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Serendipity and the Art of the Quilt

Serendipity and the Art of the Quilt

Creating with Brenda Gael Smith

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Mitred Facing Tutorial

27 May 2008 Filed Under: Technique:Finishing, Tutorials

I finished Dandelion Meadow using a variation of the mitred facing technique outlined by Melody Johnson. I find it much easier to make the mitres before attaching the facing strips to the quilt and you might too. A full tutorial is set out below.

Issue 143 of Down Under Quilts magazine also contains a step-by-step tutorial (with new and improved photos!) of this technique.

Mitred Facing Tutorial - Dandelion Meadow © 2008 Brenda Gael Smith
Preparation:

  1. Using a rotary cutter, trim quilted piece to 12 1/2 square (or desired finished size + 1/2 inch per side).
  2. Cut four strips 1 1/2in x 12 1/2in (or whatever the length your quilt sides are).
  3. Place the strips in pairs with right sides together.
  4. Mark a line at a 45 degree angle across the end of each pair of strips and mark another line 1/4in from the edge as shown.

Strips  Mitre Marks
Mitre Frame:

  1. Sew each pair of strips together by stitching along the marked angled line, stopping and backstitching 1/4in from the edge (ie where the two marked lines intersect).
  2. Trim the seam to 1/2in. Press seam flat and open to create an “L” shape as shown

Open Mitre

  1. Mitre join the two “L” pieces together to form a frame.
  2. Place the frame right side down and press back a 1/4in seam. (I mark a line 1/2in from the raw edge and fold the edge back to this line.)
  3. Pin the mitred frame to the quilt top right side down and aligning the raw edges.

Marked frame Pinned & ready to go

  1. Using your walking foot and 1/4in seam allowance, stitch through all four layers (ie quilt and facing) around the edge of the facing.(You might like to stitch angled corners but I just sewed seams at right angles.)
  2. Trim the corners (to remove bulk) taking care not to cut through the stitching line.

Cropped Corners

Facing:

  1. Turn the facing to the back of the quilt and gently poke the corners flat (I use my sewing machine screwdriver).
  2. Press carefully so that none of the facing can be seen from the front of the quilt and slip stitch the facing in place.

Stitched Mitred Facing
See my Free & Non-Binding: Alternative Quilt Finishes post for a listing of other online tutorials for alternative quilt finishes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Annie says

    27 May 2008 at 4:31 PM

    Thanks for the tutoial on the bindings and the list of other bindings. Will be great to use for future Art quilts
    Thank you Brenda

  2. quiltpixie says

    27 May 2008 at 4:58 PM

    thanks! This was really clear and I can see using it 🙂

  3. Jacquie in Vermont says

    27 May 2008 at 8:56 PM

    Very timely! I am about to layer a WH that I plan to finish with facing and hadn’t figured out what to do with the corners. With your instructions I now do.

    Thanks a lot!

  4. Patty VanHuis-Cox says

    27 May 2008 at 10:58 PM

    This may be just what I was looking for to finish a quilt I am working on for a show! Thanks for posting!

  5. Terri says

    27 May 2008 at 11:05 PM

    Great tute Brenda!

  6. Deb says

    27 May 2008 at 11:40 PM

    Thanks. This is great and I’ll be using it soon!

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