How to bind a quilt by machine

Join binding strips, fold in half, sew to the quilt front with mitred corners, then fold to the back and stitch down by machine.

Pinny's tip
Strips of 2.5 inches (about 6.4cm) wide are a common choice for a double-fold binding.

What you'll need

• Binding strips: enough for the full perimeter, plus extra for joining the ends.
• Walking foot: feeds the layers.
• Clips: hold binding better than pins.

Step by step

1. Trim the quilt square. Join strips with diagonal seams, press open and fold the strip in half lengthwise.
2. Starting mid-side, sew the raw edges to the quilt front with a quarter-inch seam, leaving a tail.
3. Stop a quarter inch before the corner, fold the binding up at 45 degrees then down to form a mitre, and continue.
4. Join the ends neatly.
5. Fold the binding to the back, clip, and stitch down by machine, either in the ditch from the front or along the edge from the back.

Common mistakes

• Starting at a corner. Start mid-side.
• Running out at the join. Leave long tails.
• Wavy binding. Use a walking foot and don’t stretch.

Watch it done

• How to Machine Bind a Quilt by SewVeryEasy on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.
• How to Bind a Quilt: Foolproof Tips for Great Results | Quilting Tutorial by Craftsy on YouTube. Opens on YouTube; the video belongs to its creator.

Sources

All checked 1 November 2026. We read these; we did not test the products ourselves.

1. The Sewing Directory: Quilt Binding Tutorial
2. The Sewing Directory: How to Mitre Quilt Corners
3. YouTube: How to Machine Bind a Quilt (SewVeryEasy)
4. YouTube: How to Bind a Quilt: Foolproof Tips for Great Results | Quilting Tutorial (Craftsy)