Faux Border Technique

This faux-border technique creates a border around your front fabric that’s actually just Your back fabric wrapped around to the front. And it creates these beautiful mitered corners, and I'll show you how. So for my sample, I have an 8 by 12 front rectangle, and whatever Size you're doing, you want to cut your back. Back rectangle 4 inches larger on each side. Dimensions.

So I have 8 by 12, then 12 by 16, and I've marked the centers on my back, and I marked the center on my front. Fabric. So I marked down the wrong side of my front. Fabric and the right side of my back fabric. And then on the wrong side of my front fabric, I've also marked a quarter-inch from each corner.

So, I've kind of marked a small 10.25 inch box in each of these corners. That's where we're going to start and stop stitching. So, to start, we'll mark or match our center marks on One long edge, and we are going to start and stop stitching. At our 1/4-inch marks in the corner. So, we're going to start.

Our needle's down right in that. 1/4-inch corner. Lock the stitch. And then use our 1/4-inch seam. And we're going to end stitching.

Right in this 1/4-inch corner. Off the stitch, cut my thread, and then We are going to. Scoot this down. And do the same on this other long edge, except we need to leave an opening for turning. So let me make sure I got my mark correct.

And I'm going to. Pin, leaving a couple of inches in the center here for turning. And then we're going to do the same thing, starting and stopping right at that quarter. Inch mark. So I'm stitching up to the edge of my opening.

Lock that. Jump over. My opening. And then end again right here in this corner. 1/4 inch from the edge.

And then we're going to do the same thing, scoot this over. Align those center marks. And here, at the corner. We want to ensure this small extra triangle stays out of the way. So, keeping our raw edges aligned there.

And again, make sure this little triangle is correct. Stays out of the way. And again, we're going to start, then stop right in that quarter inch Mark. So we're going to be starting and stopping. Stitching in exactly the same spot as we started or stopped stitching.

On the previous seam. And that is going to help us get those perfect mitered corners. Make sure that excess stays tucked out of the way. And for the last edge, same process. Tug that up.

Match the center. And then start stitching right at the corner. Right where we stopped stitching on that previous seam line. OK, so there we have all my corners stitched. Now, to miter our corners, we will fold this.

So that our raw edges align and our point is right at the corner there. I'm going to grab my ruler. And I'm going to align. My, uh, one of my straight lines doesn't matter which one. With this fold, then align it right at our point.

Where we stopped stitching. So there's my point right there. My line is aligned with the fold, then I'm going to draw a line. And there's my stitching line for mitering my corner. I'll put a pin right in there, so I don't lose it.

And then I'm going to start stitching again, right where we started and stopped stitching. Before, and then stitch right along this. Line. Right off the fold. And then we're going to trim that down.

About 1/4 inch, and we're going to do the same thing on all four corners. All right, I have all four corners stitched, and I'm trimming off the excess, And then we're going to turn this all right side out. I'm going to grab my paint Turner. And then, once we get our corners pushed out, you can see. How we have a beautiful miter on every corner.

So, there's one. And our back fabric is wrapped around to the front to create a full, complete border. Here's my last corner. And now I'm going to give this a little press. I'm going to press my seam allowances toward that border.

And then, when we top-stitch. It's going to close up this opening. And you have a. Uh, placemats, or... Table runner.

Do anything you want with this project. It's up to you. Any size, just make sure that backing. Is 4 inches larger than the front, and that gives you this. 1-inch border all the way around.

So there is. My opening right there, I've got my front fabric, and then that border fabric is tucked Right under. So, all you need to do is top-stitch on that. Border all the way around. And then you have your finished border top, stitched, pivoting at the corners.

And you have these beautiful mitered corners for whatever type of project you want to use This full border technique is for.