Everyone learns how to bind quilts with 90- degree corners in the first month of quilting. Some quilts have odd corners and we have to bind those quilts too. Here is an easy way to do this, and it works for any angle smaller than 180 degrees.
Let’s see how to bind this octagonal block.
Firstly, do you join the binding strips like this? I confess: joining them with a straight seam is faster and I use it a lot, but this way is really worth the little extra effort!
And you could use this tool (Clover Hera marker) to mark the crease/stitching line.
Now once the binding is prepared, you have to find the center of each angle of your quilt. Sometimes, the design helps!!
Other times, you just have to use the old method: fold the corner/piece in half, keeping the edges aligned. Mark the center with a pin.
Start leaving a tail, align the binding with the edge of the quilt and sew at 1/4” away from the edge; stop when you reach the pin.
NOTE: You can keep the pin underneath too, but it is easier to see where to stop the stitching if you have the pin on top.
That point where you stop the stitching is important, here is another way to find it: draw a line 1/4” away from both edges of the corner. The intersection point is where you have to stop the stitching.
Do not remove the pin. Fold the binding as shown, so it makes a straight line with the next edge of the quilt.
The fold (see the red arrow) should not extend past the corner; also, it should not be inside the corner, it has to be exactly at the corner.
Remove the pin underneath; pin the binding to the quilt, mark the center of the next corner with a pin…
and sew at 1/4” away from the edge, until you reach the pin of the next corner. Repeat these steps until you finish all the corners.
Press the binding on the front of the quilt, it makes a nice and crisp fold for the binding. Fold the binding to the back and keep it in place with pins.
Fold the excess toward inside, making sure the two edges meet into a nice intersection point (see the red arrow).
You can secure the binding on the back stitching by hand. If you sew by machine, you have to insert the pins on the front of the quilt. Stitch in the ditch and remove the pins as you sew. You can use clips instead of pins too.
And here is a nice finished corner!
CONCLUSION
- As you see, the technique is not different than the one used for the quilts with 90 degrees angles. We just need a little help in finding the center of the angle!
- While you don’t see very often large quilts with such angles, they are very common on small quilted pieces.
You may wonder, when to finish the quilts in these unusual angles? Here are a few examples, just keep in mind that the final shape of the quilt must be in harmony with the design. What I mean is, if you have a mandala design with 6 wedges/repeats, you can’t finish it as an octagon with 8 sides!
One final example!
4 sides- square; 5 sides- pentagon; 6 sides- hexagon; 8 sides- octagon.
Pattern for the flowers here.
I hope some of these ideas help! I really like these small quilted pieces, they are quick to sew and sometimes we just need some variation in shape!
Happy sewing!
Thank you so much. It has made it very understandable with the pictures. I will try this on my next quilt.
Mary
I am always astounded by the beauty of your work. You are a true artist and everything you do is just beautiful!! Thank you so much for sharing your talent and expertise.
This is the most detailed and fail proof tutorial I have seen. One additional point worth mentioning: Plan and prepare the binding strip so seams don’t not fall on a corner. This would making the folds more bulky
Great point, Elisabeth. I always try to use the longest strips I have so I don’t have to join too many strips. And if you join the strips with a diagonal seam, even if the seam falls on a corner, the binding still looks good on the corner.
Thanks so much, Geta! Your tutorials and patterns are always so complete and easy to follow. I really appreciate your expertise.
Thanks, Toni; I am glad to share what I know.
I’m binding a star and am having trouble with the inside “V”. Any suggestions?
Hi Linda!
Find the point where you have to stop the stitching (the center of the angle), stitch along one edge until you have to stop, keep the work under the needle with the needle down in to the quilt, pivot the quilt until the next edge is straight in front of the needle and continue stitching.
Before turning the binding to the back, cut a slit into the seam allowance, about 1/8”, exactly at the corner (make sure you don’t touch the stitching). It helps if you use a bias binding.
Basically, it’s the same technique.
If a binding is not a must, there is an easier technique to finish quilts with such angles – without binding. Here is my tutorial, I used the technique for binding a start quilt, too.
http://getasquiltingstudio.com/2015/10/sew-no-binding-quilted-placematscoasters.html
You are so amazing,and ready to help and even give free designs,so easy to follow,Thank you again for the new designs,ready to start
Your quilt designs are absolutely beautiful! Thank you for sharing them and sharing the tips.
Great tip – answered my exact question about binding different angles! Thank you.
Thank you for another wonderful tutorial. It is your straightforward way of putting things that I am finding really useful.
thank you for the great tutorial. It explained a lot to me and made my projects look much more professional! My family has quilted for generations, but never used a separate binding. I’m thrilled to learn something new and so easy!
This was an excellent tutorial! Thank you so much!
Thanks for this, it’s very clear and the quilts are so pretty! I’m making an octagon quilt and wanted to check thay I remembered the technique right for non-standard angles.
One thing I’d edit, though: pressing the top of the binding would be a disaster if you used polyester batting!
Thank you so much for this, I have never learned this as I have only sewn rectangular or square quilts. Your tutorial is very easy to understand and I hope to use it one day. Thank you.
Doing my first hexagonal shaped small quilt and found your post helpful. Your work is beautiful!