stretched and is easily stored (since I tend to make my binding during the piecing stage, well before I’ve even quilted the quilt – ha!).
Binding Organizers
I’ve also recently noticed these handy tools that I can see being practical for keeping your binding strips nice and orderly. If you give them a go, I’d love to hear how they work out for you. I love my simple hand wrapping technique, and it means I don’t need to stock another notion in the studio. This is totally personal preference, and I encourage you to pick up what you think will make your quilting adventures more enjoyable 😊
7. Tools for Attaching the First Side of Binding
When I’m attaching my first round of binding at the sewing machine, these are the notions I pull out every single time.
Erasable marking tool
The same one I use for marking my binding strips.
¼” Ruler
You don’t need this. I used to use the same ruler I use for marking my binding strips, but I found this cutie and love how she stays tucked near my machine and is super easy to use, and the smaller size means it’s not cumbersome at the machine. When I’m coming up to a binding corner, I pull this cutie out to mark my ¼” mark to help nail that beautiful mitered corner 😉
8. Tools for Finishing the Binding (Blind Stitch or Big Stitch)
Depending on whether I’m going for a seamless effect using a blind stitch or if I’m looking to add some texture and detail with big stitch quilting, here are the notions I turn to:
Leather Thimble
I used to hate wearing thimbles. They just never felt right, but once I stumbled on this pretty I haven’t looked back. It’s so comfortable I often forget I’m wearing it 😊
Thread
This varies based on the stitch technique I’m going for, but suffice to say that you won’t get far without the stringy stuff! I’ll usually go for a 50wt or 40wt for a blind stitch and either a 12wt or 8wt for big stitch hand quilted binding.
Needle
Once again, the type of needle I use depends on the stitch I’m creating and the thread I’m working with. These are my go-to for all my blind stitch needs, and I love these for big stitch hand quilting.
Scissors
I have several pairs of snips kicking around my sewing kits, but these, and these have served me well over the years.
Pincushion
You’ll need to rest your needle whenever you take a break or need to cut a new piece of thread. I love my Sit ‘n Sew pincushion as I can drape it over the side of the armrest or on the table next to me to have easy access.
Thread Gloss
This is entirely optional, but I’ve found it helps reduce your thread snagging and knotting and just helps everything glide through all the layers of fabric. I know some of my quilty friends use it even when doing big stitch hand quilting, but I haven’t found it necessary (and actually find it messy/more problematic), so I forgo it in that instance. But try it out and see what works best for you!
Binding Clips
I used to use binder clips (which work perfectly) before I picked up a set of these handy clips. They’re also perfect for corralling your quilt block pieces, and for instances where you don’t want to use pins.
Shop the Post: My Favourite Quilt Binding Tools
Here are the notions I use and love for smooth, beautiful quilt binding. These are the exact tools I reach for in my own studio:
Pressing Tools
- My everyday iron – read why I love it here
- Wool pressing mat – use code SHANNONFRASER15 to save 15% on your small, medium, or large wool pressing mat at thefeltstore.ca or thefeltstore.com.
- Fine mist spray bottle
- Tailor’s clapper
Cutting Tools
- Self‑healing cutting mat
- Rotary cutter + fresh blades
- Long ruler for cutting strips
Joining Tools
- Small ruler for marking joins
- Erasable marking tool
- Sharp pins
Sewing Tools
- My sewing machine – read why I love it here
- Small ruler for marking binding corners
- Snips for cutting chain piecing threads
- Rotary cutter + small ruler for trimming joins
Hand‑Stitching Tools
- Leather thimble
- 50wt/40wt thread for blind stitch
- 12wt/8wt thread for big stitch
- Needles for both techniques
- Small scissors
- Sit ’N Sew Pinnie
- Thread gloss (optional)
- Binding clips (optional)
Optional Accessories
- Binding organizers (if you love tidy tools)
- Or my simple hand‑wrapping method for storing binding
These are the tools that make binding feel smooth, enjoyable, and beautifully finished.
If you’re looking for more quilty inspiration, you might enjoy:
When you lay everything out, quilt binding doesn’t require a mountain of tools — just the right ones. These are the notions that have consistently helped me create smooth joins, crisp corners, and beautifully stitched finishes without frustration. Whether you’re binding your very first quilt or refining your technique after dozens, having a reliable toolkit makes the process calmer, quicker, and so much more enjoyable.
Now I’d love to hear from you.
Do you have a binding notion you swear by? A tool that surprised you? Something you tried and didn’t love? Share your favourites in the comments so we can keep building this quilty resource together.
Happy quilting!
xo,
Shannon
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