Are mitred corners the answer?

This weekend I was tidying up in my sewing room and I found my BCQC block finished but, still all hooped up.  I wasn't sure what I should make with the finished block.  In the end I decided that I would add some borders and stretch it over a canvas so that I could have it hanging in my sewing room where I will see it every day.

I unhooped the block and trimmed it off so that the corners were square. I chose some fabric which picked out one of the thread colours that I had used to embellish the block and added a border to each of the sides.  Once I had done that, I stretched the block over a blank canvas that I had and stapled the fabric to the back.  I folded the raw edges in as I went along.

The block looks nice as a picture and I really love being able to see it as I work in my sewing room.  I have lots of blocks and wall hangings on the wall in my sewing room, I find them inspiring.  Several of the pictures are blocks that I have stretched over canvasses and, although I am pleased with them, it has irritated me that I haven't been able to get the corners to look as tidy as they perhaps could.  This is mainly due to the bulk of the fabric in the seams where the borders are added, it makes the corners a little lumpy.  

I was thinking about this dilemma as I was preparing my next project which, is a cute little embroidery design by Gail Pan.  It is called 'Welcome Spring' and was a free pattern as part of a blog hop that Gail participated in.  I had decided that I would embroider the design and make it up into another little canvas picture.  I suddenly had the idea that perhaps adding a border with mitred corners would help reduce the bulk when stretching the fabric over the canvas.

I have never added a border with mitred corners to either a block or a quilt top and I thought it might be time to learn how to do it.  I found a great video tutorial by the Fat Quarter Shop which is was very easy to follow.

I was pleased with the result and, once I have finished the embroidery and I am ready to stretch the fabric over the canvas, I will let you know if it gives the neater finish on the picture that I am looking for!!  At the moment it is all hooped up ready for stitching!