Making and Applying Bias Binding: A Complete Tutorial

Bias binding is a strip of fabric cut diagonally across the grain — at 45 degrees from the lengthwise threads — and used to finish raw edges, especially curved ones. Because the bias direction has natural stretch, the binding curves smoothly around necklines, armholes, and other shaped edges that a straight-grain strip would buckle around.

You can buy pre-made bias binding (in standard widths and limited colours), but making your own from any fabric opens up many more options: matching binding for the same fabric as the garment, contrasting binding from a printed coordinate, heavier binding for heavy fabrics, or specialty fabrics that aren’t sold pre-made.

This guide covers how to make bias binding from scratch, how to apply it as a single binding (visible on the right side) or as a hidden binding (invisible from the right side), and the tricks for joining the ends invisibly.

What “bias” means

Most fabric has three orientations:

• Lengthwise grain (warp): parallel to the selvedge. Stable, no stretch.
• Crosswise grain (weft): perpendicular to the selvedge. Slight stretch on most fabrics.
• Bias: 45 degrees from both grain directions. Stretches significantly.

The bias direction has stretch even in a non-stretchy fabric like cotton. This stretch is what makes bias binding curve smoothly around edges.

When to use bias binding

The most common applications:

Finishing curved necklines

A T-shirt-style neckline, scoop neckline, or V-neckline can be finished with bias binding wrapped around the raw edge. The binding handles the curve cleanly.

Finishing armholes (sleeveless garments)

Sleeveless tops and dresses use bias binding around the armholes for a clean finish.

Curved hems

A curved skirt hem or shirt-tail hem is hard to fold and stitch flat. Bias binding wraps the raw edge in a single pass.

Hong Kong finish for individual seams

Inside a tailored garment, each seam allowance can be wrapped in bias binding for an elegant finished interior — without a full lining. Common in tailored jackets and skirts.

Decorative edge accents

Visible bias binding (in contrast colour) becomes a design feature: a contrasting trim around a neckline, armhole, or hem.

Making bias binding

The basic process:

Step 1: Determine how much you need

Bias binding length depends on what you’re binding:

• Standard neckline: about 50 cm of binding.
• Standard armhole: about 50 cm per armhole.
• Curved hem: measure the actual hem circumference.

The width of the binding depends on what you want:

• Single-fold binding (1/2 inch / 1.25 cm): most common, neither too narrow nor too wide.
• Wide binding (1 inch / 2.5 cm): more visible, often used decoratively.
• Narrow binding (1/4 inch / 6 mm): subtle, used for delicate finishing.

For making the binding, the strip width is roughly 4× the finished width. So:

• Single-fold 1.25 cm binding: cut strips 5 cm wide.
• Wide 2.5 cm binding: cut strips 10 cm wide.
• Narrow 6 mm binding: cut strips 2.5 cm wide.

Step 2: Cut bias strips

There are two methods:

Method 1: Cut individual strips

1. Lay your fabric flat with the selvedge running vertically.
2. Find the 45° angle: at one corner of the fabric, fold the corner so the lengthwise edge meets the crosswise edge. The fold is the bias.
3. Cut along the bias fold.
4. Mark parallel lines (at the bias angle) at your desired strip width — for 5 cm strips, mark every 5 cm parallel to the bias cut.
5. Cut along the marked lines.

You’ll have a series of parallel bias strips, each at the same width.

Method 2: Continuous bias

For longer lengths of binding, the continuous bias method produces a long strip from a single piece of fabric efficiently.

1. Cut a square of fabric (e.g., 60 × 60 cm).
2. Cut diagonally to make two triangles.
3. Sew the two triangles together along their lengthwise edges to make a parallelogram.
4. Mark parallel lines on the parallelogram at your strip width.
5. Sew the parallelogram into a tube — but offset by one strip-width, so the marks are misaligned by one row.
6. Cut along the marked lines, starting at the offset edge. The result is one continuous bias strip in a long length.

This is more efficient but harder to visualize. YouTube has many tutorials demonstrating it.

Step 3: Join strips (if using individual strips)

Individual bias strips need to be joined into one continuous length:

1. Place two strips right sides together at right angles, with their cut ends aligned.
2. Sew a diagonal seam from one corner to the opposite corner of the overlapping section.
3. Trim the seam allowance to about 6 mm.
4. Press the seam open.

The diagonal seam creates a continuous strip with no visible joint when finished.

Step 4: Press the binding

The binding strip needs to be pressed into a folded shape before applying:

For single-fold binding

1. Press the strip in half lengthwise, wrong sides together.
2. Open out flat.
3. Fold each long edge inward to the centre crease, wrong sides together.
4. Press flat.

The result is a strip with two raw edges folded inward, hidden behind the centre fold. Used for binding edges by sandwiching the fabric edge between the two folded edges.

For double-fold binding (the most common)

After the single-fold step above:

5. Fold the entire strip in half along the centre crease.
6. Press flat.

The result is a strip about 1/4 of its original width, with all raw edges enclosed inside.

