Simple Binding for Your Memorial Quilt

Quilt binding is the fabric folded over the sides of your quilt and sewn to both the front and back to cover the raw edges and create a nice finish. You can buy quilt binding or make your own. I suggest you make the binding for your memorial quilt from the backing, sashing or border fabric. Or you can use any fabric that complements both the back and front of your quilt.  

I’m providing instructions here for a simple quilt binding so that even a beginner can bind their memorial quilt. Please note that this is NOT the method I use on the memorial quilts that I create. Instead, I make continuous binding and sew it to the quilt with mitered corners and a seam rather than an overlap where the ends meet for a smooth, professional finish.

Simple Quilt Binding Instructions

1. Cut your binding fabric into strips 2½ inches wide. You will need two strips that are the same length as the sides of your quilt and two strips that are two inches longer than the top and bottom of your quilt. Sew fabric strips together to get the needed lengths, if necessary.
2. Matching the raw edges of the fabric, fold each of your four strips in half lengthwise, wrong sides together, and press.
3. Matching the raw edges and the ends, sew a binding strip to the front of your quilt on each side, using a ¼-inch seam.
4. Fold each of these two binding strips over the edge to the back of the quilt and press. Sew the folded edge of the binding to the back of the quilt, preferably by hand using a blind stitch.  
5. Matching the raw edges and extending beyond each end by one inch, sew a binding strip to the front of your quilt on both the top and the bottom, using a ¼-inch seam.
6. Fold the binding strips to the back of the quilt and press. Tuck in the excess binding at each end so that it wraps around the sides of the quilt and vanishes behind the binding on the back. Sew the folded edge of the binding to the back of the quilt, preferably by hand using a blind stitch.

Examples of Various Bindings