HOW TO MAKE EASY SCRAPPY QUILT BINDING

Scrappy binding is pieced binding made from a variety of fabric sources. These fabric sources include leftover fabric scraps from your quilt projects, fabric from a jelly roll, store-bought fat quarters, or store-bought single-fold scrappy binding sold by the yard.

Or you can combine all of the mentioned fabric sources. Your resources are the only limit on your fabric combinations. Imaginative fabric combinations are greatly encouraged when binding a quilt with a scrappy binding.

Most people think scrappy binding is only for scrappy quilts. Actually, scrappy binding is so versatile that it can be used on any quilt.

Scrappy binding can be divided into five types based on the fabric source: Fabric Scraps, Recycled Binding, Fussy-Cut Fabric Scraps, Jelly Roll Binding and Ready-Made Scrappy Binding (single fold and sold by the yard).

Fabric scraps binding involves the most piecing among the five types but it is also the best way to bust your scrap fabric stash.

You’ll find that fabric scraps binding is made from 2.5 inch wide by 2-inch and larger fabric scraps that are cut and ready to be pieced together to create scrappy binding. This is the scrappiest form of scrappy binding.

Recycled binding is great for making scrappy binding because major work is already done. There is minimum cutting and piecing.

Just select a few rolls of binding from your binding stash, cut and combine them into the segments that you will use to make the desired binding length.

Did you know that you can include fabric scraps from your quilt top in your scrappy binding? Simply fussy-cut left-over quilt top fabric scraps 2.5 inches wide by the desired length and piece them into your scrappy binding strip.

You can make quick work of piecing with this method of scrappy binding because you’re piecing a few fussy-cut fabric scraps from the quilt top into a single color binding strip.

Here’s How:

• As your first fabric source, cut your desired length of quilt top fabric scraps 2.5-inches wide.
• Grab strips of single-color binding as your second fabric source.
• Alternate piecing the two sources of fabrics to create the desired length of scrappy binding.

Jelly roll binding requires the least amount of piecing, it is fast and easy because the width is precut!

Depending on the size of your quilt project, jelly roll fabric strips can be used ‘as is’ or cut into 5 to 8-inch lengths. Create the desired length of jelly roll binding by piecing the strips together.

Tip: Fabric jelly roll patterns are in pairs. Separate the pairs before you start piecing so that you don’t accidentally piece a pair with the same fabric pattern together.

Definition: What Is A Fabric Jelly Roll?

The fabric jelly roll is very popular. It is 2.5 inches wide by 44 inches long and averages 20 pairs of coordinating fabrics within a roll. There’s no need to worry if the fabric colors will complement each other because the fabric collection designer has done that work for you.

The precut 2.5-inch width is perfect for binding and the 44-inch length shortens the time spent piecing the fabric strips together for large quilts. I’ll share with you how to make scrappy binding using a jelly roll later in this blog.

In another Madam Sew Blog about Jelly Rolls in Quilting you can find more background information and more tips and uses.

It’s true, you can buy ready-made scrappy binding. Honestly, I would only consider this option for binding a large project like a queen or king-size quilt and my fabric is limited.

I was inspired to write this blog because making scrappy binding is an easy and practical way to be more environmentally conscious. The additional benefit was it inspired me to be more creative with my binding options.

Last month, I attended an Earth Day-related event at my church. It made me keenly aware that I had to take a more active role in saving the Earth. In a world where everything matters, I realized that the biggest impact I could make was to better utilize my fabric inventory. I made a new commitment. The fabric I could not recycle, I would donate. This month, I found the perfect non-profit for my donated fabric.

I realized that I had wasteful binding habits. I rarely used scrappy binding on my quilts. I tended to create extra binding that I didn’t use. And I prefer to match the binding color to the final border. This preference resulted in unused fabric yardage.

I encourage you to try my five-step method for making quick and easy scrappy binding. The five steps are:

• Step 1: Collect the fabric.
• Step 2: Cut the fabric into 2.5-inches wide by the appropriate length.
• Step 3: Piece the strips with diagonal seams.
• Step 4: Fold and press the strips.
• Step 5: Store scrappy binding for easy attachment to a finished quilt project.

But before you attach your scrappy binding to a finished quilt project, try it on a test quilt. I recommend creating a 24-inch square quilt sandwich as the test.

Be prepared for this project. See “Supplies”, “Fabric” and “Getting Ready To Sew”.

These are the tools and supplies that I used to make easy scrappy binding.

