There’s a cool sewing notion that’s a grand slam for getting precise mitered corners on quilt bindings: 1/4", double-sided, water soluble, sticky tape. The shop owner at Chattanooga Sewing Machines recently introduced me to this ingenious product from RNK. I tested it on a charity quilt and here are my findings...
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| Mitered corners on quilt binding made easy with double-sided sticky tape. |
Using sticky tape for mitered corners and quilt bindings
On nearly all my charity quilts, I stitch the bindings on by machine. Although this sticky tape could be used for holding the binding in place around the entire quilt, I used it specifically on the corners. I find that stitching down the corners—while keeping the miter in place—is the most challenging part on the machine.
- When do you pull out the pins (or remove clips) that hold the binding?
- How do you keep the miters in place after the pins are removed but before the needle sews them down?
- Do you use a stiletto or seam ripper to hold the miters while feeding the quilt under the presser foot?
- How many hands do I need to make this task easy and achievable? Perhaps an octopus could do this easily.
Here's where the sticky tape comes in...
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| Double-sided sticky tape from RNK. 1/4" wide and water soluble. |
I cut strips of sticky tape approximately two inches long. With the binding already attached to one side of the quilt, I placed one sticky strip on the cut edge of the quilt, starting at the corner. [Note the tape will be between the quilt sandwich and the binding.]
Bringing the binding around the edge of the quilt sandwich to enclose the unfinished edge, press the binding onto the tape. The tape holds the binding in place. Do the same on the adjacent side to create the miter. The sticky tape holds down the binding on both sides of the corner and keeps the miter in place.
I still used pins to hold the binding down at the sides, between the corners.
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| Sticky tape holds down the binding and the miter before machine sewing. |
Here is a close up of the sticky tape holding the binding in place before stitching.
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| Close up of mitered corners before sewing. |
Other uses for sticky tape
This tape comes in at least one other width. It could also be used for hand and machine stitching bindings, inserting zippers (garments, pouches, bags), embellishing with trims and ribbons, sewing hems, and with other tasks for which you wish you had another hand or two.
The tape is flexible and lightweight. It was easy to needle, and didn't make the binding or the quilt stiff.
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| Preparing more bindings. |
So get yourself a roll of sticky tape and sail through attaching bindings and nailing those mitered corners!
