carol45

Do some of you hand sew, or not sew at all, the mitered corners on your quilt bindings? I see that Sharon Schamber sews both the front and the back of the miter lines as she's sewing the back of the binding to the quilt. It seems to be that once the binding is sewn down on the front and the back, the miters aren't going to open. Any opinions?

akrogirl

I am no expert, but I do hand sew the mitered corners. I just think it is a neater look plus, that way, nothing can get caught and rip my less than ideal hand stitching on the back. It also gives me the opportunity to finagle my corners a little ;-)

kwiltkrazy

When you are sewing on your border you create the miter by bringing your binding up at a 90degree angle from the top of your quilt, then you fold it down, to run along the next side of the quilt. I forgot to say that you stop sewing 1/4inch from the end of the quilt, and startup again 1/4 inch from the edge. Gives you wonderful miters when you fold the binding around to the back.

roselady

I don't know if I have always sewed the miter down, but I have on all my recent quilts. It looks so much nicer, more finished, and it isn't that much harder to do.

carol45

I was referring to when the border is already sewn on, as you describe. Then some people hand sew the 45 deg miter lines as akrogirl said she does.

gale

When I hand stitch the border I do but if I machine stitch it, I don't.

justwannaquilt

Yes I sew mine closed when I hand sew on binding.

amma

They can distort over time if they are not sewn down :D:D:D

earthwalker

I do on some, but not on others...just made a rail fence for my son and stitched the mitres....thought it might help it last longer and wouldn't catch or rip if he took it in his vehicle.

sewbizgirl

On the one I just finished, I did hand sew the miters closed, because I was following a tute by Sharon Schamber and she said she hand sews the miters last. They looked like they weren't going anywhere, but akrogirl makes a good point that nothing can catch and tear them if they are sewn closed.
I got great results by starching and using glue, as Sharon said to in her tute... Nice smooth perfect binding and no puckers!