Changing binding at corners?
 

Hi, everyone - I am hoping for some advice on a quilt I'm basting now. The recipient wanted a different border fabric for each side, which actually looks way better than I thought it would. The binding is already cut to match each border, which will make for a subtle effect, but how on earth am I going to round the corners, much less miter them, with a seam right at that spot? That sounds like something one would normally avoid.

I have way more tops pieced than quilted, so I don't have much binding experience to fall back on. Thanks for any ideas you can send my way. :)

Hugs,
Charlotte

You are absolutely correct. You always want to avoid having a seam allowance put there. Hope someone can help you. Not sure if you press you seams open if that would help at all.

I saw a lady do a different ( to me) binding. Sorry I didn't catch the name of the tecq. Here what she did & I can see this work for you. She sewed on her binding from corner to corner. When she started she pressed the edge of her binding about 1/2 inch, then folded her binding, to make a double fold. Just before she got to the corner she cut the binding. Then folded her edge under. At this point you would change your color of binding. Hopefully someone knows what this style is called. I'm not to good at explaining what i mean. But I know this would work for you.

There is a binding tool out that does this in a square edge and it is very easy. I use this often because it closes the entire mitered corner nicely. If you go to www.animasquilts.com you can see a video demo. It is out of Eureka, MT.
It is called a "Binding Miter Tool". Someone demo'd this at quilt chapter one night and the local quilt shop ordered a bunch for us the next day. I just love it. And highly recommend it. Good luck.

I've actually done what true4uca is talking about.....don't sew your bindings together....bind each side separately......I did mine by leaving a tail of binding at the beginning of each side. The next side's beginning covers the raw edge ending of the previous side...... once i had the binding stitched on, i turned that tail under - making the "corner" before i started hand stitching the binding to the back. Hope this makes sense. So many things are easy to DO than to TELL !!!

Thanks for the idea, True4uca, but I can't visualize what you're describing. I'm sure your explanation was perfectly fine. Maybe you will think of the name of the technique, or someone else will.

If this weren't for a child with a fine art degree, I would never be going there. But mothers are mothers, and I really want it to turn out great for her.

hugs,
Charlotte, who will likely regard all future quilts as surprises

Thanks, PenniF. That helps a bit. At least I now know not to seam it ahead and hope the join lands at the corner (my original plan). I'll try a sample corner out tomorrow. Sometimes it helps to be fiddling with the pieces while I read the words. I'm also going to watch the binding tool video (thanks, ragamuffin!) to see how it might be used for this. It sounds like a good tool to have.

Hugs,
Charlotte

Here is a video. The longer sides will cover the very corner with the long side color. You would rather have that than have to deal with seams right at the corners if you try to miter there. Just tell her that is the way it works. No options! (trust me on this!!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pndIO3qM2GQ

Soccertxi, thanks so much for the link to the video. I could actually follow it. :). I can see Tartan's approach working in this situation as well.

I am sure there are others who are learning along with me here (although most are probably smarter than to agree to 4 different colors). :).

Hugs,
Charlotte