I love having a quilt or table runner with an edge binding, but sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming when you have to miter the corners. Well, I recently came across the self binding technique and I just love it. It is so quick and easy to do, and best of all, it can be sewn with a straight stitch on your sewing machine and no hand sewing.

So now you are probably asking, “What exactly is a self-binding quilt?” Well, the answer is simple. A self bound quilt uses the backing fabric to bind or finish the edges of the quilt. The end result looks like you used binding to finish the quilt, but this is much easier and faster than the traditional method.

Here are two embroidery quilting projects finished off using the self binding technique. The corners are neatly mitered and as mentioned before, it is really quick to do.

How to self bind a quilt using the backing fabric

We will show you how to do this for both the 60 degree and 90 degree corners. At the end of this post, we also have a link to a video which we found on YouTube done by Wonderfil Threads.

How to self bind a quilt that uses 60 degree corners

First have your quilt topper ready. Place the topper onto the backing fabric. Use temporary adhesive spray to hold the quilt upper to the backing. The backing fabric must be larger than the quilt upper. Stitch the quilt upper to the backing fabric, doing some stitch in the ditch along the seams of the blocks or panels. Use bobbin thread that matches the backing fabric and thread that will best blend in with the border and blocks.

Using a long ruler and rotary cutter, measure 1 1/4 inches from the edge of the quilt topper and cut. Be consistent with this. You want a nice finish when you are done.

Fold the edge of the backing fabric over to meet the edge of the quilt topper. Thumb press the folded edge. Use Fabric Spray to hold in place. Now fold again onto the quilt topper. Use Fabric Spray to hold in place. Use quilting clips to hold in place as you go.

Miter the corners as you go. When you fold the fabric and turn it up it will create a mitered corner.

Work right round the quilt topper in this way. Now sew the binding in place on the right side of the quilt topper by sewing machine. Use a straight stitch. The backing and binding all done in one!

How to self bind a quilt that uses 90 degree corners

Start on one edge. Fold the backing fabric to the edge of the table runner. Use some spray glue to hold the folded fabric in place. Now fold this edge over the table runner edge. Use spray glue to hold in place and use so quilting clips.

For the corner. Fold the corner in as shown in the photo. Use some spray glue to hold in place. Now fold the fabric edge the same way as you did the previous one. Continue to work around your table runner.

When you get to the last corner, open up the folded fabric for the corner and fold the same way as you did the other corners. Fold the edges over the table runner and spray glue in place. You should now have neat mitered corners around your table runner. Using matching bobbin and upper thread on your sewing machine, topstitch the binding in place.