You may be saying to yourself, “Okay, now that I’ve sewn the binding to the quilt top and made the corners mitered, how do I secure it to the back?” And, “How do I make the corners mitered there, too?”
This simple method works every time. (For complete instructions on adding binding with a mitered corner to your quilt, click here.)
Once the binding has been sewn to the quilt top, trim the excess batting and backing. Fold the binding over the raw edge to the back and secure with safety pins or clips.
Using a single thread, make a tiny Quilter’s Knot. Insert the needle into the seam allowance and bring the needle up at the machine stitching line. Take a small stitch in the binding, just barely catching the edge. Take a stitch into the backing just off the edge of the binding. (Be careful to not go all the way through to the quilt top.)
Bring the needle up into the edge of the binding and pull the needle and thread through. (This is the same procedure I use for hand applique.)
Continue taking stitches and securing the binding in this manner until you reach a corner. At the corner, open the binding to reveal the seam allowance. Take 2 to 3 stitches attaching the binding to the seam allowance. Take 1 backstitch there to secure it.
Insert the needle into the seam allowance at the backstitch and bring the point up at the sewn line on the backing.
You can see the thread coming out at the sewn line. Use the needle to adjust the binding so that the angles of the mitered corner meet at the inside corner.
Take a stitch or two in the corner to secure it.
I also like to stitch the miters in place on the front and back.
Once you’ve tacked the miters in place, bring the needle to the back inside corner again.
Continue stitching as before, until you reach the next corner. Repeat this process until all edges and corners are secured.
When you take the last stitch, make a tiny knot just off the edge of the binding. Bury the thread in the binding and clip.
I hope this hand-stitching tip helps make securing binding easier.
Diane
And, as always, if you have any questions, I’d love to hear from you. Just email me at diane@lookoutmountainquilter.com