Sometime back I posted that I was having a problem with getting a nice mitered corner in the binding of my lapthrows. Well, you all were so kind of give me many ideas and show me places where I could find good videos on how to do this. I read over the many comments and watched the videos several times thinking that I was doing just what you all told me to do. Then, all of a sudden, Bingo, the light came on as I watched Leah Day's video again. I stopped it at the time when she was making the mitered corner and finally picked up on where exactly she was starting when she turned the corner. Now, mind you, she mentions as did all of you that you start 1/4" from the edge if that is your seam allowance, but for some reason I kept thinking she was talking about making sure you were sewing 1/4" from the edge you were sewing and not starting 1/4" from the top edge where the binding is folded down. Duh, how stupid can you get. Anyway, I have been practicing and now I can make pretty good mitered corners. Not perfect, but pretty darn good. I just love this board for all the help we can get on almost any subject.

Just to let you all know, all the time I was starting my sewing at the very edge of the folded down strip not the seam allowance away.

Yay...so glad you have figured it out :D

when i stop at 1/4 from the edge and pivot, i then fold my binding even with the raw edge of the quilt and i actually start sewing just off the quilt edge.
some quilters tell you to start again right on the 1/4 area where you stopped before pivoting. it's hard to do. sometimes if you mis-judge you end up with a little space that isn't sewn down when you turn the binding toward the backing.
so i started sewing while off the quilt and no problems like that since.

I agree! Never worked for me until I learned to pivot, then start right at the folded edge. In fact I've since learned to fold the binding down so just the very edge of the quilt is visible above the fold.

I put the needle just inside the edge to catch all the layers. I then have that secured to make sure the folds are correct 45 degree and line up.

What exactly do you mean by "sewing off the quilt"?

I had never used binding before but had read many things on here on how to do it and finally tried it on Saturday and I have to say, I'm pretty happy with my corners!
Granted, it's probably mostly beginners luck...

Well that explains a lot of my issues. I had never thought about starting from the seam allowance. thank you!

some directions say to stop 1/4 inch from corner, pivot your quilt to do the next side. then to put your needle into the binding at exactly 1/4 spot where you stopped before. it's difficult to do since you folded your binding.
so i do my pivot and start sewing just above the fold-which is "off" the quilt.
and another quilter is right, the fold can be just a tad below the raw edge of your quilt, just so you can see it peeking out. not much. this helps you catch that corner.
that way your stitches sew that corner well and when you fold your binding toward the back, you don't have any unsewn area peeking out at you. most frustrating to have to go back and hand sew those.
http://quilting.about.com/od/binding..._binding_2.htm
see #3 is what i mean, they say to start right where you left off? i start above that-off the quilt, then onto it.