CAJAMK

The quilting is done and now the dreaded binding begins. I have never made my own binding yet. Anyway, when I do ...how do you attach both sides using a sewing machine yet have it look nice?

donnajean

There are very good video tutorials on the Internet if you just put quilt binding tutorial in your search line.

ckcowl

i use 2 1/2" double fold binding, machine stitch it to the top, fold over to the back and hand stitch it down...easy
i have in a pinch machine stitched the back but i always hate how it comes out...in my mind it seems like i just put all kinds of loving work into making a beautiful quilt then ruined it with (cheap) looking shoddy binding...so i go back to doing it the old traditional way. i know some people do not hand stitch anything...and somehow make those machine bindings look passable but i guess i just don't like the look---there are some good tutorials on bindings.
you might want to make a potholder or something small and do a practice binding before doing the larger quilt...just to see how it goes and make sure you like the look--it really sucks to go through all the work to get it done and hate it!

hobbykat1955

Machine stitch one side...hand stitch other

QuiltnNan

recently i saw a video of a two color binding put on only by machine. it is sewn to the back, turned to the front and sewed down. the front is sewn in the ditch and the final look is a small piping of the second color. wish i had bookmarked this video.

Mariposa

I use 2.25" strips. Sew to the back, then sew to the front with a matching thread. I sew a straight stitch about 1/8" or a bit less from the edge of the binding. Saves time, and my hands!

maryb119

I machine stitch it on the front and hand stitch it on the back.

feline fanatic

I too am a binding "traditionalist" and prefer to machine sew my binding to the front and hand sew to the back, I just think it looks much nicer or cleaner.

However, I recently had a LA client who wanted me to do a backing folded over to the front binding by machine. I used one of my Bernina's decorative stitching and have to admit it looked pretty darn good. I suspect you could do the same with an attached binding. Match up your raw edges and machine stitch to the back of the quilt. Fold the binding to the front, pin and sew down with a decorative machine stitch instead of the standard straight. I lined it up so the edge of the binding was right at the center line on my presser foot (I used a walking foot just to be safe and not get any puckers). A small zigzag may also work but I would test it. My decorative stitch was a leaves and vines and because it serpantined back and forth I was assured of half the stitch being on the binding and half on the quilt top.

lisalovesquilting

I have done this on baby and charity quilts with a decorative stitch.

QuilterGary

I am new to the quilting world by most standards. My first quilt I dreaded the binding. I read every thing I could find on binding. I ended up sewing it on the top and hand sewing to the back. I made several practice pads trying different methods and hand sewing looks the best. I have just completed about 20 pot holders and machine sewed all of them. I have tried every method that I know of ane the glue method seems to work best however, I would not want my quilt to look that away too much work in the top to have a bad binding.