Quilting Mitred Corners
I have just finished another quilt by quilting mitred corners. You might believe the quilting myth that mitred corners are difficult. They are not. Until this week I was totally unaware that many quilters believe there is only one way to achieve a mitred corner. The continuous strip method – almost every quilter that ever lived has done a YouTube video on this. It might still be the best way but it relies on
a) quilting to the back first
b) either hand stitching or machine stitching neatly to the front
c) relies on you folding the fabric perfectly so that your corner is not too tight
d) some quilters still opt to cut binding on this bias for this method, others don’t, I belong to the latter for this type of binding – you are not doing a curve.
So if you are not skilful at those things, your faults are easily spotted on the front.
Flange Method
My queries were prompted by doing a flange binding for the first time. Again the continuous method is all over the internet. Few quilters can fail to be familiar with it. Yet, everyone I asked without fail seemed to ignore my particular problem. I had not started my binding with a continuous strip but with 4 separate strips, one for each border, and sewn to the back. For some reason I thought this would come to the front without problem, it does not. Maybe with a lot of effort, being brave to cut a quarter inch seam, it would work.
However I was disconcerted that quilters were happy to state that continuous strip was the only method for mitred corners and it is impossible to get a neat mitred corner any other way. With a flange yes, but with ordinary binding it is possible to use 4 strips and get perfect mitred corners.
Quilting Mitred Corners With 4 Strips
Just like mitred borders. This easy and fool proof method ensures
a) accurate corners
b) strips sewn to the front
c) hand sewn to the back
Simple cut lengths long enough to allow for the mitred corner.
Machine sew each of the four lengths to the front of the quilt, starting and stopping one quarter inch from the end. Either work out your angle, or use a Binding Buddy Ruler. Cut your mitres. Take the two corners together, fold the quilt. Place it in position, where the last stitch was and stitch.
More Tutorials
More tutorials can be found here
Words work and images copyright Karen Platt 2019