Mitered Vs. Square End Corners on Binding
 

I'm not very good at making mitered corners, even though I've watched tons of how-to videos and even had a friend who is a seasoned quilter come over and help me. So, I can do it, quasi-acceptably by my standards, but I don't enjoy it. I've recently had two lovely quilts, perhaps the best work I've done to date, that have just been returned to me (they are gifts) from my long-arm quilter. The binding for both quilts is cut, ready to be put on --for two weeks now! Why am i procrastinating? Because I Dread struggling with mitering the corners and really don't want to call my friend to supervise me again. But, But...shouldn't I really, really make mitered corners for these because it would be, what, more professional looking?????

Now, my square end corners? Perfect. Every single time. Neat as a pin. And it doesn't stress me out. Still - Real quilters don't use square end corners, do they, at least not on nice quilts that are gifts, right?

So, tell me, dear quilters, Why are mitered corners the preferred method when attaching binding?

Thanks!

It's a process for sure to get those corners perfect!

If you can do square corners you can do mitered corners. Yes, you can. I wonder where in the process you are struggling.

How wide do you cut the binding? What stitch width are you using? Do you attach to front or back? Do you stitch off the corners at a 45 degree and then fold the binding.

No problems here with square corners if that works for you. Enjoy the process and please no stress! Good luck!

Do whatever makes you happy. But if it were me, I would want to figure out why I'm having so much trouble with mitred corners. I think you wind up with less bulk in the corners when they are mitred.

My daughter does square corners and they look great. But I prefer mitered, so find some good directions, print them and take them to the machine with you. I sat with a book with pictures laying on my lap for the first four or five quilts until the process was ingrained in my mind.

I miter some corners and not others. I'm not sure I think either is preferable. If I was stressing out as much as you are, I'd forget about mitered corners. This is meant to be fun. It's not worth the stress.

If you struggle with mitered binding and your square end binding is perfect every time then do the square. There is no reason to stress yourself like that when you do an excellent job with another method. Nobody is the "boss of you" in this instance. Quilting should not make you miserable.

To answer your question, of WHY mitered corners are preferred - I think the reason is that diagonal lines are less noticeably in long strips than horizontal or vertical lines. So, a mitered corner binding, at a bit of distance, gives the illusion of being a nearly seamless frame around the outside of your quilt. The eye picks up on horizontal and and vertical lines more easily, so one can spot the seams at a greater distance.

If I was being given a quilt as a gift, I would completely happy to receive it with square end corner binding (especially if it's neatly done). Don't be afraid to do square end corner bindings if that makes the project more enjoyable for you!

Are they the preferred method? Not for me.

You poor thing! I hate to see you suffer. So first of all there are no rules, do it any way you want. But if you want a perfect mitered binding do not call a friend for the tenth time, I know that is embarrassing. Call Sharon Schambers on you tube, she goes so slow with every step you can sew while you watch and not back up. She is so detailed, you won't miss a step. But most of all she is patient, forgiving, and always there for you! And my bindings always turn out perfect. Even the connecting end is simple easy and perfect. You will lover her too. This is the website:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE

The wider the binding the easier the miter. I like using 6" strips for binding. It ends up being 3" wide. It adds such drama to quilts. Make the border to accommodate the extra width or add one for the binding to cover if no border. Once you see how easy a wide miter can be the little 1/2 miter will be a cinch.

I have never made mitered corners in my whole life. Do not even know how. Never had any complaints from people that I gave them to. :)

The binding is cut 2 1/2" and pressed, folded. I use either 2.0 or 2.5 stitch setting. I attach to the front --and lately I have been finishing the back side of the binding by hand stitching; I think it looks neater. I do stitch off at the corners at the 45 degree angle and then fold the binding. On the two quilts I've have mitered before, they were well done because my friend was here guiding me. On the last one I did, by myself, three of the corners were fine, but the forth one just didn't lay as well, I guess, as the others. It isn't noticeable from the front, but it doesn't look quite right from the back.

You know, I think what it is that bothers me the most, actually, is dealing with ALL THAT LENGTH! My friend suggested I do as she does: she puts the sewn together long binding strip into a tissue box and just pulls it out as she goes.

Another problem, I guess, is that I don't always have a whole lot of extra fabric left over; I basically buy what I need. So, if I mess this up, I can't just run out and buy more of the exact fabric I'm using of the binding. P

Perhaps I just worry too much...

Well, on these two particular quilts, I guess I will miter -and break down and call my friend; I don't on ones I keep for myself or one's I've made for charity. Maybe I will feel more comfortable after I get these done, but I am with you -no one has ever complained about my square cut corners...

Yes. I'm going to have the best of the videos I've found right beside me!

True, but it is the principle of the matter. I've only been quilting for a couple of years -well, not quite three yet, and I started out knowing NOTHING! So, I challenge myself. The last quilt I made -a wall-hanging, is the King's Crown quilt pattern, pieced with Moda Civil War Reproduction fabrics. I wanted to make it as a challenge to myself because of the many points that have to meet. I try to learn a new quilt pattern fairly frequently; the one I did before that was a Disappearing Nine-Patch -because I wanted to learn how to do it. So, I guess I would feel like a quitter if I don't master the mitered corner technique; I don't think I'm every really going to want to ALWAYS use it though. I honestly don't like it all that much -I don't think it looks as neat as the square corners. Time will tell...THANKS for your input!

I think you are right about the point that there is less bulk with mitered corners, and that may, indeed, be why so many prefer it. I don't have much bulk at all with my square corners, though, because I use a very thin batting: 1/8" polyester batting called Soft n' Bright by the Warm Company. It is really a nice batting, and I don't care for bulky quilts.

