question on mitered corneos on binding
 

Do you trim your corners after sewing your binding on? I have watched all the videos I can find on quilt binding mitered corners and they all show the side you sew. I am having trouble with one of my corners not coming out right. Does anyone else have this problem. I have practiced on scraps just trying to get it right. I am so confused right now. How do you turn them after sewing so they lay down right. Any body have any help or suggestions I would love to hear them. I usually put a pin in it and make sure I have the right seam allowance and make sure I fold it back right before I continue to sew. I hope this makes sense to you. I need all help and suggestions, I love the people on this board . You Ladies and gents rock. thank you for anything you can think of.

what is happening with the corner that "doesn't come out right"? Have you checked your seam allowance both for coming into the corner as well as the next seam. How far did you come down to the end of the eam. Stop a couple stitches before you come to the seam allowance at the corner. this will leave a bit of space for the fold in your binding.
Usually the reason for corner not coming out right is irregular seam allowance. Also make sure the fold is exact 45 degree angle hwn you fold for the next seam.

I usually don't trim the corner. However, sometime just take a small clip at the corner. If for some reason the corner is too bulky with batting I will shave a bit of binding out.
I don't clip much at the corner.

I agree with Holice. It sounds like the problem is the way the corners are being made. Here is a video on how to make the mitered corners that may help. I haven't watched the entire thing so I'm not sure if it shows the corners being turned, but if the corners are sewn correctly they turn very easily when you are ready to sew the other side of the binding. Hope this helps.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...ail&FORM=VIRE1

If the seam where you sewed the binding strips together end up at a corner, it is really hard to make a good miter. I do trim the corners on occasion if I am having a hard time, but not as a rule of thumb.

Thanks for the tutorial link, I noted that I didn't start sewing from the edge after the fold, I will have to try that the next time. I also start my binding in the lower part of a the quilt rather than the corner. That part in the video surprised me, I think it is easy to finish the binding if it is on the straight rather than a corner. How do others do this?

I always start/end my binding on the straight edge, not the corner... just think it is easier that way

Did you know you can fold your corners one way or the other? I have found that one way will lay down nicer, so I try both. Someplace I read, that if the top miter folds one way, the bottom will lay flatter the other. I'm not sure if that has been the case with me, but it sound good! Here is a link to my blog that has pictures to show what I am talking about:


http://bzyqltr.blogspot.com/2008/04/...-lesson-2.html

I think Amanda over at crazymomquilts has a great step by step with pictures on binding with mitered corners. I actually used her tutorial last night and my corners turned out perfect. Give it a look:

http://crazymomquilts.blogspot.com/2...orial.html?m=1

my corners most of the time come out okay. and sometimes I have to trim them a bit. the thing that i find helps is that when I turn the binding to the back is I fold the corners the opposite way that they are on the front they do lay flatter and it helps to pull them together and get a good mitter. at least to me.

This is a nice tutorial, but I wonder why she doesn't do a bias seam when she connects the final two pieces of binding. She did that on all the other seams, so it seems to me that it would look strange for just one of the binding seams to be straight rather than diagonal, especially since it's a scrappy binding.

Some real good hints on the two blogs. Thanks for the links.

Are the corners on your quilt, runner, placemat etc. squared up before you start to put on binding? It will help if you use a large square and your rotary cutter to get a true 45º before trying the corners. If the corners are not at 45º there is an way to do them too. Check out http://ankastreasures.wordpress.com under binding odd angles?

Haha...dunster you are right! In all my craziness to finish my binding I didn't even notice that! Lol

Thank you for your hints and tutorials. I appreciate it very much seems liked I helped some one else by asking the question. I will keep working on them.

I usually trim the corners (backing, batting and front), don't trim any binding. Just makes it less bulky.

Holice is absolutely correct. You might just check when you the fold back or flip BEFORE you start sewing that everything is EXACTLY where it should be. I usually leave my fold just a width of the pin from the edge of the quilt. But your quilt has to be square too!!

I have NEVER cut any of the binding fabric tho I have shaved off a bit of the batting if it seems a little tight. GOOD LUCK !!

My corners vary, some corners come out perfect, then some come out narrower than the side width binding. I must be doing something wrong.

I had the same problem also it was because it was not a good 45 degree

okay...here is how i teach mitered corners....
1. square up each corner with a large (at least 12" ruler)
2. now, this sounds weird, do it on a sample and trust me...... AFTER SQUARING UP...move the ruler to 1/8" away from the corner and angle down to the actual raw edge 3" down (shaves off a teeny dart shape)..
3. now repeat on the other side of the square...each 90 deg corner is now 1/8 off BOTH directions...
4. apply binding with the "seam down, stop, fold on 45, re-sew on the other side" method, lining up the raw edge of the binding on the raw edge of the quilt layer....
5. now when you turn the corner and all the layers are inside, they will be perfectly square...the tiny trimmed piece leaves just enough space for all the fabric inside...and i do not trim the binding...you need it inside to hold the shape of the corner.

Thanks for the information on mitered corners. I have trouble with them as well. I will try your method and see if it works for me.