Have you ever done fold-over binding for your quilts?

I was a self-taught quilter and in my early years of quilting, I just made the backing larger than the top and then folded the back to the front for binding. Years later, I read about using a separate piece of material for the binding, but I find that I am less accurate using that method.
Wondering if anyone else does this?
  26 answers
  • Carol May Carol May on Jan 31, 2015
    Beautiful quilt, but I can't tell what you are doing. Can you give some instructions with your pictures?
  • Carol May Carol May on Jan 31, 2015
    This is what I THINK I see. You brought the edge of the binding to the edge of a board, folded a seam allowance, which you folded over the quilt edge and pinned it. Is that correct? What did you do with the opposite side of the binding, or how did you attach it to the opposite side of the quilt?
  • Winnie Winnie on Jan 31, 2015
    I think this is a great idea ! Carol.... the binding is actually is backing of the quilt left large enough to fold over - so it's in essence "self binding".
    • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Jan 31, 2015
      @Winnie Yes Winnie, you've got it. It was years after creating quilt tops to find out the separate binding method.
  • Kathy Kathy on Jan 31, 2015
    I make very simple patchwork quilts for my grandchildren and I use the backing for binding whenever I can. Without a right size backing, I have cut horizontal strips for binding. I think to make separate binding, we are to cut strips on the bias and piece together. My mother's church has a quilting group that has donated thousands of quilts and they always use the backing fold-over method. So Julie, I really think it is whatever works for you. Separate binding has to be sewn on back first, right sides facing.
  • Mary Hodges Mary Hodges on Feb 01, 2015
    The easiest way.
  • Ann Ann on Feb 01, 2015
    Your quilt looks very nice, and I have seen this method of binding. I also am a self taught quilter. I absolutely love the Missouri Star Quilt Co. Tutorials. She demonstrates the double fold binding, and how to miter the corners. good luck
  • Helen Helen on Feb 01, 2015
    I tired to answer this question and something happened so here goes for a second time. I use to do my quilts this way, but i know work for a quilter and this is not the proper way to put binding on a quilt. You cut off all that excess backing even with the front. Then you take three measurements down the left side, the middle and the right side if the quilt. You add all those numbers togetherness together and divide by 3. You have now got an average length. You cut two binding strips this length. Those strips are for the left and right sides of the quilt. Put those aside and mark what sides there for if you can't remember, then repeat the process for the top and bottom strip.
  • Helen Helen on Feb 01, 2015
    I answered this on my tablet and i can see many spelling errors. Sorry. It's suppose to be " you add all those numbers not togetherness together", but just together. I forgot to add that you sew to the proper side of the quilt and make sure they match up at the bottom. Quilting is an exact science and all mistakes come out at the end. Many quilts are not square.
  • Ruth wallace Ruth wallace on Feb 01, 2015
    This is how my Grandma also did her quilts. The edges looked better to her. We tried using the binding it looked OK, but it was more flat to use the back material.she put a v nutch in each corner and it laid nice and flat.
  • Ruth wallace Ruth wallace on Feb 01, 2015
    I meant to mention that is a beautiful quilt!!
  • Lorey Allen Lorey Allen on Feb 01, 2015
    My mom quilted for years and nobody she donated or gifted her quilts to ever complained she didn't follow the proper binding techniques. She often used the self binding method and then also made her own bias binding as well. As long as you are creating and the quilt puts a smile on your heart and your face - bind on!! When I am pressed for time to get the quilt done I self bind the quilt, if I have time and creatively I want a contrasting binding I make my own. Beautiful work on that quilt :) !!!!!
  • Dee Lowe Dee Lowe on Feb 01, 2015
    Quilting/sewing is suppose to be fun, I don't worry about quilt police because my gifts are meant for using not winning awards- I love this method of binding & its probably way easier to learn if you are a beginner. Yours is very pretty.
    • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 01, 2015
      @Dee Lowe Thank you Dee! You said it best. I think I was looking for validation of some sort, but you are right, when it comes down to it, it is supposed to be fun and I know the people that I have given quilts to, have enjoyed them.
  • Carolyn Carolyn on Feb 01, 2015