A bias tape maker tool ($5–15) automates this folding. Pull the strip through one end of the tool, iron as it emerges, and the tool pre-folds for you. Worth buying if you make a lot of bias binding.

Applying bias binding (single binding, visible)

The binding wraps around the raw edge and is visible from both sides.

Step 1: Open the binding flat

Take your double-fold binding and open it flat. You’ll see the centre crease and the two outer creases.

Step 2: Pin one outer fold to the wrong side of the garment

With the binding’s outer fold aligned to the raw edge of the garment, pin the binding to the wrong side. Pin generously around curves.

Step 3: Sew along the inner crease

Sew along the inner crease (the first fold from the edge), which is about 6 mm from the raw edge. This attaches the binding to the wrong side of the garment.

Step 4: Wrap the binding to the right side

Fold the binding around the edge to the right side. The other outer fold (the one not yet sewn) sits on the right side, with the centre crease visible.

Step 5: Sew the binding down

Sew along the edge of the binding on the right side, capturing the underside in the same stitching. The result: the binding is sewn through both sides simultaneously.

For a cleaner finish, you can hand-stitch the underside with a slip stitch (covered in our 10 essential hand stitches guide) — invisible from the right side, longer to do.

Applying bias binding (hidden binding)

The binding is folded so it’s invisible from the right side — used for facings inside necklines and armholes.

The technique is similar but the binding sits on the wrong side only; nothing is visible from the right side. The fabric edge is fully enclosed and the binding acts as a facing.

Most patterns specify which type of binding application they require. Follow the pattern’s instruction.

Joining the ends invisibly

Where the binding ends meet (typically at a shoulder seam or a waist seam), the joint should be invisible.

Method: diagonal join

1. Apply binding around the entire edge, but stop about 5 cm before the start point.
2. Trim the unstitched ends so they overlap by about the binding’s width.
3. Open out the binding ends and place them right sides together at right angles.
4. Sew a diagonal seam from corner to corner.
5. Trim and press.
6. Re-fold the binding and sew the remaining 5 cm down.

The seam is on the bias and disappears into the fold pattern of the binding, creating an invisible joint.

Common bias binding mistakes

The binding doesn’t lie flat around curves

The binding is too narrow for the curve, or wasn’t pinned generously enough. Wider binding handles tighter curves; pin every 2 cm on tight curves.

The binding twists around the edge

The two outer folds aren’t symmetric, or the binding wasn’t applied with the same fold orientation throughout. Re-press carefully.

The fabric peeks through behind the binding

The binding is too narrow for the seam allowance. Use wider binding or trim the seam allowance shorter.

The joint is visible

The diagonal join wasn’t done — straight cuts at the joint create visible edges. Use the diagonal-seam method.

The right-side stitching captures the underside unevenly

The underside binding wasn’t pinned firmly. After sewing the right side, the binding underneath drifts away from the stitching line.

Two fixes:

• Pin the underside more thoroughly before sewing the right side.
• Sew the underside with a slip stitch by hand for invisibility (slower but cleaner).

Different fabrics for binding

Different fabrics suit different applications:

• Cotton lawn or batiste: lightweight, drapes well, ideal for delicate garment binding.
• Cotton broadcloth: medium weight, sturdy, common for general use.
• Quilting cotton: medium weight, stable. Used for visible decorative binding.
• Silk charmeuse: drapey, premium. Used in high-end garments.
• Linen: textured, works well for casual or rustic garments.

Match the binding fabric to the garment fabric weight. Avoid using heavy fabric (like denim) for binding on lightweight garments — it bulks at the edge.

Pre-made bias binding

For convenience, pre-made bias binding is available in fabric stores in standard widths and basic colours (white, black, beige, navy, red, plus some pastels and prints). Brands include Wright’s, Closet Core, and various imports.

Pre-made binding is fine for casual projects. The limitations:

• Limited colour matching to specific fabrics.
• Often polyester (less drapey than cotton).
• Standard widths only.
• More expensive per yard than self-made binding.

For specialized projects (garments where the binding needs to match the fabric, decorative bindings in unusual colours, heavier fabrics), making your own is the right choice.

What bias binding unlocks

Once you can make and apply bias binding:

• Bound necklines on tops, dresses, and tunics — much faster than facings.
• Bound armholes on sleeveless garments.
• Hong Kong finished seams inside tailored garments — see our Hong Kong finish guide.
• Bound hems on curved hems where folding is impractical.
• Decorative trim on any visible edge.
• Quilt binding — the same technique used to finish quilt edges.

Closing thought

Bias binding is one of the most useful intermediate techniques. It solves several finishing problems at once, transfers across many garment types, and the technique once learned applies to dozens of subsequent projects. Most home sewers, once they’ve made and applied bias binding successfully, never go back to facings for simple necklines.

The first batch of self-made bias binding is the slow part. The second batch goes faster. After three or four projects with self-made binding, the technique becomes routine.

For where bias binding fits in the broader intermediate skillset, see our complete intermediate techniques roadmap.