Splicing binding

Okay, my experiment totally worked so here's the low-down:

How to splice your binding ends on the diagonal

I've run into a little persnickity thing when binding my quilts. Many instructions call for a diagonal seam to create the binding, but then finish off with a straight seam that goes right across. I wanted the finish to be diagonal, too.

This is just about finishing binding a quilt. I'm going from the binding directions in the back of most Quilt-in-a-Day books, so follow their directions ('cuz they rock!) except cut your starting binding edge on a 45° diagonal before you start sewing it down.

1. Measure 4" from where the cut hits the fold and start sewing, following the QIAD directions. We'll call this the starting edge.
2. So you've gotten all the way around your quilt and stopped sewing 4" from where your binding will overlap. Good.
   
3. Unfold your binding from both ends and lay it wrong side up. Plan to cut your ending edge .5" past where the two strips will meet. Mark it with pins or chalk it at the top of the diagonal and the bottom. Check to make sure your marks will go .5" beyond the starting edge.
4. Now it's time for the struggle. Get out a cutting mat (the smaller the better) and jam it in between the ending edge of the binding strip and the quilt. Cut, based on your markings. You should now have something that looks like this:
5. Pin the right sides together and sew, using .25" seam. Note the little dog ears when pinning. This helps when sewing a diagonal--I learned that at the quilt festival!
6. Fold back over and finish attaching the binding, using the QIAD method. Ta-da!

I hope this was clear. If you have any suggestions for making my instructions a little better, let me know. Happy Tuesday! Oops, it got late. Happy Wednesday!