It is vital to learn how to make sharp corners when sewing. Luckily it is also quite straightforwards!

Once you get to where you want your corner to be, leave your needle down if it is already down, or turn your handwheel towards you to put the needle down, as in, in the fabric. Lift your presser foot and now you can swivel your fabric any old direction you want, as the needle is anchoring it. Some computerised machines have a button to make the machine always stop with the needle up or always with the needle down. If your machine has this, it is extremely helpful to put it on needle down, so you don’t have to manually put your needle down.

I tend to keep my right hand on the foot lifting lever by the way…

Once you have turned the fabric, put your presser foot down again and carry on sewing. The reason I keep my hand on the lever is so I NEVER forget to put the foot down again. Lots of beginners forget and then it just won’t stitch well or in any kind of neat line!

To mark corners so you stay the same distance away from all the edges, the one you are stitching along and then also the new line you want to hit after you have gone around the corner, mark a short ish line along each edge near the corner, and where these two cross each other is where you turn. Make the lines long enough so you can see them both even when your presser foot is right on top of it. If you are using masking tape to sew along, you should have your fabric lined up perfectly after turning the corner. Clever huh?