A mitered corner may look complicated, but it is actually really easy. It can be added as a border to just about any center design to spruce up your quilt or thrown into your overall quilt design. There are a few examples at the end of the tutorial.
Calculations
Width of Border Fabric:
Choose the width of your border. For example, the chevron border above is 6" wide.
The Length of the Border Fabric:
length of the side of the quilt top (green section below)
+ 2 times the width of the border
+ 10 extra inches (for seam allowance, mitering, and extra)
For example, the side of the quilt center above is 55". The length of the chevron fabric cut for the border would be 55 + 6 + 6 + 10 = 77".
1. Center the border with the body of the quilt top.
2. Place them together with the right sides facing each other. Sew the two together with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. The quilt center should be on top and the border on bottom (so you will be looking at the back of your quilt top as you stitch). Make sure you start and stop stitching 1/4 inch from the edge of the main body of your quilt (sew the pink line in the green section above). This is an important part of getting the corner points and seams in the right place.
3. Repeat step 2 for the next side. Be sure and pull the extra from the first border out of the way (the grey section above). Pin it back if it helps. Remember to start and stop 1/4 inch from the edge (where the seam from the other sides ends). Continue repeating these steps until all four sides are completed. The seams will meet up 1/4 inch from each corner, but will not cross over each other.
4. After sewing all four borders on, iron and press the seams. For the corner seams, fold the top in half to form a triangle. Make sure all the seams and edges match up neatly. Spread the borders out and line them up with right sides facing each other.
(Here is an example)
5. Line up a ruler with the folded edge of the quilt straight out through the borders. Draw a line using a pencil or a quilt marker.
6. This is where you will stitch your seam. Place a couple of pins along the line to hold everything in place. Remember to stop where the previous stitching stopped (Where the arrow on the farthest right is pointing. This will ensure that you end up with a neat pretty corner. Be sure and back stitch here to lock in the stitches.
(close up of where to stop and back stitch)
7. Flatten out the quilt top and make sure everything looks accurate. If you are happy with the results, press and trim the seam allowance to 1/4 inch.
Here is a larger view of the finished product (I Spy Quilt)...
You can also use this technique on a smaller scale. Here are a few quilted pillows where I used mitered corners...
If you have any questions, feel free to message me!
Happy Sewing!!
Candace
Great tutorial! Mitered corners are easier than they look, but I always forget the math and have to look it up. Now I know exactly where to go for a reminder!
ReplyDeletePinned it! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteOh look, you do speak chinese! :P
ReplyDeleteYou're so crazy!
DeleteI just happened upon your blog from Sew Many Ways. Everything is beautiful! Thank you for this mitering tutorial. I've been wanting to do a mitered border for awhile and had seen a good tutorial but then couldn't find it again. Also, I have just been sorting my scraps by color and some of your stuff is so scrappy and beautiful that maybe I can follow one of your examples and do some scrap busting one of these days!
DeleteSheri
This is the awesomest, most easiest to understand mitered border explaination I have read! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tutorial! Amazing.
ReplyDeleteGreat tute! I am going to share on my FB wall! www.facebook.com/www.fabricsnquilts
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing it!! I greatly appreciate it!
DeleteThankyou for the great tutorial, I always have trouble with the corners.
ReplyDeleteThis is GREAT! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteFantastic tutorial, really easy to follow. Thank you! :)
ReplyDeleteI am inviting you to come and be part of my blog hop:
ReplyDeletehttp://juliejewels1.blogspot.com/2012/05/show-your-stuff-26.html
Great tutorial! I thought sewing on that chevron pattern would be difficult but you make it look so easy. Thanks for sharing at Etcetorize this week!
ReplyDeletegreat tutorial! I have only done a mitered boarder once... this tut would have made it much easier!
ReplyDeleteGreat job on the tutorial! And great info! Please link this post up with me at Wow Us Wednesday, ok?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tutorial! Mitered corners are one thing I haven't really been game to try. Will be saving this tute for future reference :)
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial for mitered borders and you did a perfect job on the neat chevron pattern! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteQuilting at the River Linky Party Tuesday
Im pinning, too. Thanks for the tutorial!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Finally this makes sense to me. I've looked at many videos and other tutorials and I think yours is the clearest by far. Can't wait to try this.
ReplyDeleteTina
Thank you! I always get confused on this!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Susie
Thank you! I am glad this is clear and makes the process easier. That was my goal. Glad to be of some help!
ReplyDeleteJust found your blog from Freshly Pieced's WIP Wednesday, and there's lots of great stuff here (such as this tutorial). Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteFound your blog through Sew Many Ways Find a Friend Friday and am I glad... I want to make these and the girl who is teaching me can't! Now I can and she can too!!! Yipeee! Thanks for the great tutorial. Kathi
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to try this. It's so elegant! : )
ReplyDeleteGreat tutorial!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Pinning!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great tutorial--I am now quite confident that I can do this....thanks! Linda @ mysewwhatblog.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteThis is really great! I am going to be doing my first mitered corner quilt border this weekend on a baby quilt. I am very new to sewing and so addicted and loving it.
ReplyDeletewww.openbeauty.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for this great tutorial! You really simplified it!
ReplyDeleteJust saw your awesome tutorial on Sew Darn Crafty link party! Thank you so much for taking something that can be so overwhelming and simplifying it so that it's easy to understand. I pinned this for future reference - I know I'll use it!
ReplyDeleteKim @ {enjoy the view}
I have wanted to learn this for some of my quilts just extending the backing out and making a miter corner to the front . I know that is not what is done here. This tutorial looks great and your pillow is wonderful. I will try this. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!
ReplyDeleteExcellent tutorial!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this tutorial. A few weeks ago I had a vintage table cloth that was too small so I wanted to add a border with mittered corners. I searched everywhere and although I did find one or two helpful tips I just couldn't understand the how-to. So I just added strips as borders - it was ok but not perfect. Now finding your tutorial I completely understand how it works which made me very happy. So you made my day and I am no longer fearful of mittered corners. Thanks so much for sharing. Sending you greetings from Germany!
ReplyDeleteI just put mitered borders on a quilt according to the instructions I was given in a class just for mitered corners. Not easy! Turned out okay but not stellar. Your tutorial looks like I would have much better results so I will definitely give this a go next time. Thanks. You've been pinned!
ReplyDeleteThanks!!! Appreciate the diagrams and the pictures. Makes it all so clear.
ReplyDeleteI am making a Quilt just like that, I did not plan on a boarder but now Yahoo !!!!!!!!!! I love how you mitered the the corners. I will be mitering your way on my Quilts. Thank you :) :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful! I am glad you are going to add borders to your quilts and that this technique makes it easier. Happy quilting!!!
DeleteHi - thank you so much for this! Will it work for a rectangular quilt too?
ReplyDeleteI am glad you enjoyed the tutorial. Yes, this works for rectangular quilts too. It makes is it so easy!
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