My Current Problem Child, Mitering Piping on Border

Is there a better way?  This is close, and it will probably quilt out, but I spent waaaay to much time on getting this piping mitered.  I never have "regular" mitering issues, but that piping kept getting in the way.  This piping is sewn to the border strip, not the quilt top.

1. Perhaps I just wasn't neat enough? 
2. Should I remove some of the cording out of the piping in the last 3/4 inch? 
3. Or, should I have sewn the piping on the quilt top, and NOT the border strips?  ... sigh ... I will next time ... but in the meantime ...

I am a terrible "I'll do-it-myself" person (stubborn, I know) and should have sought help before struggling for more than an hour on just one miter. 

Quilt of Valor - Progress

3 corners done - It's straight and square in person.

I have 3 sides on - they all behaved, but side 4 decided to mess up - couldn't have been me! The printing on the selvage extends into the side-setting triangle. Dang it. I'll have to trim that out and piece in another.

The colors are so much prettier than this photo taken in a gloomy room. I'm liking it! Today I purchased batting and a soft gray/blue quilting thread.

Back among the living

This is inside the International Quilt Study Center (IQSC) in Lincoln, Nebraska. Friday and Saturday, a friend and I drove across the state for a meeting with the State Quilt Guild, and we had time to make this stop. The building is amazing, and the 2 Quilt showings were "Yikes, Stripes!" (visual/graphic elements) and "Broderie Perse" an amazing collection of huge, old (1700s), showy quilts. We saw about 15-18 quilts of each style. This is NOT a quilt show center, it is a Study Center. Below is a room where you can pull up digital images of quilts for study, timelines as to fabric, imports, quilt styles, people, etc., and also a program where you can design your own quilt, another place where you can 'log' your quilt story for perpetuity I suppose, and I'm sure there is more, but our time was limited. Many of our State Guilds have provided financial support to this Study Center. The gift shop had a wonderful arty book that I snatched up. Admittance was FREE for us, not sure why but ... normally, the fee is not exhorbitant.

On the way, we also stopped in Kearney at the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA), in the old Post Office. This was a lovely 45 minute stop, with a showing of photographs. The building is impressive and was another pleasant first-time visit for me. Thanks Sandy for this introduction! The drive across Nebraska follows much of the migration flyways. Sandhill Cranes were everywhere, some bald eagles, and throngs of flocks in the air. This is the season when most of the flocks are milling about, along the Platte River and gathering strength from their long journies.

I am feeling so much better - my discomfort was not lengthy, and thanks for well-wishes. DH is still crummy. I decided I'd make a few luggage tags as a Thank You to our Overnight Hostess, but I am out of practice and layered it wrong so when it was turned, even though I had an opened seam in the back of the backing, I ended up with batting on the back and no way to turn it! Duhhhh. My hand quilting is rusty also. ONE luggage tag took me about 3 hours! By the time I figure how to streamline the process, I may have 4 completed. LOL This is just ONE of my Carol Doak books - she's the best for paper piecing. There is a CD in the book but I've never even looked at, just made copies of her examples.

This last image is a reminder to myself, that I DO have talents and skills. Some days my self-confidence gets a little shakey! I sewed this 4-bordered mitered corner and it turned out perfectly. The biggest hurdle is that this mystery quilt is large and ungainly to handle, but I like how it's turning out.

My prayers are for our struggling nation, and to fire victims in Australia.