Machine binding a quilt can save you a lot of time and possibly allow a quilt to hold up better with repeated washings. Today I’ll teach you how to bind a quilt with a sewing machine using a unique trick that will yield great-looking binding and straight stitches every time!

quilt, thread and clips on blue cutting mat

First, I’ll say this technique is not for everyone. If you prefer hand-stitched quilt binding, that’s ok. However, if you need to sew the binding of a quilt by machine, then I think this post will help you a lot.

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Most of the time, quilters prefer to bind their quilts using a combination and machine and hand stitching. The binding strips are cut and sewn together, then machine sewn to the front of the quilt top. The binding is then folded to the back of the quilt, where it is hand-stitched down.

I prefer to bind my quilts using a sewing machine for various reasons. I’ll go into my explanation later in this post, but mostly it’s because binding a quilt by hand is too tiring for me due to arthritis.

I’ve bound MANY quilts by machine over the years. Many times it was because I was always pressed with a deadline. I’ve tried many different methods but find myself coming back to this one over and over again.

It involves sewing the binding to the back of the quilt instead of the front and using an edgestitch foot to give you a perfect finish!

Why Would you machine Bind a Quilt?

You might want to bind a quilt by machine instead of by hand for several reasons. First, if the quilt is for a baby or small child and will be washed frequently, I feel that machine binding holds up better with frequent washings.

(free pattern for the pictured quilt)

Another reason is that hand quilting is hard for people with arthritis. I have arthritis and find that I’ve bound a quilt by hand that sometimes my fingers hurt for days. I can’t do it. I’ve found that machine binding is much easier on my hands.

What do You Mean by Machine Binding?

There are two methods to bind a quilt. One is to sew the folded quilt binding to the quilt with a sewing machine. Then, you hand-stitch the binding down around the perimeter of your quilt with a blind stitch. This method yields the “prettiest” results since you can easily hide your hand stitches in the binding.

Machine binding a quilt involves sewing the binding to the quilt by machine and using a machine to sew the binding in place. Some do not prefer this method since you have visible stitches on your quilt when you are done. However, I will show you a technique today that makes those visible stitches look pretty good.

Do I Need to Cut the Fabric on the Bias?

No. The only time you need to cut fabric on a bias when binding a quilt is when you are binding curves. You will want to bind your quilt using bias binding if it has curved corners.

Tools Required

Binding a quilt with a sewing machine does require a few unique tools. You’ll need a Walking Foot with an edge stitching sole plate. My walking foot is made by BERNINA and comes with three different foot sole options. I can easily swap out the foot soles on the foot. Walking Feet are specific to machines, so you’ll need to check with your sewing machine manufacturer to see which one you need.

You will also need a thread matching your quilt binding and or quilt back (we’ll discuss that later).

I also recommend that you use the following:

Binding Clips
Machine Quilting Gloves (these will allow you to grip better and feed the quilt as you sew).

What Size Should I Cut my Binding?

I prefer to work with quilt bindings that are 2 1/2″ wide. I know that many people love 2 1/4″, but I think that extra 1/4″ gives you a bit more wiggle room when you are binding. It also gives you a wide enough binding if your quilt is backed in a thicker fabric like Minky.

Step One: Calculate and Cut the Binding Strips

The length of your binding will depend on the size of your quilt. I use this binding calculator to determine how many binding strips I need to cut.

Cut binding strips 2 1/2″ wide by the width of your fabric from the fabric using a quilt ruler and rotary cutter. I keep my fabric folded (like it comes off the bolt) with the selvage edges together.

Then cut off the selvage edge from all of your strips.

black and white diagram of quilt binding

Step Two: Sew the Strips into a Continuous Strip

After cutting your binding strips, you’ll need to sew them together to make one large binding strip. Sew the strips together at a 90-degree angle from each other and stitch on the diagonal. This will allow you to have a diagonal seam in your binding, which will have a lot less bulk in your binding. Trim off the excess seam allowance between each strip.

After it’s sewn into a continuous strip, fold the strip in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides of the fabric facing, and press.

What Color Thread Should I Use?

There are a few different ways to approach this issue. One is to match the thread on your binding to the thread your quilt has been quilted with. This method works especially well if your quilt is densely quilted. You’ll hardly notice the binding stitches on the back.

Since the binding stitches show on the back of the quilt, I recommend always using thread the same color as your machine quilting thread in your bobbin.

You can match the machine quilting color for the top thread, or you can match the binding. I prefer to match the binding fabric since I feel like it blends better. It is ok to use a different thread color on the top of your machine then your bobbin thread.

Step Three: Sew the Binding to the Complete Quilt Top

I’ve outlined this step in more detail in the card below (which is printable, so you can refer back to it as often as you need).