In the beginning days of your quilt journey, every single step of the quilt-making process is new and kind of confusing. This holds together the edges of the quilt top, batting, and quilt backing, keeping them from fraying or coming apart in other ways. 5. Sew straight through the corner of your quilt. Hopefully, that wasn’t as painful as you thought it was going to be! 8. 7. The reason we are stitching them diagonally is that there will be fewer layers to sew through when we are attaching the binding to the quilt. If the quilt top is skewed, fold back the other two layers and use a rotary ruler to very carefully square up the quilt. Miter the second corner as you did the first and continue sewing along the third side of the quilt. Get DIY project ideas and easy-to-follow crafts to help you spruce up your space. ?❤️? Continue sewing the binding to the side of the quilt. A Modern Guide to Quilting: Tips, Tricks, Patterns + How-tos. Pin the quilt binding to the side of the quilt or align it as you sew. Instructions are printed right on the tool. I’ll have to try this on the next one… I’ve always machine sewn one side, and then hand sewn the other side, because I’ve never quite been able to get the hang of finishing it off nicely with the machine. Rotate your quilt 45-degrees. Place a ruler on the fabric at a 45-degree angle and draw a light pencil line across the fabric. I should apologize for using a binding that the right and wrong sides of the fabric aren't obvious. So, how did you do when you tried to create a mitered corner in your quilt binding? The 45-degree angle should be intact under the fold. Posted on Wednesday, April 11, 2012by Juliette Esper with 4 comments. I am absolutely obsessed with Modern Quilting. Leave your needle down. This will create a 45-degree angle with your other binding strip/. I have so many tutorials already posted and I’m adding new ones all the time If you have a suggestion or a question, please contact me and let me know! How to get a mitered corner when binding with bias tape Step 1 Keep the bias tape (The smaller side of the bias tape)on top of the fabric along the edge, both right sides together. Lay the unfolded ending tail under the angled beginning tail. Here’s how to achieve beautiful mitered … Once you get to the corner, stop at 1/4″ away from the bottom and backstitch to secure the seam. You get the gold sticky star the rest of us wish we had , Hi, I’m Christen! Sew bias to the second side of fabric Pin the bias tape to the second side of the square. Flip your quilt over. (Start in the middle of one of the sides of your quilt). Take care not to distort the seam allowance. Fold the corners into neat miters on the front and back as you reach them—the miters will form almost automatically. Silk or silk-like binding can create an attractive finish on a blanket. Packaged woven binding often features a lengthwise fold that creates a narrow width and a wider width. Yes, yes, this is how I so it . With one strip on top of the other, mark a … Thank You! When making larger blankets, I use more than one package of blanket binding so your technique will allow me to hide the connecting blanket binding seams within two of the mitered corners. Fold your binding line down where the raw edges of the fabric match up with the raw edge of your trimmed quilt.Notice in the photo how the folded edge aligns with the top edge of the quilt? Your corners are amazing! This is how to miter sew two strips of fabric together for an almost invisible seam. There are many different ways to bind a quilt. 2. 3. I’ve always machine sewn one side, and then done the other by hand because I can’t seem to get the hang of finishing everything off nicely with the machine! So say goodbye to complicated measuring, confusing angles, and binding that doesn't fit. Carefully remove excess batting and backing by trimming those layers to meet the raw edge created by the quilt binding and quilt top. Fold the unsewn tail of quilt binding straight up, positioning it so that its right edge is parallel with the next side of the quilt to be bound. The 45-degree angle should be intact under the fold. but it’s not reeeealy turning out the way yours does, lol! It does take practice and really learning how to manipulate that fabric to bend to your every wish but you can totally do it. Take your quilt off the machine and flip your fabric up along the 45-degree line you’ve just sewn. You’ll want to make sure the first fabric that you folded down stays in place so you can create that 45-degree angle in your second fabric. There are many out there! Pin the quilt binding to the side of the quilt or align it as you sew. A sloppy quilt binding is just giving up when you’re so close to the end of making a beautiful quilt! Once you have sewn the seam, trim it to ¼” and press open. just make sure you have it tucked in tight! When you've worked your way around the quilt and are nearing the starting point, stop the sewing machine, needle down. I am going to try to show you with lots of pictures and briefer written explanation how to make perfect mitered corners when you are sewing binding on your work. Stop sewing before you reach the corner of the quilt, ending the seam the same distance from the approaching quilt edge as the width of the seam allowance. 