When you are sewing strips together for binding, why sew the things together at a 45 degree angle instead of straight? Seems to me that you would save material if you sewed it straight.

ReRe

My understanding is that when your fold the strips over there is too much bulk if you sew them together straight.

So that when you fold it over you don't have to deal with so much bulk. If you sew it straight then you have 4 layers of fabric at the seam. When you sew it on, and fold it over you'd have 12. It would make a big bump in your binding.

The way I figure is...if you see someone who has cut it straight,then they are beginner quilters. If she did it on a 45 then she is an advanced quilter. LOL. I think is it prettier and also agree about seam bulk. You don't want to notice where you sew it together. Later Gator

Also, as it was explained in a class I took, sewing at an angle on both binding and when having to piece borders is preferable because the eye is more drawn to the straight seam lines, whereas the angled ones are less noticeable.

It is also a stronger seam.

Guess I'm a beginner who has been quilting for 20 years then, cause I always cut it straight. Just my preference. :?

I like to cut it at an angle. I don't like the bulk. I also like to do the endless seams on the binding. So I have no bulk all the way around the quilt.

I do whatever the fabric tells me to do. Some patterns really do not do well with a slanted seam and others do not do well with an angled seam. (And, sometimes I am so close on the amount of fabric I have that I have to use a straight seam in order for it to work!)

In general, I will use the slanted seam because it looks a little better usually.

As far as bulk is concerned, I press my joining seams open and I have never had an issue with bulk.

That being said, I make quilts to be used and loved - not to look at. That would make a difference, too.

Ditto.

:thumbup: And I don't notice any bulk.