Will This Book be the Answer to Your Binding Prayers? Just Maybe.

by Darla Christiansen

Get perfect corners on your next quilt binding and learn how to make a just about any other type of binding. 

The Quilt Binding Bible: 25 Flawless Finishes • Techniques & Troubleshooting

Loaded with tips, color photos and helpful graphics. 

• Best for: Getting the low-down on how to get that crisp binding corner
• Bonus points: Details on how to make fancy bindings, plus small projects to practice your new binding techniques
• Type: Spiral bound, 141 pages
• Author: Marci Baker
• Publisher: C&T Publishing, 2025

Binding Maven Marci Baker delves into the tiniest details that make a nice difference in your finished product.  In addition to making crisp corners, she offers instructions on everything from continuous bias binding to fixing crooked strips that you’ve sewn together. 

For starters, take a look at Marci’s binding spreadsheet. (For reals, a binding spreadsheet. This woman has it dialed in). It gives you an at-a-glance list of pros and cons of each binding type. For example:

• Pillowcase-style binding: great for beginners but not especially long wearing
• Curved binding: expands your design options but requires bias binding
• Prairie points: good for decorative quilts and then takes extra time to cut, fold and press all those points

Done is Better Than Perfect, but Perfect is Lovely

Right away you’ll appreciate author Marci Baker’s pragmatic approach. She gives you permission not to get stressed about “your own possible imperfections.”  Thank you, Marci for helping us see that, while perfection is lovely, it can be over-rated. And really, you’re the best judge of when perfect is what you’re aiming for. Or when done and pretty darn good is your target.

Key Basics

Even if you’ve made 100 or so bindings over your quilting life, the section on basics offers great tips. For starters:

• Use gloves: quilting gloves help you keep control while adding binding; she cuts off the thumb and first finger of the glove for improved dexterity.
• Machine baste before trimming: if the quilting doesn’t extend all the way to the edge of your quilt top (e.g., a border that’s not quilted), she recommends basting the layers together around the perimeter, just within the seam allowance before binding.
• Make straight strips: be sure to check out her instructions on folding the fabric and how to get a straight cut. Parallel folds are part of the secret. For the record, I am learning this trick far too late in life. 

Simple Finishes

• Self-binding: This section of the book has some great options for quick and easy bindings – starting with the self-binding method. My mom, for one, often uses this technique because it gets her to a finished quilt a little faster. Think of it: no cutting binding. Quilt completed. Hmm. Merits consideration.
• Bindings we know and love: The workhorse of bindings for so many of us is the “Go-To Basic Double Fold Binding” and here, Marci’s tips and techniques really shine. She includes cross-section diagrams of a quilt edge with binding – and a process for determining binding width. My go-to is usually 2 ¼ inches. Or 2 ½ inches. It all depends on the mood of the moment, or what binding gets unearthed out of the bucket of binding leftovers.
• Step away from the iron: When it’s time to sew the binding on, she gives a stern warning. Do. Not. Press the binding strip in half lengthwise before sewing it to the quilt. Whaaat? That’s downright scandalous. Her argument is that you need a little more fabric on the outside of the binding (the part that you’ll fold over to encase the quilt edge), and so a pressed crease in the middle won’t fall where you need it. Sounds like a challenge to me. 

Marci includes drawings and step-by-step instructions that help diagnose what might be messing with your corners. And her “foolproof” method for joining the ends sounds like yet another challenge. So noted.

Bindings for Art Quilts and Minis

An entire section is devoted to narrow binding for mini quilts and artwork. Confession, I do not understand this math formula, but I trust Marci. And I love the way a small wall quilt looks when it’s got that classy no-binding binding. 

Fancy is Fun

If you want to get fancy, check out two sections that cover everything from flange binding (and yes, you’re in good company if you had to Google that), to binding with piping, to ruffles and petals. You read that correctly. Petals.

Two Bonuses:

1. Marci has videos posted on C&T Publishing’s YouTube channel. Search “binding” for her demo.
2. The back of the book includes four projects to practice different binding techniques. Each is small and completely doable (think potholders and place mats) that could potentially be turned into a gift. Or a cat mat, depending on how it goes.

Happy sewing!