How to sew an Easy Self Binding Baby Blanket with Minky Plush Fabric

There’s nothing more comforting than a soft, snuggly blanket—especially for babies and toddlers. Minky plush fabric is so soft to touch, making it the perfect choice for a cozy baby quilt they’ll want to cuddle with all day long.

In this easy tutorial, I’ll show you how to use a self-binding technique where the Minky backing shows on the front, creating a beautiful 2 ½" border on the quilt. This method works great with any quilt top design, whether a simple whole cloth or a pieced pattern.

Don’t be intimidated by the idea of working with plush fabric or mitered corners. I’ve figured out a simple, beginner-friendly way to create neat, professional-looking mitered corners while showcasing that soft, plush border on the front.

Keep reading to learn the steps to self-bind a quilt with plush fabric, or click the link below to watch our video tutorial on YouTube.

Can you use flannel for quilt batting?

Yes! Flannel can be used instead of quilt batting in your quilts. Flannel quilts are thinner and lighter. 

The quilts made with flannel will roll up into a smaller size for storage or transport. The flannel still provides warmth to the quilt without the extra loft of the batting.

Do I need batting in my quilt?

No! As with most things when quilting, you can leave the batting out of a quilt or use a non-traditional quilt batting.  

The batting layer is added as an insulation layer. For quilts made with cotton tops and backing, this layer could be essential to provide more warmth. 

If you're making a summer quilt, you can choose to leave out the batting or use flannel or another layer of cotton as the batting. These would make a lighter summer quilt.

The batting layer is optional when using a non-traditional backing like Minky plush fabric, which is already heavy and warm.  These quilts would be quite warm without the batting layer.

WHAT YOU NEED to Self-bind a Baby Quilt

• Finished Quilt Top
• Batting or Flannel (optional)
• Plush or Minky Backing fabric 
• Long Ruler, Cutting Mat, and Rotary Cutter
• Square quilt ruler
• Sewing Machine 
• Basic Sewing Supplies

How do you sew a Minky self-binding baby blanket with mitered corners?

This tutorial assumes you have a quilt top finished or a piece of wholecloth fabric to use as the quilt top.  Another option is to use a panel!

I have made several quilts with plush backing, including the Green Vertical Stripe Quilt (free pattern), Woodland Animals Quilt, and Strip Quilt (free pattern).

Step 1: Cut Backing, Pin Baste & Quilt

Lay the Minky plush fabric with the wrong side facing up on a work surface.  Center the quilt top and batting (optional) on the plush fabric.  There should be a 6" overhang on all edges.

If you are using batting, cut it to be the same size as the quilt top before layering it with the plush backing. For this type of binding, the batting would be hard to trim later.

Pin baste and quilt the layers together in any way desired.  For the strip quilt below, I decided to quilt horizontal groups of three lines 1/2" apart and 2 1/2" between the groupings.

Step 2: Trim the plush fabric

Use the square and long rulers, mat, and rotary cutter to trim the Minky plush fabric 5" larger than the quilt top.

Step 3: Fold the Corners

Start in one corner.  Fold the plush fabric over the quilt top, overlapping by approximately 1/4".

Then, fold the other side of the corner in the same way overlapping the quilt top by 1/4".

Place a pin on each side of the fabric where it overlaps with the other fabric.  See the photo below for pin placement.  Only pin through the one layer of plush fabric.

Open the fabric and lay it flat. The two pins mark the triangle.

Step 4: Mark the Line

Using a quilt ruler and a fabric marker, mark a line between the two pins.

Step 5: Pin the Corner

Fold the plush fabric with the right sides together. Matching the end of the line on each side. It will be in the shape of a large triangular point.  Pin along the line.

Step 6: Sew the Corner

Sew along the marked line with a straight stitch and normal length.

Trim the triangle from the corner to 1/4" from the seam line.  

The first corner is finished.  When you turn the corner right side out, the fabric will have a beautifully mitered corner covering about 1/4" of the quilt top.Follow the same procedure to miter the other three corners. 

Step 7: Finish the Self-Binding

Turn all four corners right side out and lay the quilt on a flat work surface.  The backing fabric should naturally cover about 1/4" of the quilt top.

Pin the plush fabric around the quilt, covering 1/4" of the quilt top with the backing fabric. The photo below shows the overlap.

Zig-zag stitch over the edge of the Minky fabric to attach the backing to the quilt top.  This will finish the self-binding and complete the quilt.

I recommend using a walking foot to sew the zig-zag stitch. It will help to feed all of the layers of the quilt through evenly.  

The photo below shows the quilt's back. To make the zig-zag finishing stitch blend in with the quilt, use a thread color that matches the plush fabric. 

This is a very fast way to bind a quilt!

Here is another quilt with Minky self binding.

Some other Baby Quilts patterns you may be interested in are:

• Simple & Easy Baby Crib Quilt 
• DIY Baby Play Mat from an Alphabet Panel
• Baby Safari Panel Quilt
• Charm Pack Quilt
• I Spy Quilt
• My Little Pony Star Stream Quilt