How To Sew Bindings In Clothing As Decoration | Bind Clothes Seams

Binding is a decorative technique in dressmaking, and it is used to finish cut edges in a neatly manner. Bindings can also mean a method whereby thinner fabrics are wrapped and stitched around cut edges.

Bindings in fashion is an easy way to finish heavier fabrics cut edges. Fabrics to be used in bindings should be thin, closely woven or strong. Do not use stretchy fabrics for binding. Any fabric that is used on jersey clothes as binding is not used as a decorative effect, but to stop the fabric from stretching.

There are many fabrics that you can use as bindings. You can use cotton fabrics, poplin, velveteen, lawn, woollen or cotton mixtures, lightweight silks plus others. You should try to perform s small experiment to know if the binding should be straight or curved.

In order to make straight binding, you can use almost any fabric that has the right weight. Curved binding should be cut on the cross and a suitable fabric used.

There are four parts in cutting bindings. There is the binding part which will show on the right side as a finished binding. There is another binding of the same size that will show on the wrong side. The remaining two are the two seam allowances that will be hidden.

After you have decided on the finished width of the binding, double it and add two times the required seam allowances. Many times, the seam allowance is less than the finished binding width or they are the same.

• Place the open right side of the binding edge near the wrong side of the main fabric edge
• Pin or tack in place. From the edge of the binding, stitch the required amount
• Make sure the binding lies over the seam allowance of the main fabric
• Press the binding seam allowance over the edge of the wrong side of the main fabric. Make the edge of the binding to lie along the stitching line and tack in place.
• Stitch the second right edge of the binding on the right side of the same main fabric

If you have stitched the seam allowances accurately, it should be able to lie flat. The neatest method to use to apply binding is to topstitch very close to the binding edge.

To stitch a cut bindings on clothes, it is better to choose a method that will make the binding looks neat on both the right and wrong sides of the fabric, if either side is shown.

You can buy ready made bindings from any haberdashers. They are very easy to use as they do not need any neatening. This means that the edges are finished and ready folded. The type of binding materials you can choose from range from smooth to rough, flat, thick or thin, bulky, glossy or dull.

The real with binding is finding the right color as they are mainly made in the primary colors such as grey, red, white, black or blue. You can dye the bindings to get the color that you feel can go with the garment or clothes you are making.

Before you dye any fabric as well as bindings, find out what the binding is made of, because dyes react differently to different fibers. Know that if you cannot find a nice binding color to go with the garment you want to stitch on, it is a good idea to cut the binding from a good fabric.

• Ready made bindings are usually folded in half. Place the center to be at the rough edge of the main fabric.
• Pin the first half to the wrong side of the main fabric and stitch
• Pin the second half to the right side of the main fabric and stitch

To stitch the ready made bindings effectively, wrap the bindings over the cut edge of the main fabric and stitch the bindings not so near the edge of the fabric.