How to Add a Diagonal Stitch
Ashley HoughDescription
Adding a binding is the final step in most quilting projects, whether you are making a large bed-sized quilt or a simple wall hanging. For some, turning the corners and making a perfect mitered 90-degree turn is the most difficult part. Ashley Hough shares a quick tip that can make turning those corners a little easier: a simple diagonal stitch.
Mitered Corners and the Diagonal Stitch
Before you can add a diagonal stitch to your mitered corner, you must first make your binding and begin attaching it to you quilt. You can use either binding that you make in your desired width or pre-made binding for this technique. Ashley demonstrates how to begin attaching your binding to a small quilt sample by starting in the center of one side and leaving a long tail in order to join the ends. She shows how to stitch the binding to the quilt using a standard ¼” seam allowance.
As you approach the first corner of the quilt while stitching the binding in place, you will need to stop ¼” from the edge. Ashley shows how you can eyeball that measurement if you are familiar with quilt piecing and can accurately gauge ¼”, or you can measure and make a mark ¼” from the edge. When you reach this mark, rather than stopping the stitching and taking the quilt off of the machine, Ashley shows how to rotate the quilt and the binding 45 degrees and take a diagonal stitch right off the edge of the quilt.
Once you make this diagonal stitch, you can then remove the quilt from the machine and fold the binding up and away from your project, as with normal quilt binding application. This simple diagonal stitch ensures that your fabric is folded at a 45-degree angle at the corner and creates the perfect miter. Once you master the diagonal stitch, check out more tutorials for quilt stitching made easy and exploring decorative stitches on your sewing machine.
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4 Responses to “How to Add a Diagonal Stitch”
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Nice demonstration, Ashley!
When I watch you video and see you stitching 1/4 inch, will the binding show up as only a 1/4 inch? Thank you, Vivian
<strong> Ticket 31250 I have 2 1/2” strips that I cut 5 different colors (Rainbow)I wanting to add like a border around a I spy panel to use as a backing on my 9 5” patch quilt Top but my strips aren’t but 42” in length and my top is larger how can I add to already sewed to 2 1/2 X 42 to make my corners on point with each color. Hope that makes since this is my first quilt
This is the method that I finally figured out on my last quilt. It's the best way I have found and I've tried and messed up so many. Thank you Ashley for making this video. Theres no other this close up.