Flange Binding Tutorial: Jenny Doan's Easy Accent Binding Technique

That thin accent line makes all the difference — Jenny shows you exactly how it works!

🎨 Flange fabric — 1¾" strips × WOF (width of fabric)
This is the accent color that will peek out. Choose something bold that contrasts with both the quilt and the binding. You'll need enough strips to go around the entire perimeter. Shop fabric.

🟫 Binding fabric — 1½" strips × WOF
Your main binding fabric. This is what wraps around the edge as usual. It's slightly narrower than the flange strip.

🧵 Quilted project ready for binding
Any quilt, baby blanket, table runner, or wall hanging that's been quilted and trimmed.

🔥 Iron and pressing surface — precise pressing is essential for flange binding

📌 Pins or clips — Shop pins & clips

🪡 Sewing machine

Step 1: Cut Your Flange and Binding Strips

Cut strips across the width of fabric:

For a baby quilt, you'll typically need about 4 strips of each. For a full-size quilt, you'll need 8-10 strips of each. Calculate your quilt's perimeter and add 12" for joining and corners.

Step 2: Join the Strips Into Long Lengths

Sew all your flange strips together end-to-end into one long continuous strip. Do the same with all your binding strips. Join them using diagonal seams (just like regular binding) or straight seams — whichever you prefer.

You should now have two long strips: one in your flange color and one in your binding color.

Step 3: Sew the Two Strips Together

Lay your flange strip and binding strip right sides together, aligning the long edges. Sew them together with a ¼-inch seam along one long side.

This is the critical seam that joins your accent color to your binding color. Be precise with that quarter-inch — too wide and you'll lose the flange; too narrow and it won't hold securely.

Step 4: Press It Open, Then in Half

This is a two-stage pressing process — don't skip either step!

When you look at the folded strip from the raw-edge side, you should see the binding fabric on one side and the flange fabric on the other, with the flange extending just a bit past the binding fold.

Step 5: Attach the Binding (Back First!)

Here's the twist: with flange binding, Jenny applies the binding from the back of the quilt first, not the front. Place the binding on the back of the quilt with the flange fabric (the accent) facing the quilt and the raw edges aligned with the quilt's raw edge.

Sew around the perimeter at a ¼-inch seam, mitering your corners as usual — stop ¼" from each corner, fold the binding up at 45°, fold it back down, and continue sewing.

That beautiful accent line of color — totally worth the extra step!

Step 6: Fold to the Front and Finish

Flip the binding over to the front of the quilt. As it wraps around the edge, the flange strip will naturally peek out as a thin accent line between the quilt top and the binding. Pin or clip it in place.

Finish by hand-stitching the binding to the front (for an invisible finish) or by machine-stitching in the ditch along the binding edge. The flange should be a neat, even stripe all the way around your quilt.

📏 Precision pressing is everything. The flange is only about ⅛" wide when finished, so sloppy pressing will show. Take your time with the iron — it makes or breaks this technique.

🎨 Choose a bold contrast for the flange. The whole point is that pop of color, so pick something that stands out against both the quilt and the binding. A bright solid against a dark binding is stunning.

📐 Test your ¼" seam before committing. Sew a test piece first. If the flange disappears when you fold it, your seam is too wide. Adjust before sewing the entire length.

🧵 This works on any quilt project. Flange binding isn't just for baby quilts — it looks gorgeous on table runners, wall hangings, bed quilts, and even placemats.

✨ Try a metallic or sparkle fabric for the flange. A gold or silver solid as the flange accent adds a touch of elegance, especially for holiday or special occasion quilts.