Mitre corners on a self-binding quilt can add a touch of elegance and professionalism to your sewing project. This technique involves cutting and sewing the corners of your quilt binding at a 45-degree angle, creating a neat, mitered corner. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you master this skill and enhance your quilting prowess.
Before we dive into the process, ensure you have the necessary tools and materials. You'll need a rotary cutter, a self-healing cutting mat, a quilting ruler, a sewing machine, and, of course, your quilt and binding fabric.
Preparing Your Quilt and Binding
Begin by ensuring your quilt is square and all edges are straight. This will make the mitering process much easier. Next, measure and cut your binding strips. For a typical quilt, you'll need two strips, each measuring the width of your quilt plus 10 inches, to allow for overlap and mitering.
Press your binding strips in half, wrong sides together, creating a crease down the center. This will help you keep your binding aligned as you sew.
Attaching the Binding
Start by sewing one of the binding strips to the top edge of your quilt, right sides together. Stitch along the crease you pressed earlier, leaving about 2-3 inches unsewn at each corner. Repeat this process for the bottom edge of your quilt.
Now, it's time to miter the corners. Before you start, ensure your quilt is laid out flat and smooth, with the binding strips hanging over the edges at the corners.
Mitering the Corners
At each corner, fold the binding up, so the raw edges meet. You should now have a small triangle of binding fabric at the corner. Using your quilting ruler, draw a line from the point of the triangle to the opposite corner of the quilt, creating a 45-degree angle.
Cut along this line, creating a 45-degree cut on the binding. Unfold the binding and press the seam open. Repeat this process for all four corners of your quilt.
Sewing the Mitered Corners
Starting at one of the mitered corners, fold the binding back over the edge of the quilt, right sides together. Align the edge of the binding with the edge of the quilt, and the mitered edge with the corner of the quilt. Pin in place.
Using your sewing machine, stitch along the edge of the binding, sewing through both layers of the binding and the quilt. Stop sewing about 1/4 inch before you reach the corner. Backstitch to secure your stitches, then trim the excess binding from the corner.
Finishing the Binding
Continue sewing the binding around the quilt, mitering each corner in the same manner. When you reach the starting point, overlap the binding by about 1/4 inch, and stitch in place. Trim any excess binding.
Press the binding away from the quilt, then fold it over to the back, enclosing the raw edges. Topstitch in place, using a blind hem stitch or a simple straight stitch.
Congratulations! You've successfully mitered the corners on your self-binding quilt. This technique not only adds a professional touch to your quilts but also helps prevent fraying and wear. Now that you've mastered this skill, you can incorporate mitered corners into all your future quilting projects.