How to edge your garments with ribbon – two simple methods

A common way to finish garments—especially for children's clothing—is by using binding. The first time I came across it was when I was heavily pregnant and decided to sew a little wrap bodysuit for my soon-to-be-born son. I had never bound a garment before, and naturally, the first attempt turned out to be a bit of a disaster. Binding isn't easy, but with a bit of practice, it doesn’t have to be a painful experience either.

For a while, I attached my bindings by hand, but with two newborns at home, I eventually switched to using a binding attachment. Just like my first binding experience, it was tricky in the beginning—until I got the hang of it.

If you’ve never tried binding before, I recommend starting with necklines and sleeve openings to build confidence with the technique. Attempting a bodysuit as your very first binding project—with all its curves—might just kill your enthusiasm altogether. In the examples below, I’ll demonstrate binding a neckline, but the same method and technique can be applied to any area you're binding.

Method 1: Binding by Hand

The first thing you need to do is sew one of the shoulder seams on your garment. That means one shoulder is sewn and the other is left open. When binding by hand, it's helpful to know exactly how much binding you’ll need, so you’ll want to measure the full neckline. The easiest way to measure a curved edge is by laying a piece of string along the neckline. Once you’ve done that, mark the point where the neckline ends, then measure the string itself.

In this case, the neckline measured 43.5 cm. If you're using regular jersey fabric for the binding, you'll need about 85% of that length for your binding strip. I also like to add a few extra centimeters on each end to allow for a neat finish. If you’re using rib knit instead, you’ll need about 75% of the neckline length, since rib knit tends to be stretchier than jersey.

In this example, I added 3 cm on each side, so the calculation looked like this:
43.5 × 0.85 = 37 cm
37 cm + 6 cm = 43 cm total binding length.

A good binding width is around 3.5 cm.

When cutting binding strips from regular jersey fabric, I usually fold the fabric several times and use the bottom edge, where I often have the full width available—especially when binding something like a bodysuit that requires longer strips. I start by trimming off any rolled edges before measuring 3.5 cm in height and marking it with tailor’s chalk. Then I cut through all the fabric layers at once.

Next, I unfold the binding and measure out 43 cm in my case. Then I mark 2 cm at each end of the strip using pins—these are the ends I’ll use later to attach and finish the binding.

Now it's time to start pinning the binding to the shirt. I begin by attaching one end of the open shoulder so that it lines up with the pin marking—this way, about 3 cm of binding extends beyond the edge on both sides. Then I do the same on the other end, pinning it to the opposite shoulder seam at the second marking.

Next, I stretch and distribute the binding evenly while pinning it in place. On tighter curves, like the front neckline, you’ll need to stretch the binding a bit more. On straighter sections, like the back neckline, stretch it a little less. Since the front neckline is longer than the back, you may need slightly more of the binding there.

It’s a bit of a balancing act to know how much to stretch and where—and it might take a little practice and a touch of patience to get it just right.

Then, sew along the edge using a stretch stitch if you're using a domestic sewing machine, or serge it if you're using an overlock machine. As you sew, it’s important to gently stretch the fabric to smooth out any wrinkles in the neckline of the shirt.

Once you’ve sewn the binding, it should look something like this. Now it’s time to fold the binding.

Step 1: Fold the fabric down in the same way as when you first attached the binding.

Step 2. Then fold the binding up. If you're using an overlock machine, you may need to fold it up slightly less than usual, since an overlock seam is much narrower than a seam sewn on a domestic machine.

Step 3. Next, fold down the small remaining edge on the back side and pin it in place. Then repeat these three steps along the entire edge, doing your best to keep the binding as even as possible.

Once the entire neckline is pinned, it’s time to sew the binding.

I usually use a twin needle on my regular sewing machine, but if you prefer not to, you can also sew along the edge with a zigzag stitch using a single needle designed for knit fabrics.

I usually increase the stitch length slightly before sewing with the twin needle. In my experience, this gives the binding a neater finish. This is what it looks like when it’s finished. However, there may sometimes be a bit of excess fabric left inside the neckline—when that happens, I usually trim it away. Be careful when trimming not to accidentally cut into the main fabric. Using an appliqué scissor can help—it has a larger blade that protects the seam and prevents accidental cuts.

Method 2: Binding with a Binder Attachment

I switched to using a binder attachment to speed things up and, more importantly, to get a more even result. I found one that works with a domestic sewing machine, and I attach it using adhesive putty. It took a little while to get the hang of it, but once I figured out how to sew for the best result, it became a very efficient tool that simplified the process quite a bit.

When sewing clothes, it's best to use a double-fold binder (three-fold). This creates a clean outer side and a slightly less tidy inner side, which is meant to be hidden inside the garment. If you're sewing items like blankets and want a neat finish on both sides, a clean-finish binder (four-fold) is a better option.

When threading the binder attachment, I usually trim a small notch at the beginning of the strip to form a triangle—this makes it easier to insert. The binding should be positioned with the wrong side facing you. This might look a bit strange at first, especially if you're using a patterned fabric, since the white (wrong) side will be visible as you feed it through. But once the binding is pulled through, you'll see that the right side ends up on the outside of the garment.

If the fabric is difficult to push through, you can use a pin to gently help guide it forward.

Then I attach the binder to my domestic sewing machine using adhesive putty to keep it in the correct position.

I then feed the fabric through and start sewing. For deep inward curves on the garment—like a neckline—I bunch the garment slightly so the curve becomes as straight as possible, without creating wrinkles underneath the binding. For outward curves—like the crotch area on a bodysuit—I stretch the fabric outward to keep the edge as straight as possible while binding.

Now the binding is in place using this method.

Securing the Binding (regardless of the method used)

To create a neat finish and to strengthen the seam, I usually secure the binding at the end. This applies whether you've attached the binding by hand or used a binder attachment.

Sew the shoulder seam. If you're using a regular sewing machine, you can sew straight through in one go. If you're using an overlock machine, I recommend leaving about a centimeter before the binding starts and sewing that section with a domestic machine instead. To make it easier, you can use a fabric glue pen to temporarily hold the binding ends together before stitching the seam.

Then fold the excess binding toward the back of the garment and pin it in place. Stitch straight across the binding, back and forth a couple of times to secure it.

Once it's sewn, trim off the excess binding as close to the seam as possible.

Now the binding is complete.