Mastering mitred corners on quilt binding is a game-changer for any quilter, elevating your finished projects from amateur to professional. This technique, also known as "French corners," creates a crisp, clean corner on your binding, making your quilts look polished and well-made. Let's dive into the step-by-step process of creating mitred corners on your quilt binding.
Before we begin, ensure you have the right tools and materials. You'll need your quilt, binding strips, a rotary cutter, a cutting mat, a quilting ruler, a sewing machine with a walking foot, and some pins. Let's start by preparing our binding strips.
Preparing Your Binding Strips
Binding strips are typically 2.5 to 2.75 inches wide, depending on your desired binding width. Cut your strips from your chosen fabric, ensuring they're long enough to go around your quilt plus an extra 10 to 12 inches for mitres.
Once cut, press your binding strips in half, wrong sides together, creating a crease down the center. This will help you keep your binding strip aligned as you work.
Attaching the Binding to Your Quilt
Begin in the middle of one side of your quilt. Align the raw edge of your binding with the raw edge of your quilt, right sides together. Sew along this edge, leaving a ¼ inch seam allowance. Stop sewing about 3 inches from the corner.
At this point, you'll create your first mitre. Fold your binding up at the corner, aligning the raw edges. The fold should be at a 45-degree angle. Press this mitre in place, then continue sewing along the quilt edge, stopping 3 inches from the next corner.
Creating the Mitred Corners
To create a mitred corner, fold the binding up at the corner, aligning the raw edges. The fold should be at a 45-degree angle. Press this mitre in place. Repeat this process on all four corners of your quilt.
Once all mitres are pressed, continue sewing along the quilt edge, stopping 3 inches from the next corner. Repeat this process until you've sewn all the way around your quilt, meeting up with your starting point.
Finishing the Binding
At your starting point, overlap the binding by about 1 inch. Trim the excess binding, leaving a ¼ inch seam allowance. Fold the binding over to the back of the quilt, enclosing the raw edges. Press the binding in place.
Now, topstitch the binding in place, using a ¼ inch seam allowance. This will secure your binding and give your quilt a professional finish. And there you have it - a beautifully bound quilt with mitred corners!
Practice makes perfect with mitred corners. Don't be discouraged if your first few attempts aren't perfect. Keep practicing, and you'll soon be creating stunning mitred corners on all your quilts. Happy quilting!