Over the weekend I sewed Hoffman batiks - their bali tiles to be specific. Gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGEOUS fabric. I'll show you the whole thing once I finish quilting.
Since it seems most of my work the past couple of years has involved curvy, borderless quilts it's been awhile since I added a mitred border. I confess that I enjoyed it a great deal (I really love to sew; even after all these years, the challenges of patchwork excite me!) Sewing the mitre was like riding a bicycle, I guess; once you get the rhythm you are off at top speed. One trick I've figured out is that if you are adding multiple borders, it's easier if you sew the strips together first and add them as one border instead of individually. Here I have sewn the green and mauve strips together before sewing them to the quilt. Each strip is sewn to within 1/4" of the corner and left hanging.
The seam allowances are pressed away from the quilt, towards the border. One strip is smoothed out on top of the other.
Fold the top strip on a 45° angle, lining up the top and bottom of the strip with the one underneath. Bring your hot iron straight down on the corner and press well. I usually give it a shot of steam too once I have the iron solidly in place. You want to make a visible crease in the fabric.
Once pressed, pin the strips together to the right of the corner so that nothing moves. If you look closely you will see two white pins in the photo below.
Flip your quilt up on a 45° angle; you will see the crease you pressed.
Pin along the crease; this will become your sewing line. Sew straight out from the inner green corner to the outer border.
Trim your seam to 1/4" and press this seam open so your corner lies flat.
The seam allowances are pressed away from the quilt, towards the border. One strip is smoothed out on top of the other.
Fold the top strip on a 45° angle, lining up the top and bottom of the strip with the one underneath. Bring your hot iron straight down on the corner and press well. I usually give it a shot of steam too once I have the iron solidly in place. You want to make a visible crease in the fabric.
Once pressed, pin the strips together to the right of the corner so that nothing moves. If you look closely you will see two white pins in the photo below.
Flip your quilt up on a 45° angle; you will see the crease you pressed.
Pin along the crease; this will become your sewing line. Sew straight out from the inner green corner to the outer border.
Trim your seam to 1/4" and press this seam open so your corner lies flat.
This gives you a nice sharp, smooth join.
Now I am off to quilt this beauty!
Thank you Karen. I am a new quilter and need lots of help!
ReplyDeleteWhat scrumptious fabrics.....berries and leaves......berry muffins! A very clear tutorial. The last four quilts I have made have all had mitred borders, they certainly add pizzazz to some designs - even though it did take me quite a while to do my first!
ReplyDeleteI have struggled with mitered corners but your instructions look easy to follow. I will give it a try when I am next adding borders. Thanks
ReplyDeleteKaren, this is exactly how I do (and teach) mitres. It is SO easy. Thanks for posting this great tut with wonderful pics!
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