Can anyone help me with mitred corners?
 

I am just finishing up my first quilt and I can't get my mitred corners to look right. I've watched lots of videos on Youtube and they make it look so simple. I follow step by step but when I fold them down at the corners it seems like there is too much fabric and batting underneath the quilt top that it won't make a nice flat corner. It look horrible. I can even see the back corner area bulging up when I look at it from the front side because it just seeems to me there is too much stuff under it. I have 1/4" seam allowance the entire way around so I don't think it can be that. If anyone would have any ideas on how to remedy this I would be very grateful. Thanks
By the way, this is the first time I have ever posted a thread also. If I did it wrong or something isn't right I apologize. It wasn't intentional.

As I have learned in the last 7 days, as I am new to this too, is that there is no right or wrong. No question is stupid (or so I'm told LOL) so not to worry about that. While I can't help you with your corners as I am working on them myself, I can tell you that there are a host of wonderful people who can and who will answer you very soon. Good luck! Oh and what you think is horrible may not really be. We are most critical of ourselves. I know I am. :)

Did you trim your back and batting and top so they are all the same? There should be no batting showing. I am sure someone can help you. I am rather new also and someone here always has the answer. Good luck with the corners.

I trim the batting a tiny bit and learned from you tube. I found watching it a few times helpful, as I did not get it all from one preview. I liked the Eleanor Burns You Tube tutorial the best.

I have trimmed the batting a bit closer. However, since I hate mitering anyway, I make all of my quilts with rounded corners now and use bias binding. No mitering-I love it. And as a bonus, the bias binding goes on more nicely. If you do want to miter (sometimes I have to on non quilt projects) bias binding also miters a lot more easily IMO.

1- make sure backing n batting are cut even with front.
2- sew to 1\4 inch of end . Cut thread. Turn quilt. Fold binding straight up then fold down there is a step by step tutorial on you tube may seem bulky at first. cut corners after sewing. there is also a link on this site to a guy who sews to 1\4 inch of end but then turns and sews 45 degree to corner. he says gives you perfect corners. i just did lap quilt 2 corners the way I ususally do it and 2 his way to compare. havent sewn it to back yet though. good luck. pm me if you need more help!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]429646[/ATTACH]I use Hobbs 80/20 batt and I get a nice corner. They do have a little more bulk than the rest of the quilt. I use a pin to help with doing the fold in the back for hand sewing. I will see if I can post a picture but don't look at the weird fabrics as they are out of the scrap bin.

First, congratulations on finishing your first quilt. Binding takes a lot of practice
to get it right. So don't be too hard on yourself. What kind of batting did you use?
If it's polyester it tends to fluff up more. Also, did you square up your
quilt before applying the binding? If the corners are not perfectly square you
won't get nice mitred corners. And my favorite tip when stitching the binding
is to stop just about one short stitch before the 45 degree line. If you go
over...there goes your mitre. Here's an excellent tutorial on binding.
http://pileofabric.com/2013/08/06/ma...ecise-binding/
Practice, make lots of potholders, placemats and study each corner carefully and
you will learn how to get it right. BTW, my mitres are not always perfect but I
think I've improved over time.

Thank you so much for your encouragement. I see you are from PA. I've only lived down here in TN for going on five years now. I was born and raised in PA, had my kids there, and now my kids and grandkids are there. If you don't mind my asking, what part are you from? I'm just so homesick and I miss my kids. I'm from York County. Thanks again.

Thanks for the encouragement. I did a table runner, my first project, and I had the same problem. Like you said I'm sure someone can help me out. And happy quilting :)

Thanks for the encouragement. Yes, some of my batting is sticking out further than the quilt top. Maybe I can trim it back and see if that helps. And I'm definitely going to watch Eleanor Burns. Everyone has been so kind to me. I don't feel so helpless anymore. Thanks again :)

I've never seen a Youtube video showing how to make rounded corners. I'll have to check that out. Thanks for the info. I really appreciate it :)

Hi and thanks for helping. What do you mean when you said cut corners after sewing? I sewed to 1/4 inch of end and then I did the 45 degree angle to corner like you were talking about. The video I was following told me to do it that way. It just seems every time I sit down at my machine and start to sew something happens like a needle breaking or I lose my screwdriver to change my presser foot or I sew a crooked line and have to rip it out. It just gets a little discouraging and I just want this project to be done. Sorry for complaining. I just get so frustrated. Please let me know how you make out with the 45 degree angle to the corner. Thanks again

Yours looks so perfect. There's no way my big bulky mess would lay down that easily and nicely. I'll keep looking on Youtube. I'm so tempted to rip off all of the binding that I sewed and recut everything and maybe even cut off more of the batting so I have less between quilt top and backing. But then I think if there is a quick simple fix...which I doubt I will be that lucky....then I will have gone to all that trouble for nothing. Thank you so much for your help and your pics. You gave me encouragement that there really is a way to do it but I just have to find out how the right way is.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. I am using 100 percent cotton batting. I'm afraid that my quilt may not be square and like you said that could be the problem. Do you think I should rip off my binding and square up my quilt and then try again? I really don't know what to do. I'm going to watch the tutorial from the link you sent me and see if I can pick up on something I haven't already seen on the other videos. Thanks again :)

I'm new to the board myself so first, welcome, you came to the right place, people are fantastic here. If you take a picture and upload it perhaps someone who is more knowledgable than I will be able to better advise you before you go ripping out your work. Look under QB Help and the instructions for uploading are there. Don't be discouraged!