4 10 Bindings Clean finish quilt edge if necessary Narrow 3-Thread serged finish 11 Bindings Checking the Seam Allowance 12 Bindings. Now take your long strip to your ironing board and iron those seams you just stitched open. Disclosure: To maintain this website, some of the links in the post above may be affiliate links. I’m going to show you how to create a mitered corner in your quilt binding. Following that rule is the most important thing you can do to create perfect mitered corners.). (They actually are amazing all over your sewing room! Step-by-step Guide To Sew A Mitered Corner Binding By Attaching The Binding Take two binding strips and lay them on each other at 90-degree angles. 1. It is actually really easy once you know the steps. (Read More). Lift the presser foot and refold the binding lengthwise again, aligning both edges of the strip evenly with the edge of the quilt. Do you need to work with your fabric a little bit more? Sew the binding ends together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. We’re going to use this to make mitered corners, using an old trick. Take the binding strips and make one long strip by sewing them together with 45-degree angled seams. Oh, and lots of free stuff too! It should cover the seam you used to attach the binding. As you reach the next corner, repeat all the steps above. NOTE: I use a 2.5″ Binding strip to start out with. Framework for a Creativity Audit – How to plan for more creativity. I believe in you! (So don’t panic when you see all the photos below… I just like to be thorough in my tutorials!). 11. Treat remaining corners in the same way. Making Mitered Corners. Today's tip is just one more way to bind a quilt. Regardless, I only recommend products or services that use personally and/or believe will add value to your quilting skills or life. Snip the threads and remove the potholder from the machine. Great advice! Let me know in the comments. You’ll know that you’ve got it right when the edges of your folded fabric line up perfectly. Join binding ends using your favorite method. Well, let me correct that statement. Creating a mitered corner in your quilt binding is a really important step to learn! After the quilt sandwich is complete, narrow fabric sewn around the outer edges makes up its binding. ), 9. Stop ¼ inch away from the corner. ​(Many instructions tell you to end the seam 1/4 inch from the edge, which is fine if you are sewing with a 1/4-inch seam allowance but isn't correct for narrower or wider seams that are appropriate for quilts with borders. Sew two to four stitches where the first seam ended, and then sew a backstitch to the beginning of that seam. It can be used on huge variety of projects- from clothing to household items. I have written this tutorial using my own quilt, pictures and notes. Begin stitching the binding about 6" from the point. The hem looks wonderful with no bulk on the corners. I know I'm a year late to thank you but just had the occasion for using the mitered binding technique. …Voila! Don't forget to iron the seam flat before moving on to make sure your design looks right. Also how to join the end binding together with the beginning with the diagonal seam also called an invisible seam. Sign up for the ISEESTARSQUILTING newsletter and get weekly emails with content not seen anywhere else. Stitch from the lower right corner of the overlapped binding at a 45ºdegree angle to top of the binding. Mitered corner binding. Unfold and make a 45-degree cut at the end of the beginning tail of quilt binding. The corner should be pointing … Sew the binding to the quilt with a ¼ inch seam, remembering to leave the beginning tail unsewn. 4. Stitch along that line and trim down to ¼” seam. I have been making blankets with satin binding for the past 17 years but your technique of hiding the seam and the zigzag stitch on the mitered corners adds the perfect professional touch. This short instructional video shows how to keep your sewing table neat, and your miter seams precise. If you know what it is called, hit me up in the comments!). Use a blindstitch and matching thread to secure the angled fold to the tucked-in strip. This type of cut and sewn miter is often used in border construction. Sew the quilt binding to the side of the quilt, leaving the beginning tail free. Leave your needle down. I like to use my seam ripper or the other end of my seam ripper which has a pointy end (the official name for this tool escapes me at the moment. To do this, fold binding up (or away from you) at a 45 degree angle; then, fold binding down (or towards you) so raw edges of binding are even with raw edge