Thanks for your input!

I think you are right about that -do what makes me happy and not what causes me stress. Still, these two specific quilts, unless I wake up and change my mind, will be mitered. I feel a phone call to my friend to come hold my hand is imminent...

Thanks for the encouragement!

Thanks! I will DEFINITELY check this out!

Wow, I actually would NEVER have thought of this. I thought EVERYONE made their binding 2 1/2" folded! I will try this on a future project. Thanks!

sounds like you want to conquer this challenge and are ready to "git'er done" . I had very similar problems--seemed to be able to miter 3 of the 4 corners. Some tips that have helped me: 1) if you aren't confident on your 1/4" stopping point before the corner, measure and pin it. 2) when you get to that point, either stop and backstitch, or turn and stitch to the corner. 3) when you do the fold up at 45 degree angle and then back down, make sure you have the edges on the left matching so that it's lined up straight (this is where I would mess up). 4) after you make the fold and are starting the next line of stitching, back stitch only to about one stitch below the top edge, not up into the extra bat/back you may have left to fill that binding. 5)when I'm stitching to the back, I snip off the extra bat I've left at the corner. Since I've been doing these things (given to me by a real master quilter) I manage to get all 4 corners looking pretty darn good! Good luck

Binding can be any width. The quilts in the big shows in the last few years seem to have nontraditional bindings. I always look at the bindings on the winning quilts. Some are not filled, some are stuffed, some are attached in odd ways.

I can do mitered corners and they look good BUT I hate binding a quilt. That's the worst part for me. So, I sew the binding on the front and my GF does the rest for $20.00 A barga
in in my book and she likes doing it.

Watch Eleanor burns of quilt in a day video on youtube....you can conquer this challenge!

First and foremost, quilting is supposed to be fun. If you are not having a good time, then something is wrong. I struggled with mitered bindings when I first started to quilt. But since I can't stand having something get the best of me, I played around till I got good at mitered bindings. Make pot holders or place mats, and practice practice practice. I can watch videos over and over, but doing it is the only way I can learn. And I have a trick for my lengths of binding. I bought a stand toilet paper holder, put a cardboard tube on it. Then I roll up my binding neatly with a 5 or 6" center and slip it onto the cardboard tube. I sit the TP stand on the floor next to my machine and let the binding roll off as I need it. No more twists and knots in the binding. It's good for some laughs when people see it sitting there waiting to be used, but when they see how well it works for me they stop laughing.

I do my binding a bit different. I use 2 1/2" strip. I don't press it first as I like a more gentle fold when attaching it by hand in a final step. I use 3/8" seam allowance. By doing so I need to stop 3/8" from the corner instead of 1/4". You always stop the distance of the seam allowance from the corner. The trick to nice miters is in the folding of the corner. First fold the binding at a 45 degree angle making sure it is straight with the edge you are going to sew next. Having it straight is the key. When you fold the strip down then make sure the fold is even with the edge of the quilt you just sewed the binding on.
I don't struggle with long bindings. Even when I would audition my bindings that I had sewn together I always seemed to end up with a join too close to a corner. I now join my binding strips (at a mitered 45 degree) as I go along. It does mean more starting and stopping however I can now control where that seam is. If it's going to end up too close to a corner I just put it farther away. I no longer have to spend time auditioning my binding nor struggle with the long lengths that get tangled etc. So much easier.

I have a quilting friend who has a great deal of trouble with mitered corner bindings. Her mother taught her the 'square corner' method. When she has given me quilted gifts, she always apologizes for the binding I treasure her gifts and would be disappointed if they were finished any other way. It speaks of her history.

Either mitered or square work. But I do think it would be good to figure out the problem and work through it so that you would have the choice of what you want to do and not settle for less than you desire. I do think that some quilts almost demand a visual mitered corner treatment, and, for other quilts it just doesn't matter which choice you make.

I do mitres, but I think you do what suits you, if mitres not your thing,don’t do them, your quilt your rules x

I don't like them either and do square ones. I think many if not most in my area do square ones. The ones in my sewing bee at my house do. I know because I taught them. Hahahaha Do whatever suits you except when you plan to enter in a competition.

So funny because I was taught there on how to quilt and they taught me square. LOL

My preference is if I do square corners on borders then I do square binding. Metered corners on borders then get metered binding. Also Sharon Scamber is fantastic and the glue tecnique is the way to go and definitely get her glue tips. No pins and no basting. Good luck on any way you decide.

If you're happy doing them your way and they look good then I wouldn't worry about it.

I like mitering binding corners. I have started making my bindings 2" which works for me. I stitch to the front and hand sew to the back. But the funny thing is a lot of times three corners go really well and I have to come to terms with the fourth corner, haha. The ladies I quilt with once a week also say that sometimes that fourth corner gives them problems too. I have a better homes and gardens quilting book and it has color pictures and I found it very helpful but there's lots on line too

Another option is curved corners.:D

I have to find a video everytime. When I get close to a corner, I stop watch the video, rewatch the first step, pause video, sew, watch next step, pause video, sew, etc. I do this for each corner because I cannot remember from one corner to the next. 😂

I do the curve corners a lot. I use a saucer to make a gentle curve, just enough to clip off the corner. I like the look of the curve better then the miter.

I have the same problem. I just can't do mitered corners. Books, videos, people have showed me, dozens of times, but my brain just doesn't work that way. I gave up years ago. My square ones are what you're going to get. Sorry.

Please don't be anguished about this. Enjoy!