I am trying to make this cute "easy" table runner for fall, but these corners are a mess! I am almost in tears! I should have just put binding on it and forgotten the mitered border. Any pointers on mitering corners? :cry:

I can't offer any advice because I tend to stay away from them myself. No matter how carefully I do them, they seem to develop a wave in the border. I do the corners that are sewn straight across the bottom of the adjacent border or add cornerstones. Maybe someone else will come to your rescue. Good Luck!

I am not brave enough to even think about mitering borders.

http://tutorials.missouriquiltco.com/....watch "how to bind your quilt" under Introduction to Quilting. Once you do it a couple of times...you will be a pro. There are also several tutorials here on the qb that would be helpful. Just do a search for Binding or Mitered corners under tutorials. Don't give up!

I should have been smart like you!!! LOL! :oops:

I think it was Fons & Porter that had a very easy way to do them...don't give up! I am sure there is a tute out there.

The way they did it was to make the border longer than the edge,,,sew them on but leave 1/4" on each corner then fold the 2 border fabrics right sides together and sew from the corner to the angled point...too hard to describe, but it works. Don't give up!

Look on you tube. If needed use a dab of glue!! You can do it! Once u get the first few it will be a snap!

I sat at the sewing machine with a Fons & Porter quilting book open on my lap when I did my first good mitered binding last winter. Now they are easy.

Mitered corners in the sashing may be a different problem. I've done one, but it was a print - now I have a piano key border that will have to mitered. Yikes!

There are a couple of good tutorials on this board on mitering borders.

I tried mitered borders for the first time the other day. I went to the Missouri Quilt Company and watched their video. After that it was easy peasy, not perfect but oh so close.

Hang in there!! I have never mitered a border, so I can't offer anything but encouragement. Don't let these sassy borders get the best of you!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Glue them exactly how you want them then sew. Sometimes I glue then hand stitch the miter closed.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...t=0&FORM=LKVR1

Maybe this will help.

I agree. I had never mitered corners before seeing this tutorial and now my mitered corners look so good.

Keep on trying - I don't remember which method finally worked for me - but if I can master it - anybody can - you can do it - just keep trying - it really is easy once you get it. I sort of made my own way of doing it and it works for me. Good luck and we are all supporting you in your efforts.

check sharon schambers site 4 tut

This is what I check out every so often to insure I do it right!

After quilting a couple hundred quilts (or more!) I've come to the conclusion that mitered corners are just not worth it UNLESS there is a design element in the fabric that requires it. I've seen mitered corners in solid fabrics and they really don't add to the quilt, even if done well. Save your energies for things that show and matter.

I did multiple mitered corners on my very first quilt. You can do it!! I suggest the Fons and Porter site, but there might be others. If you are concerned about 'wrecking' your quilt, try doing it on a placemat sized fabric.

You tube..Sharon Shamber...fantastic tutorial...

Mitered borders can be tricky, but they really do make the quilt look great IMHO. Watch a tutorial and try again on a small piece. Good luck. I want to do them on a wallpaper stripe border, but I've been putting it off for about a year.

I do them all the time. Once you do them following a good guide, they hare not at all hard. Not every set of instructions, however, says you MUST press and starch or size well before you start. You need to leave slightly more than the border width beyond the stopping point on each side.

My instructions from my wonderful teacher were to 1. sew to 1/4" from the edge on each side. 2. Fold the body of the quilt on the diagonal, so that one border is exactly over the other. 3. Use your 45* mark on your ruler to cut both borders at once, being sure to leave your seam allowance. 4. Pin carefully. 5. Sew from the inside out.

They do get tricky if you want to line up patterns of border prints, so do the basics on the first go.

I guess it takes practice but mine never turn out good.

There is a whole lot of difference between mitering "binding" and mitering "borders".

Mitered borders are worth the effort...maybe practice on a small piece before adding to a quilt. I don't do them all the time, but there are certain fabrics that they really are necessary...like when using a stripe border. They make a quilt look so "professional"...like a mitered frame on a picture. Keep trying!

As others have said, dont give up. Once you find "your" method you will be soooo happy. They really are not difficult. And in some cases they are the crowning touch.

Mitered Corners are very easy once you can relax a bit and not over think them. Go to YouTube and google Mitered corners.
There wa a post on the QB a few weeks ago but I found it to intense the YouTube is much easier. and you don't cut your corners until after you've mited them. Way Easy!

I follow similar rules, but I a) leave extra fabric on all 4 borders until after the miter is complete and b) use the 45º angle line on my ruler to mark the sewing line, not the cutting line. Then I baste on the line from the corner out, check it for accuracy, stitch it (or rip and try again), trim the seam, and it's done. By leaving the extra fabric, you get one or more do-overs for free and by basting the line first, if you need to rip, it's just basting. ;)

How do you bind your quilts without mitering the corners?

I think you confusing mitered Corners with Binding, Mitered Borders not binding

A couple weeks ago I posted my easy mitered border method. I had hated doing miters for just the reasons you've stated but decided there had to be a way and a way to match stripes at corners. This was my fist posting:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159462-1.htm

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159494-1.htm

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159715-1.htm

Once I determined the method, I find that I can miter corners just as quickly and definitely with effective results ever single time. It always works. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

A couple weeks ago I posted my easy mitered border method. I had hated doing miters for just the reasons you've stated but decided there had to be a way and a way to match stripes at corners. This was my postings:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159462-1.htm

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159494-1.htm

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-159715-1.htm

Once I determined the method, I find that I can miter corners just as quickly and definitely with effective results ever single time. It always works. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

To miter a piano key border, just take four pieces that are 1 inch longer than your border will be wide (6" wide border would mean four 7" long pieces) and make half-square triangles. Make sure strips go in same direction.

This will help! :) [pdf format - download & print]

No, I'm not confused. I simply asked how do you bind quilts without mitering the corners.

Mitered binding or corners? Both are not hard to do, accuracy important.

Mitered corners are falling-off-a-log easy. There is no cutting, measuring or fussing until you have your miter sewn. I have a tutorial (very basic) on my outdated blog. All you need is a 1/4" mark on both directions, an iron and a couple of pins. Look to see if you can figure it out - if not, e-mail me and I'll walk you thru it! It really is easy!!

http://irishlakequilter.blogspot.com...d-corners.html

I think we all had "mitered borders on the brain".

I watched a "sewing with nancy" this past sat. (on PBS) and she had this really nifty little piece of plastic you lay on a corner of your fabric and it helps you make the most perfect (really, perfect!) mitred corner you ever saw! It can be used to make a really thin edge to one as deep as a a satin edge on a wool blanket.
I cannot remember the name :-( , but if you look up her sewing catalog I'm sure she sells it. ) sharet

I found an easy way to make miter corners banding and really helped me understand and take the fear out for me. I will try to find the instructions or draw it out but do not know how to add it to this forum. you can send me a pm.

www.sew4home.com

look for bedding pillow sham. it is a pathwork with white flange. it is very good at understanding miters, flanges etc.

I don't know if I can explain this well enough for anyone to understand but here is how I do my corners. after you have sewn the first edge of the border on I press then turn over then stitch almost to a corner -pull the binding at the corner straight in then fold over the stitched side then the other side and the it looks like a mitered corner-the sew around till you get to the next corner and repeat.
Heck--I don't know if I could follow those instructions or not. Sorry.