• A Quarter Inch Presser Foot
• A Walking Foot
• Quilt Batting (Cut 26-inches square)
• Coordinating Cotton Thread
• 90/14 Stretch Sewing Machine Needle
• Long Flower Pins
• Deluxe Bias Tape Maker Set
• Thread Snips
• Rotary Cutter
• 6-inch square ruler
• Rotating Cutting Mat
• Heat Erasable Fabric Marking Pens
• Tailor’s Clapper - optional (Use to flatten seams)
• Wool Pressing Mat
• Sewing Clips
• 6 x 24 quilting ruler

• Cut (one) 26-inch square of fabric for the quilt backing. (I chose white flannel for my backing)
• Cut (four) 8.5-inch squares of light fabric.
• Cut (five) 8.5-inch squares of dark fabric.

Use your favorite way to prep for a new project or try my proven, stress-free method. See “Getting Ready To Quilt-The Ultimate Checklist”.

These steps are simple and will help you make quick work of making scrappy quilting binding.

Gather scrappy fabric binding from the five types of fabric scraps and select the fabric sources you will use. (In this blog the source fabric is a fabric jelly roll)

Prepare the jelly roll fabric by cutting it into (twenty) 8-inch lengths. This will best accommodate the length needed for the perimeter of the 24-inch square test block and have the extra length needed to join the binding ends.

Use your way to piece the binding strips or try this easy method. (See section “Use Mitered Seams To Make Binding”)

At this point you must decide on the type of binding you are making before you fold and press the strips. The choices are Half-fold Binding (also known as French Binding) or Double-Fold Binding (also known as bias binding – the type that can be store-bought).

Half-fold binding is a popular type of quilt binding. This two-step process is how to make it:

• Fold the strips in half with the wrong sides together and press them flat.
• Use two pins to anchor the strip on the ironing board surface. Then press the length that you need. That’s it. Your binding is done!

When the fabric strip raw edges meet in the center, it is called single-fold binding. It is also known as single-fold bias tape.

Tip: Ok, I know these names are confusing. You’re probably wondering why the same bias tape is called single-fold and double-fold?

It has two different names based on whether it is open or closed. When it’s closed, it’s called double-fold bias tape. When it is opened and you can see the raw edges meeting in the center, then it is called single-fold bias tape.

Did you know you can use double-fold bias tape to sew binding on a quilt in one step? (More about this later).

You can make Single-Fold Bias Tape in a jiffy with Madam Sew Deluxe Bias Tape Maker Set. This short video shows the two-step process. Let me quickly explain how to make bias tape with a bias tape maker.

Feed the fabric strip wrong side up into the larger opening of the bias tape maker. Use the awl provided in the Bias Tape Maker set to help feed the fabric so that it exits the smaller opening.

Tip: I was skeptical but a 2.5-inch wide fabric strip can fit inside of the 2-inch Bias Tape Maker, if the fabric is thin.

The fabric in the Bias Tape Maker will exit the smaller opening as single-fold bias tape.

• Use two flower pins to secure the tip of the single-fold tape as you pull the bar on the Bias Tape Maker.

Iron the single-fold bias tape you just created.

Tip: You can get crisp folds if you iron the single-fold bias tape twice.

• Press the length of the bias strip unevenly in half. The top fold should be narrower than the bottom fold. You want to be able to see the wider half as your iron.

Tip: Sew the bias binding to your quilt with the wider fold on the back of the quilt. This method will enable you to sew both sides of the binding to the quilt simultaneously.

No matter the type of binding you make, you should choose a method to store your scrapping binding that enables easy attachment to a finished quilt project. Use your favorite storage method or try the Madam Sew Bias Tape Bobbin for storing your binding.

Use your favorite method to sew your scrappy binding to your test quilt. Or watch the appropriate short Madam Sew videos for:

• Half-Fold Binding: Attaching The Binding To A Quilt Sandwich
• Double-fold Binding: “Hack 2: One Step Binding”

Now that you’ve become a scrappy binding expert, try your new skills on your next quilt project. Or use it to bind these awesome Madam Sew projects:

• Quilted Placemats
• Free Quilt Blocks and Quilted Projects
• Best 2023 Sewing and Quilting Blog Post

May your quilting always bring you joy!

Ernie Grant
Guest Blogger For Madam Sew

Ernestine “Ernie” Grant is an avid quilter with over 20 years experience and is the owner of the custom baby quilt business www.kalibabyquilts.com. As an African American living in Harlem, New York her view of quilting is shaped by her heritage and the elders who taught her–Quilting is not just thread, fabric and stitches. It is art, it is love, it is community.