Binding Tutorial Step 8

 After I mitre and sew the last corner, I'm now on the side of the quilt where I started to sew the binding.  I sew the remaining binding part of the way, but I want to leave enough loose that I can easily join the beginning and ending binding.  I stop, backstitch, cut the threads.  Take the quilt away from the needle, and bring the remaining binding toward the beginning which was left loose so that it could be joined with the ending binding.  I always have too much binding which is a good thing!  I don't have to stop now and add more binding to make it fit!  I line up the remaining binding with raw edge of the beginning binding.  I measure 2 1/2" past that point and cut the excess binding off.  I measure 2 1/2" because that is the width of my binding.  If it had been 3" wide binding, I would have measure 3" beyond where the ends would match up.  I then align the ends as in Step 2.  I mark my diagonal line, put a pin in to hold it, and sew on the line.  I cut off the corner leaving about a 1/4" seam allowance, which I fingerpress open.  This amount of binding will exactly fit into the space that needs binding!  I begin sewing again, backstitching the seam for security and sew past the beginning stitching a little, backstitch, and clip the threads.  The binding is now all sewn on to the front of the quilt.  I usually sew the binding on to the quilt with a 1/4" to 3/8" seam.