of quilt. It worked great! When you get toward the end of the edge to be bound, leave your last pin a little further back more than your seam allowance of the next seam to be bound (in this case, the seam allowance is 1/2″, so you will make sure your pin is a little further back than this. Do a quick alignment around the rest of the quilt, without pinning, to make sure no seam allowances within the quilt binding will end up at a corner of the quilt, where seams would create too much bulk. The seam should be sewn from the upper left corner of the bottom piece to the lower right corner of the top piece. In general, no finish is as professional and sturdy as a double fold binding with mitered corners. Be sure to remove only tiny slices of the quilt so that edges do not become uneven. I like to use homemade binding which I cut 3" wide and fold in half, I sew the raw edge to the back of the quilt and pull the binding over and neatly machine stitch it on front. Start by laying the strips at a 90-degree angle with the right sides together. End the seam the same distance from the next corner as you did for the first. Once you've double checked the length and positioning (no twists) of the binding you can trim the mitered finish to a 1/4" seam allowance. Begin sewing your binding to the BACK of your quilt. STEP 2 – How To Sew Mitered Corners On Binding Be very careful when squaring up a quilt edged in quilt blocks, because removing the outer 1/4-inch seam allowance will chop off the edges of those blocks, no matter what type of binding you use. Janet is the author of the Rodale book "Classic American Quilt Collection: Stars" and has contributed to dozens of other books and patterns as both a writer and editor. Pull the binding seam allowance back to reveal the little triangle fold of fabric from the binding. Gently pull the quilt out and fold the binding to make mitered corners. I do not trim the batting. Were you successful? I have in the past when I was learning how tog et the best corners and I just found that it never allowed them to be really square. Keep at it. In this method the fabric edges are turned to the back of the fabric ( or the front for a border like effect). Position the binding about half way down the side of the quilt. This technique is one of the basic how-tos, when it comes to finishing raw edges with a bias tape. I make ALL my bindings 2 1/2" wide. Leave an approximate 3-inch unpinned tail of quilt binding at the beginning, then pin several inches of binding to the quilt, moving toward its corner. Continue sewing the quilt binding to the quilt, stopping to miter each corner, as explained earlier. Then I can think about a full size one. Seriously, after you’ve worked so hard on the piecing and all the quilting and who knows how many times you had to pull out the seam ripper?! I sure you’ve notices the excess you have on each corner of your blanket. Fold the fabric diagonally, as shown, the wrong sides together. Do you trim the batting back? The tool measures 2-1/2" x 8-1/2". ISeeStarsQuilting is where I share my tips tricks and tutorials for modern quilting as well as how to love life and live it creatively & passionately well. Do not let the stitches travel through all layers, as they would be visible on the front of the quilt. It might take a little practicing to get the mitered corner perfect, but you can do it! Coax the lower edge of the strip to form a 45-degree angle. The strip is narrow since it's for a miniature quilt with thin batting. Do this on all four corners. Try squaring up the top by simply smoothing it with your fingers, easing corners and edges into a better position. This method produces a little bulk where binding strips are joined, but the bulk is not excessive and the method is quick and easy to accomplish. Trim away the excess ending tail, leaving enough length to tuck into the opening created by the starting tail. Holding the fabric in place, the next thing you want to do is to fold the top fabric over. By definition, a sewn miter is a seam created with fabrics cut at an angle. 12 ways for finishing seams; In this tutorial I’ll show you how to make mitered corners using the first method and I’ll come back with the second method on a different tutorial. If the binding encases all four sides of the blanket, folding a mitered corner can provide a neat, geometric look. What are mitered corners? This is the most preferred method of finishing the edges of napkins, blankets, bedspreads etc. Hi Patti! Pinch the quilt to keep the layers from moving and put the quilt back in your sewing machine. Trim excess fabric, leaving about 1/4 inch past the diagonal fold. Sew them together at the seams angling at 45 degrees to make them one long strip. Luckily, Marianne Fons is on Quilty today to demonstrate her favorite corner binding technique. Place the angled tails right sides together, offsetting their angled ends by 1/4 inch. Tuesday Tip - Invisible Join Binding with Mitered Corners - Start to Finish Yet, another binding technique! Start stitching on the first fold mark ( as you have done earlier for the visible binding) Sew two to four stitches where the first seam ended, and then sew a backstitch to the beginning of that seam. (EDIT: check out the second method here) But if you’re completely new to mitered corners, let’s take a moment and shed some light so you don’t feel like a total newbie! You'll need space above the binding to complete the mitered finish. So, that’s progress! Now it is time to fold the binding around the edges. Create a continuous binding strip that's about 25 inches longer than the distance around all four corners of the quilt. It details out step by step – the whole binding process! Repeat this step until all your strips are sewn together. . I LOVE it. Tuck it all the way flat up in the corner. Finger Press or Iron Press the seam open Lay the binding along the raw edge and finish sewing it to the back of the quilt with a 1/4" seam allowance being sure to pickup a few stitches into where you stopped and started. It does take a little practice to get the feel of how to manipulate the fabric, but I assure you that it gets easier with each quilt you create! When you're sewing quilt binding to the last side, end the seam four to six inches from the original starting point, less for miniatures, and then backstitch. Sew the quilt binding to the back of the quilt. I like to use these Wonder Clips to hold everything in place while I sew. Starting about one-third of the distance between two corners, align the raw edge of one end of the binding with the raw edge of the quilt top, right sides together. Unfold one end of the double-fold quilt binding before sewing it to the quilt. Repeat until 4 your quilt corners are sewn. To fold your quilt corner into a mitered corner, you’ll want to fold in one side of the binding like the photo below. Mark a line on the ending tail alongside the angled cut, then add a 1/2-inch seam allowance past the line and trim on the line. 6. Sew a few backstitches, cut threads and remove the quilt from the machine. Sew the bias to the second side, starting right near the edge of the fabric, in the corner you just mitered. Fold the quilt back out of the way, and trim that small triangle away by cutting just next to your stitching line. Trim excess binding, leaving a tail that's long enough to overlap the first unsewn tail by about four inches. In the binding seam allowance, snip along the top fold of the binding up to the stitching line. For the purpose of this tutorial I’m going to assume you understand how to prepare binding strips for your project and attach the binding to your quilt edges. 10. Sew your binding on the front using your sewing machine – or- you can sew it on by hand if you prefer! Wider strips will look slightly different when folded. But I’m not giving up! Your technique works wonderful with my home-made binding as well. Rotate your quilt 45-degrees. It’s actually very easy to join those two binding strips with a mitered seam that will eliminate the bulk and make your starting and ending point invisible. . Fold the blanket at on of the corners so the seam touch and the edges of the excess fabric ( fabric 2) meet. Folding the corners in when sewing on your bias binding or facing is called “Mitering”, so they are called “Mitered Corners”. . Sew all the way around the quilt. The extra layer adds durability to a quilt's edges. It’s called an awl. Step 16: Hand stitch the binding in place.Continue the hand stitching into the mitered corner to hold everything in place. 1. It takes practice to make it second nature… I have had many a wonky corner in my sewing days! Sew the same 1/4″ stitch line all the way down until you get to the next corner. Great advice – I will try this on the next one! Begin sewing your binding to the BACK of your quilt. For more tutorials and ideas for basic quilting tasks, check out my blog category Quilting 101. Fold the binding down, leaving the top of the fold flush with the edge of the quilt top behind it and its raw edge aligned with the next side of the quilt. 3 stitches will do. Again, your tips are invaluable! If you find a seam allowance at a corner, change the starting point of the binding and recheck. Stop at the pin mark, take a few backstitches and cut the threads. By using The Spruce Crafts, you accept our, Miter the Binding at a Corner of the Quilt, Alternative Binding Method With a Tucked Start and Finish, Sew Tucked Quilt Binding Strip to the Quilt, Use This Easy Method to Make Quilt Binding Strips, How to Measure and Sew Borders to a Quilt, How to Make Quilt Backing From Any Fabric, How to Use a Rotary Cutter to Cut Fabrics. Backstitch. BINDING - FINAL SEAM - MITERED JOIN Honestly it has taken me years, many classes, many tutorials before I tried this mitred final seam join! Alternatively, glue baste the binding to the back (ensuring it extends past the seam line where the binding was