Quilt Binding
Binding is the fabric that's used to cover the raw edges of a quilt after it's quilted--one of the last steps before you can finally say it's finished.Your binding can be narrow or wide, depending on the look you're trying to convey. You can bind with a fabric that's already in the quilt or you can choose something new. Binding can be made from a single layer of fabric, but two layers are more durable.
Which Fabric Grain Is Best?
Lengthwise grain strips have threads that tend to run fairly straight along their length, ending up parallel to the edges of the quilt. If a single thread becomes weakened and breaks, it could split the binding along one entire side of the quilt--as far as the weakened thread travels.That scenario is most likely to be a problem for quilts that are used and laundered, actions that make the raw edges under the binding rub against it abrasively.
Crosswise grain fabric strips are a good choice for binding. The grain isn't usually perfectly straight, so there's less risk that a split would damage an entire side--it would be more likely to travel a short distance then stop when it butts into the quilt's front or back. Crosswise strips are stretchy enough to wind around large curves.
The grain in bias binding strips runs at an angle, so it moves from front to back after the binding is sewn. A split would affect a small area of the quilt's edge. Stretchy bias strips are a good choice for binding tight curves and deep angles.
