How to Join Mitered Quilt Binding Ends

The hard work is finished! You have pieced, basted, quilted, and trimmed your quilt. The binding has been attached around the edge of the quilt. Now, for the final step – joining the binding ends – and then you can enjoy your beautiful new quilt. There are many ways to join the quilt binding. This tutorial will show you how to do this final step with a mitered finish. Let’s get sewing!

Step 1: Attach Binding to Quilt Sandwich

Attach your binding as you normally would to your quilt sandwich. If you would like a little refresher on how to calculate how much fabric binding you will need, how to create binding and then sew the binding onto the quilt, we have a blog called How to Bind a Quilt in 8 Easy Steps.

Step 2: Leave Approximately 10” of Quilt Binding Unattached

Make sure you leave approximately a 10” space of unattached binding. This will allow you to maneuver and fold the quilt as needed to create the miter finish.

Step 3: Mark the Middle of Unsewn Space

At this point, place a pin in the center of the unsewn space. This is pin is a helpful guide in cutting the fabric in our next step.

Step 4: Cut Binding Down to Correct Size

For this step, you will be cutting your binding down based on the width of the binding you are currently sewing with. For our quilt project, we used 2½” binding.

Take the binding from below the pin and pull it over the unsewn space.

Using a ruler as a guide, measure out 1¼” above the pin.

Cut the binding off at the 1¼” mark.

Now repeat this for the other side of the unsewn binding. Place the binding over the pin.

Using a ruler as a guide, measure out 1¼” below the pin.

Cut the binding off to the length of 1¼”.

Both ends of the binding should overlap by 2½” – the width of the binding used in this project.

Step 5: Sew Binding Together at a 45° Angle

Pull the lower binding out to the right of the quilt and open it up so the Wrong Side of the fabric is facing down.

Place the upper binding across the lower binding so that the pressed folds are at a right angle with each other and not lined up. The Right Sides of the fabric will face each other, and the Wrong Sides of the fabric are facing outward. Pin to hold in place.

Draw a line angled at 45° from the outside corners of the pinned bindings. Sew along the line. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the seam to hold the stitches in place.

Trim the excess fabric to a ¼” seam allowance. Either finger press or use an iron to press open the seam.

Finish attaching the binding for the remainder of the quilt. Begin your seam where you left off and sew until the all the binding is attached. Backstitch at the beginning and end of these seams to lock the stitches in place.

That’s it! Your binding is attached using a miter finish. You can now either hand sew, or machine sew the binding to other side of the quilt however you would like.