stitched to the front), and stitch in the ditch from the front of the quilt to catch the back binding in the seam. 12. Align the right edge of the opened binding strip along one side of the quilt, as explained in the previous instructions. Bias Tape and Mitered Corners- Tutorial. Awesome progress on your Christmas quilts! Those seams will look a lot less bulky. NOTE: I use a 2.5″ Binding strip to start out with. Seam strips with a mitered seam 9 Bindings Trim Seam to ¼” Press seam open Press Binding in half lengthwise. She has published over 350+ articles for The Spruce Crafts. When you come close to the corner of your quilt, stop sewing 1/4″ from the edge of the quilt. Some quilters go back and take a few invisible stitches in the front of each mitered corner after the quilt is finished. First of all, if you aren’t comfortable with sewing on your binding with a machine yet, you need to watch this video. In fact, all three of us here at Sew Kind of Wonderful, bind our quilts just a little different from each other. The Spruce Crafts uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. Copyright © 2021 | ISEESTARSQUILTING LLC | PRIVACY POLICY. Trim the quilt sandwich to remove excess batting and backing. Use the seam allowance you chose when you made the quilt binding. Mine seem to be very bulky and are hard to square up. http://QNNtv.com/quilty: Mary hates binding. Leave at least 6" of the binding un-stitched (pin but don't stitch) and begin stitching with a 1/4" seam allowance. Some sewing machine presser feet have markings that help you know when you are a specific distance from an approaching edge, which is helpful. Unfold, and sew to the quilt, beginning at the angled tip and sewing through only one layer of the strip. Refold the quilt binding, then pin and sew the remainder to the quilt. Fold the strip lengthwise again and pin-mark it one inch or so beyond the point where it becomes two layers again. I managed to get one corner to turn out perfect on my last quilt. Fold the binding in half, align it to the edge of the project and finish sewing it all the way down. Start sewing the binding close to the bottom edge of the potholder, using a 1/4″ seam allowance. STAY UP-TO-DATE ON #ALLTHETHINGS | You're about to get so much FREE information on how to become a better quilter! Start sewing where the first seam ended. So many to choose from! Quilt binding can be sewn to the quilt in several ways, and one method uses continuous double-fold strips of fabric, which are long fabric strips folded in half to create a double layer before sewing. Keeping the 45-degree line tucked under. This special quilting tool is designed to help you bring together the last 2 pieces of binding in a perfect, mitered seam. This is my interpretation of the technique. The corner should be pointing towards you. Starting along the side, take the folded edge of the double-fold binding to the reverse side of the quilt. It is the exact steps that I go through for every quilt binding that I sew. One Christmas baby snuggle quilt done, one top done, 2 more to go. It does take practice, Tina… you’re right, but once you get it down, you won’t even have to think about it anymore… it’ll just be second nature. Continue sewing the binding to the side of the quilt. Realign the quilt binding with the quilt and sew through all layers to finish attaching it, ending the seam just past the beginning of the first seam. <3, Filed Under: Start Here - Quilting 101, Tutorials. Mitered binding corners are neater and more durable. (Start in the middle of one of the sides of your quilt) 2. Here's a tidy way to start and finish your double-fold quilt binding: The third strip on the right in the photo shows you how the strip looks when re-folded. You marvel over details of beautiful stitching and perfectly matched pieces! Join 10,000+ Quilters in this growing community! Check the initial seam to make sure it extends well underneath the folded, angled binding edge that now rests on top. When you come close to the corner of your quilt, stop sewing 1/4″ from the edge of the quilt. 3. Use a sharp needle or something similar to sew the folded edge of the quilt binding to the quilt backing with a blind-stitch (such as you would use in needle turn applique). Here is a post on how to fold a mitered corner. How to Create A Mitered Corner In You Quilt Binding. Use a matching thread or any thread that blends with your fabric. Now it’s time to make the mitered corners. Follow The Binding Tool's easy instructions to get a perfect ending every time. PS – The pointy end? My original tutorial on this subject, Joining Binding in 3 Easy Steps, is my #1 viewed tutorial, which tells me the binding struggle is real.And what I'm showing you today is such an awesome technique, it bears repeating. Here is another angle of the same folded corner. 2012By Juliette Esper with 4 comments you chose when you tried to create 45-degree. 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