How Do You Sew
A Mitered Border?
Around the outside of a
block or a whole quilt, a strip of fabric is
often used to frame the block or quilt.
This is called a border. It may be made
by sewing strips of fabric to the sides of the
quilt blocks in the shape of a frame. The
border highlights the designs in the blocks or
is part of the overall design.
How Do You Sew A Mitered
Border? These tips and techniques will
insure your finished mitered border is just
right and you will learn how to quilt this
technique.
Border strips may simply
meet with two fabrics butting against each
other one longer than the other. This is
called a but end joint. Frequently, however, a
mitered border is desirable. Both butt end and
mitered corners usually require a quarter inch
seam allowance.
A mitered corner is a neatly
formed ninety degree angle formed with fabric
by two intersecting forty five degree angles of
fabric.
To sew a mitered corner in a
border, simply overlap the two pieces of border
where they meet, mark, cut each border piece on
a forty five degree angle, and join the two
pieces by sewing them together.
Here is a detailed step by
step description of how to sew mitered corners
in borders.
1. Measure accurately.
Measure across the center of the height (top to
bottom) and width (side to side). The edges or
sides tend to stretch giving inaccurate
measurements.
2. If needed square the
block so the sides are true and straight. Be
sure to measure across both horizontally and
vertically.
3. Select the right fabric
for your borders. It may be a contrasting
color, print, or texture, but it is important
to choose the border you think will look good
framing your quilt or block.
4. Cut border strips.
Borders should be cut along the lengthwise
grain of the fabric .
Unlike bindings, borders do
not generally need the added stretch inherent
in bias cuts. (Crosswise grain also has more
stretch than the lengthwise grain, but less
than the bias.)
The size of your border will
depends on how wide you want your border to be.
Add about one quarter inch to the width for
each seam allowance. (Allow one half inch
overall seam allowance to join fabric with
other borders, blocks, or bindings.)
5. Cut the border length of
the strips to include the length of the side it
will cover, plus double the width of the border
(half for beginning and half for end), and add
an extra four inches (half for beginning and
half for end).
Make sure you have enough
length to conveniently make the mitered corner.
If you cut it too short, you will need to cut a
brand new piece. If it is cut a little long, it
is ok because you can always trim the
excess.
6. Layout your border along the edge of the
quilt or project by starting in the middle.
Measure the side. Divide the measurement by
two. Mark the center of the side with a marking
pen, chalk, or pin. Fold the border fabric in
half lengthwise to find its middle and align
the border with the side or your project.
7. Lay your border fabric on
the quilt right sides together with the quilt
face up. Attach the centers with a pin. Finish
attaching the border to the quilt top leaving
the trailing ends overlapping the perpendicular
borders as they meet. From the end of the quilt
top mark a quarter inch seam allowance on both
the quilt top and border at beginning and end
of the seams.
8. Begin working on each
corner one at a time. Neatly fold back one
border at a forty five degree angle. You may
use several different rulers to make sure this
angle is accurate.
Finger press it in place or
use your steam iron to crease the angle fold in
place.
If using an iron, take care
to use the press, lift, press, lift technique
and avoid rubbing it over the fabric. Continue
with the adjacent border fabric until the two
forty five degree angles match up as a ninety
degree angle.
9. Open the fold (mark it if
necessary) and stitch along the folded line
forming the mitered corner. Leave a quarter
inch seam allowance at the beginning and ending
of the seam.
10. Trim the excess trim
fabric.
11. Unfold the fabric
corner, and press it neatly to form a crisp
edge fold over the stitching.
This border technique may be
used in dozens of other sewing beyond quilting
including such as table covers, table runners,
scrap booking, pillows, etc.
There are many variations on
this basic technique to speed the process and
you may find your own special ways to joining
borders in perfectly aligned mitered corners.
When we were writing this instruction guide for
mitered corners, we felt an obligation to
provide the traditional approaches that have
been taught for years, but every little bit one
of the team members would pipe up, “Why do you
do it that way? Here is a quicker and easier
way…”
Here is My Quick & Easy
Technique:
Cut your border strips a bit
longer than needed. Use longer strips.
Lay one strip face up and
lay the block face down on top of the border
strip with edges together.
Stitch a border strip using
a quarter inch seam allowance along one side
beginning and ending one quarter inch from the
end of the block’s side.(Be sure to anchor seam
beginning and end.)
Turn the block ninety
degrees to do the adjacent side.
Turn back the end of the
side already sewn so it is out of the way.
Align a second border strip
as before and sew.
Now notice that you have two
strips of fabric flopping beyond the corner of
the block.
Align these face to face
following the line of the block to form a forty
five degree angle.
Sew along the angle.
How Do You Sew A Mitered
Border? These tips and techniques will
insure your finished mitered border is just
right and you will learn how to quilt this
technique.
AUTHOR:
Donna Trumble is a professional designer,
seamstress, author, sewing educator, and sewing
business owner. She leads several Sewing Show
And Tell groups in her stores guiding
participants to shop sewing machines and learn
about sewing and quilting.
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