I feel like an idiot because I can't seem to get this right. I'm hand piecing this quilt and it's come time to put on binding. Now for one, I've finished 2 other quilts but I must say, the binding is the worst of the whole quilt. Does anyone have any tips or anything to put it on so that it looks good this time? Also, I'll be put binding on another quilt by machine in a few days, any tips for that are welcome too!

Is there a specific foot that should be used?

If you Google "quilt binding", there are video tutorials that are very helpful. They did not have these when I started quilting.

Missouri star quilt company on YouTube has a couple of videos on how to apply binding. one method is completely by machine and the other is part machine and hand. I prefer the later of the two.

There are lots of good tutorials out there/

The way I was taught...start in the middle of your top/bottom/side edge leaving a 4-6 in. tail. Sew binding 1/4 in. from edge of quilt to within 1/4 in. of corner. Stop sewing. Flip binding 90 deg. toward the side you have just completed making a 45 degree crease. Begin sewing again 1/4 in. from outside edge. Follow for each corner. When you get to within 4-6 inches from where you started, trim your tails to overlap your binding 2-3 inches. Insert beginning tail of binding to ending tail folding over raw edges and make sure it is 'tight' and flat. Sew to complete. Makes for nice mitered corners every time. Hope this helps.

As long as you're going to be doing it by machine, here are
Sharon Schamber's fabulous videos on binding:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PE0Yq9iGlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3vHI7rgZpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W--xgi4nux8

(Many of her techniques would work just as well even if you were attaching the binding entirely by hand.)

Love those videos. I was never able to wrap my head around it until I saw them. Definitely worth a watch.

Or all the binding tutorials on this board!

http://www.quiltingboard.com/search....inding&u=&s=10

The best videos! Bindings are the bane of my quilting but with perservernce I will get it---I think.

Good Luck.