How to Machine Bind a Quilt

Save time and have more quilts finished by machine binding your quilt! Janome Maker Melanie Call from Machine Binding Tutorial with Janome M7! 

Hello Janome Friends! I’m Melanie from A Bit of Scrap Stuff (Blog or Instagram) and today I’m sharing my favorite technique for machine binding! 

I absolutely love machine binding my quilts, pillows, and projects because it is durable, quick, and looks fabulous! This is how I bind 99.999999% of all of my projects. It is the way ;). 

Ready to Learn: Machine Binding

*I’m sewing on a Janome M7 – so your Janome sewing machine screen/controls may look a bit different.

Supplies:

• 2.5″ strip(s) of fabric for binding

• Dual Feed Foot Holder (walking foot) with Open Toe UD Foot and 1/4″  OD foot

• Janome A Foot * May also use AcuFeed Foot (walking foot) instead

• 1/4″ Ruler

• Marking Pen

• A thread that matches the binding

Step 1: Make Binding

• If multiple strips of fabric are needed – sew 2.5″binding strips together on the bias to make 1 long binding strip. Sewing strips together on the diagonal (bias) creates fewer bulky seams.

• Janome M7 settings. A foot, straight stitch, 1.8 stitch length *May also use Dual Feed Holder with UD Foot (walking foot) if preferred

• Place left binding strip right side up. Then place the next binding strip perpendicular right sides together Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the top fabric as shown below.

• Stitch along a drawn diagonal line. Trim 1/4″ away from the sewn line. Hint- make sure you have sewn your binding strips correctly together before trimming.

• Press binding strip in half (wrong sides together). The binding strip will measure 1.25″ in width when folded wrong sides together

Step 2: Attach Binding to BACK of quilt/pillow/project

• Attach Dual Feed Foot Holder (walking foot) with 1/4″ OD foot attached (top foot in photo). Needle position 1/4″, Stitch Length 2.0, and activate Dual Feed button on screen (highlighted in yellow in photo below). I prefer to use my Dual Feed Foot for attaching binding as the machine is sewing through multiple layers (quilt top, batting, quilt backing, plus double-fold binding).

• Starting about 6″ from the end of the binding tail, place binding on BACK of project. Line up raw edges of binding and raw edges of the project. Attach/Sew with 1/4″ seam allowance until you are about 3″ from the corner.

• Mitering Corner of Binding. Draw a line 1/4″ from edge of project. Continue sewing until you reach the drawn line. Back Stitch. Stitch off the project at a 45-degree angle (see yellow arrow below) – this helps with the next step. Cut thread and remove the quilt from the machine.

Fold binding upwards so edge of binding aligns with edge of project and stitched line from previous step when you stitched off the project at a diagonal to the corner.

• Fold binding down so the folded edge of binding aligns with the raw edge of the project. Attach a wonder clip to hold the binding in position. Begin stitching 1/4″ from the edge of the project. Backstitch. Repeat at all corners to miter.

• Stop stitching about 10″ from the beginning. 

• Overlap binding tails by 2 3/8″. Draw a line and cut on the drawn line. I find a 2 3/8″ overlap makes my binding fit best. Traditionally the overlap would be 2 1/2″ since that is the original width of the binding.

• Sew 2.5″binding tails together on the bias. Unfold binding tails. Place fabric on the left-right side up. Then place other binding tail perpendicular right sides together. Draw a diagonal line on the wrong side of the top fabric as shown below. Sewing binding tails on the diagonal (bias) reduces seam bulk.

• Stitch along a drawn diagonal line. Refold binding and check that your binding is the correct size THEN trim 1/4″ away from the sewn line. Finish attaching binding with 1/4″ seam. Backstitch over beginning stitches to secure start/stop.

Step 3: Stitch Binding to FRONT of Project

• Change to Dual Feed Open Toe UD Foot, Dual Feed Key selected, Needle Position Center, and Stitch Length 2.0

• Wrap binding to the front of the project and secure with wonder clips. Bring up the bobbin thread before stitching to prevent thread knot on the back of the project. Stitch 1/8″ away from the folded edge of the binding.

• Continue stitching until about 3″ away from the corner. Fold binding on the unstitched side up and hold down. Then fold binding from the stitched side over the project to create a mitered corner. 

• Stitch to corner. Raise presser foot (leave the needle in DOWN position). Rotate project. Lower presser foot and continue stitching down the binding. Repeat for all mitered corners. Backstitch over beginning stitches to secure. 

Congratulations your project is now bound and ready to be loved!

Tutorials are available for Oh Happy Day Pillow front (HERE) and attaching an exposed zipper for pillow backing (HERE)

Be sure to follow me for more sewing fun and more examples of machine binding! A Bit of Scrap Stuff Blog (here) or Instagram (here).


Happy Sewing!
Melanie Call