Bias binding

Bias binding, also called bias tape, is a narrow strip of woven fabric cut at 45 degrees to the weave and used to finish a raw edge. The diagonal cut lets it stretch around curves without puckering.

How is it made?

The strip is cut across the bias, the diagonal of the weave, then joined end to end into a long length. Each join is usually a diagonal seam, which sewing guides describe as easier to sew over than a straight one. The strip can be sewn on as it is, or pressed so that both raw edges fold to the middle (single-fold) and then in half again (double-fold). Folded tape is about a quarter of the width of the strip it was made from.

How wide is the cut strip?

There is no single rule. A common one is four times the finished width, so a half-inch binding is cut two inches wide. Quilt binding is usually quoted as a cut width, often two to two and a half inches. Check your pattern before cutting, because sources differ.

Where is it used?

It finishes quilt edges, placemats, bibs, armholes and necklines, and it binds seams and covers piping cord. Straight edges can take binding cut on the straight grain; curved edges need the stretch of the bias. See also bias cut for garments cut on the diagonal, and the Bias Binding & Strip Planner to work out how much you need.

Sources

1. Bias tape. Wikipedia (used to locate references)
2. Bias Binding – The Basics + Beyond. Sew4Home
3. Binding a Quilt. Utah State University Extension
4. How Wide to Cut Quilt Binding. Sew Nikki
5. Make Double-Fold Binding for Your Quilt. Dummies

See also

• Bias
• Bias cut
• Grain

Read more

• Bias Binding: Why Cut on the Diagonal, and How Much

Last updated October 16, 2026 · Markdown