Originally Posted by Sondra
Can anyone give me suggestions on how to square up your quilt top prior to putting on the binding? I keep cutting and cutting and gradually my borders get thinner and thinner. Any quick tips. Also, I try to miter my corners but they just don't seem to work right--any quick tips there too?Thanks for the info.
I don't cut the edges when I square up a quilt prior to binding. I use a marker only. This way the edges aren't moving around on me. Basically I mark the edge with a permanent Sharpie instead of cutting the edge. I place my folded binding raw edges against the Sharpie mark when sewing the binding on. After the binding is sewn on, I cut the quilt edge.
To get miters on the binding to come out right, you have to be very exact about your stitching lines; you cannot go a stitch over or a stitch under. There are various ways to ensure this. Here is a Youtube video that shows one way:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw
I think actually one of the most foolproof ways to make good miters on binding is to use a Martelli minute miter tool:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw
Their zip bind tool is supposed to be super for helping to fold the binding exactly too, whether finishing by hand or machine. If you Google, you should be able to find some reviews of these tools. I'm planning to get them before I have to bind my next quilt.
Mary