…and let it begin just before one corner. There’s a reason for this tradition. It means that after the last corner, there are no more corners to do. I know that sounds weird. Look at it this way: if I started on the nice straight part after the first corner, I’d have to do:
- hard side
- corner
- easy side
- corner
- hard side
- corner
- easy side
- corner
versus
- bit of easy side
- corner
- hard side
- corner
- easy side
- corner
- hard side
- corner
- most of easy side
I don’t know about you, but I’d rather race to the finish along a long straight line without worrying about going around a corner or anything else that might slow down crossing the DONE line.
That is EXACTLY what I do too! I dislike corners. I would rather get the corners out of the way. But why is there a “hard” side? Is it just the longer side, if the sides aren’t equal?
The top and bottom both have sleeves on them which for a regular binding means there are two lines of stitching to do there. I usually do them in tandem with two needles. This quilt has narrow facings and the sleeves are the facings but making it lay flat is harder than a regular binding. I always put my label bottom center with an edge inside the sleeve and I stop to do that on the way around too.
I do the same thing, Mary Beth. For the same reasons…only I do my sleeve separately. It is really nice to stitch down the last side knowing there aren’t any more corners to turn.