    I have done this and regretted it. It's not as strong as a double fold bias binding. It will fray badly and have to be replaced if it gets a lot of use. I did it for a quilt for my son and it didn't survive the second year of college.
  • Terri Goggin Terri Goggin on Feb 01, 2015
    I prefer foldover binding. You can do two things at once, stretch out your backing so it is nice and smooth, and control the width of your binding at the same time. I think it is a very easy and accurate method. It is also much faster than putting on a separate binding.
  • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 01, 2015
    Thank you to everyone who responded. Quilting for me has always been the way for me to 'decompress' from my 'daytime job' of being a computing engineer. And given that, I should be able to do whatever I want when it comes to quilting, as should you. Here is the finished quilt. Keep piecing and quilting everyone!
  • Myrna Engle Myrna Engle on Feb 01, 2015
    I prefer your method. All you need is a bit of extra fabric on the back side. I carefully pin then iron everything. It takes many, many pins. Once satisfied with effect, just use your machine to make huge stitches. Press again. Now hand stitch it and remove sewing machine baste. There now, you have a lovely binding without all that needless fuss.
    • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 01, 2015
      @Myrna Engle Yes... all those pins!! I try to do one side at a time so that I don't get punctured more than I have to!
  • Stephanie Stephanie on Feb 01, 2015
    I absolutely love it! I'm self-taught and just finished my first quilt from my children's baby clothes. This would have been SO much easier when trying to learn!
    • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 01, 2015
      @Stephanie Whenever and wherever I can do "easy", that's the path I take! No sense in making things harder than they have to be!
  • Jeri Niksich Jeri Niksich on Feb 02, 2015
    I'm a self taught beginner & have always (so far) done the double fold binding. Havent tried the fold from the backing over the front yet, now sure that I will as I like the mitered look of the foldover corners. Jeri
  • Cindy Cindy on Feb 03, 2015
    In the past I have used this method, but I didn't like the look. I now make my binding from 2 1/2 inch strips sewn to the measurement of the quilt. The Missouri Star Quilt Company has a great you tube video called The Ultimate Quilt Binding Tutorial.
    • See 1 previous
    • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 07, 2015
      @Cindy The link was awesome! I did use the technique in finishing a small baby quilt. My "blind stitch" wasn't very good and it seemed to take forEVER! Still not sold. :-)
  • Cindy Cindy on Feb 04, 2015
    I like to use a contrast color for my finishing. Another reason I use binding is it doesn't wear out as fast as the backing material does. The binding is double folded.
  • Julie Benson-Grant Julie Benson-Grant on Feb 07, 2015
    Going through my morning email and I stumbled over this from Craftsy.com: http://craftsy.me/1LYAfIc "The first technique I'll demonstrate is binding from the back—the easiest, fastest and most economical way to finish a quilt! You'll baste your quilt, trim the batting and backing, and fold the backing over the raw edges to make the binding. Then, I'll show you a fast, neat way to finish corners. You'll finish your edges at the sewing machine, and your quilt is done!"
  • Joydee mccorkle Joydee mccorkle on Feb 11, 2015
    I have been quilting for 30 years and usually bind with extra backing...exactly as you do. I have also used double edged binding in whatever width works best. I tried making my own binding and it was just ok.
  • Myrna Engle Myrna Engle on Mar 03, 2015
    Cindy, I've found just the opposite, and have had quilts redone because the STORE type binding wore out.
    • Cindy Cindy on Mar 06, 2015
      @Myrna Engle I never use store bought. I make my own from the fabric I used in the quilt and I always use fabric I bought from a quilt store. it is just a matter of preference. What really matters is that you like the end product and you enjoyed making the quilt.
  • Tina Tina on Mar 16, 2015
    I so totally do this and it seems so much easier, I dont have to worry about if the back and front lines up. I still havent got a good corner finish yet or if I have in the past I forgot, LOL. I just started getting back into it and I am also self taught. Oh and I double fold and have batting in my edge.
  • Julie Johson Julie Johson on Aug 03, 2017

    I have been doing that for years. So much easier. I fold the back to cover the front edge and pin it to sew. Glad to hear someone does it too. I am also self taught.


  • Cc Cc on Mar 04, 2018

    Yes. I learned this way. A traditional technique. But also agree w answer about fraying w use over time.