Mitered Vs. Square End Corners on Binding
03-30-2018, 01:55 PM
#42
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: West Texas
Posts: 2,073
You asked originally why mitered corners are often considered preferable. My answer is to look at picture frames. Most have mitered corners. Some don't, but in my mind the mitered ones look more sophisticated. Just an opinion.
03-31-2018, 04:18 AM
#43
Super Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Sunny Florida
Posts: 4,434
I do my binding a bit different. I use 2 1/2" strip. I don't press it first as I like a more gentle fold when attaching it by hand in a final step. I use 3/8" seam allowance. By doing so I need to stop 3/8" from the corner instead of 1/4". You always stop the distance of the seam allowance from the corner. The trick to nice miters is in the folding of the corner. First fold the binding at a 45 degree angle making sure it is straight with the edge you are going to sew next. Having it straight is the key. When you fold the strip down then make sure the fold is even with the edge of the quilt you just sewed the binding on.
I don't struggle with long bindings. Even when I would audition my bindings that I had sewn together I always seemed to end up with a join too close to a corner. I now join my binding strips (at a mitered 45 degree) as I go along. It does mean more starting and stopping however I can now control where that seam is. If it's going to end up too close to a corner I just put it farther away. I no longer have to spend time auditioning my binding nor struggle with the long lengths that get tangled etc. So much easier.
I don't struggle with long bindings. Even when I would audition my bindings that I had sewn together I always seemed to end up with a join too close to a corner. I now join my binding strips (at a mitered 45 degree) as I go along. It does mean more starting and stopping however I can now control where that seam is. If it's going to end up too close to a corner I just put it farther away. I no longer have to spend time auditioning my binding nor struggle with the long lengths that get tangled etc. So much easier.
03-31-2018, 09:46 AM
#44
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
How to that works for me-
First I always use bias binding. It is more forgiving of my limitations. To sew a corner- Sew to the 1/4” mark at the corner. I do actually stop about 4” from the end of the side, and Mark where my 1/4” dot would be, (Mark it by spinning a pencil on the spot) then put it back under the needle, and sew to the dot. When you get to the dot, leave the needle down in fabric, (take your foot off the foot pedal for safety) and turn the fabric and then reverse sew off the fabric to the corner and off the fabric. Cut thread at this point. (Sewing off at the corner makes a better miter for me). Now lay your loose binding at a 45 degree angle to the right side (think right side only of a “T”) and holding a skewer (or other skinny straight tool) at the edge of the fabric, and fold the binding back over itself. Now the binding should be laying along the new side. If not, fidget a bit until it is. Strarting off the fabric, I sew along the new edge for about six inches. Cut thread, and check to see that your binding will flip nicely to the back and show a nice miter on the right side. If it does, you can continue sewing that side, if not unsew and try again. This is easier to practicing either on a small quilt, or as I did, I used a piece of prequilted fabric (garage sale left overs from another sewer). (I bought it just to practice on. If I messed it up, no hard work lost. I just cut about eight inch squares to practice on.) spend an afternoon just making metered corner binding until you find how it will work for you. Trying to learn to do miter on an actual hard won, hand made, quilt sandwich, and knowing how much I can “slip” with the seam ripper, I used this method. Now I can just stitch to the quarter inch, fold and start stitching again, and no worries.
FYI- I make nice bindings on all of my quilts now, but it took lots practice and the knowledge that bias bindings do not get sloppy and oversized when I turn to sew them down. None of the uneven tucking I had to do on the first two I did with straight grain binding. Others make fabulous straight grain binding everyday, but it just did not work for me. I learned a “ fold and cut” method for cutting bias binding, so it is easy for me. Keep trying. : )
First I always use bias binding. It is more forgiving of my limitations. To sew a corner- Sew to the 1/4” mark at the corner. I do actually stop about 4” from the end of the side, and Mark where my 1/4” dot would be, (Mark it by spinning a pencil on the spot) then put it back under the needle, and sew to the dot. When you get to the dot, leave the needle down in fabric, (take your foot off the foot pedal for safety) and turn the fabric and then reverse sew off the fabric to the corner and off the fabric. Cut thread at this point. (Sewing off at the corner makes a better miter for me). Now lay your loose binding at a 45 degree angle to the right side (think right side only of a “T”) and holding a skewer (or other skinny straight tool) at the edge of the fabric, and fold the binding back over itself. Now the binding should be laying along the new side. If not, fidget a bit until it is. Strarting off the fabric, I sew along the new edge for about six inches. Cut thread, and check to see that your binding will flip nicely to the back and show a nice miter on the right side. If it does, you can continue sewing that side, if not unsew and try again. This is easier to practicing either on a small quilt, or as I did, I used a piece of prequilted fabric (garage sale left overs from another sewer). (I bought it just to practice on. If I messed it up, no hard work lost. I just cut about eight inch squares to practice on.) spend an afternoon just making metered corner binding until you find how it will work for you. Trying to learn to do miter on an actual hard won, hand made, quilt sandwich, and knowing how much I can “slip” with the seam ripper, I used this method. Now I can just stitch to the quarter inch, fold and start stitching again, and no worries.
FYI- I make nice bindings on all of my quilts now, but it took lots practice and the knowledge that bias bindings do not get sloppy and oversized when I turn to sew them down. None of the uneven tucking I had to do on the first two I did with straight grain binding. Others make fabulous straight grain binding everyday, but it just did not work for me. I learned a “ fold and cut” method for cutting bias binding, so it is easy for me. Keep trying. : )
Last edited by madamekelly; 03-31-2018 at 09:52 AM.
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