ube quilting

All the above posts are right on target. Either bias or straight grain is okay.

One thing to check before you actually sew binding on is to lay it on the quilt edge and check where your seams lie. You don't want them to end up at a corner so you may have to shift the binding one direction or another to accomodate this. I know from that little thing called experience!
peace :D

ewecansew

Just a question....what would happen if a person cut the binding on a slight angle, not bias, not straight? I don't know the answer, just wondering about better wear than straight cut.????

hopetoquilt

I do not cut on the bias. I just cut across the grain. I made a quilt for my son for preschool. It has been run through the washing machine and dryer every friday for 2 years and dragged around and folded a million times at the preschool. Still looks great! The only thing that is deteriorating slightly is the store bought iron on applique.

Prism99

You could do this. It would be cutting on the bias, but not on the true bias, so you would still have some of the difficulties associated with bias strips -- i.e., stretching.

Bias binding really is stronger than straight-grain binding. This is because the exposed edge, which gets the most wear, has multiple threads bearing the strain with a bias cut. On a straight-grain cut, the stress at the edge is being born by just a few strands of thread running the entire length of the binding.

However, straight-grain binding is easier to handle and to attach to a quilt without getting distortion or stretching. That is one reason why so many of us use straight-grain binding. My quilts are not heirloom-quality quilts designed to be handed down for generations in my family, so I don't care if the binding wears out a little sooner; if someone still wants the quilt by that time, they can replace the binding.

Whether cutting binding on the grain, off the grain, or on the bias, it helps a *lot* to heavily starch the fabric before cutting the strips. Starch stabilizes fabric so there is much less chance of getting distortion or stretching while applying the binding.

skippitydodahquilts

I've done several scrappy bindings and I do the 'Disappearing Triangle' technique shown here -

http://www.heatherbailey.typepad.com...ing/index.html

Click on the link "Enter Gallery" for instructions.