I’m a brand new quilter working on my first quilt and I have a question for everyone about binding. Do I make one long binding and then sew it around the whole quilt or do I make smaller binding strips and start and stop around the quilt? I hope that made sense. Thanks!
The binding can be done either way, but I think most quilters make continuous binding and apply it all around with mitered corners. There are lots of videos out there on how to bind a quilt in this manner, and it does give a lovely finish. Here is one you can watch to get an overview. Hope this helps! It is fun to do in my opinion.
https://youtu.be/gbceCdugZag
If you are new. You will get much neater corners with cont binding.
Doesn’t mean you can’t make a scrap binding ; you just join the pieces before you stitch them to your quilt.
Having been a new quilter, if you follow the American method of making double width binding, rather than the older English method of single width, you get much better results and much more able to withstand wear because there raw edges are all sewn down.
I have had the best luck with continuous binding and mitered corners. I learned a lot from the blog crazy mom quilts. She has retired but keeps her blog up as a resource. She has a photo tutorial about binding here http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2008/10/binding-tutorial.html
Thanks! This video is really helpful. The books weren’t working for me.
So much for me to learn. (I’m a garment sewist.) I have a lot of pre-cut strips from an old quilt my mom made so I’m just using those. Sadly, she has since passed away our I would just ask her. I think they are double width. Double width seems more intuitive to me!
Thanks! I have so much to learn!!
Double-width binding is the way to go unless you are making a quilt that will not get much wear, such as a wall hanging. If you are up for it, double-width bias binding can be even more forgiving, because the wear along the edge is shared by a lot more threads and not just the 3 or 4 that are right along the fold. You will see quilters cutting their binding on the straight of the grain or on the bias, both having advantages. Binding cut on the straight of the grain is less stretchy, which might help if you are needing to correct any waviness in your quilt borders. Bias binding is more stretchy and pliable as in dressmaking and allows for ease if needed. I think with your sewing background you will quickly transfer the skills you already have to quilt making.
Edited to fix a couple of missing words (sorry:eek:).
Hmmm. You’ve given me something to think about. I told my kids that this quilt is to be used, and is not a treasured item. Maybe a biased binding would be better.
I tend to use 3" strips to make my binding as I find that I end up fighting with the narrower binding when I’m sewing it on (I machine bind) and end up with sides that are slightly bacony looking due to it ending up uneven… then again, it’s a handmade quilt, they can live with some inperfections 
The other plus for double-wide bias binding is that it is very flexible around the corners.
You can make continuous bias binding. It is slightly fiddly ie I have to find the book with the diagrams in because I don’t always remember how to do it but highly recommended. You sew one seam and cut. Makes me feel so clever!!
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=how+to+make+continuous+bias+binding