I usually stitch the binding to the front and hand sew it to the back. I've read a couple of times now about people who machine stitch their binding on using the stitch-in-the-ditch foot.

Questions for those that do this: I was wondering ~ how are the corners done? Also, what do you do to be sure the back actually catches in the thread?

Thanks :)

I too will be interested to read how people do this. I have always done what you have K. Machine the binding on the front and hand stitch on the back. I miter my corners.

Yes, I miter mine too, but can't visualize how it's done if you're stitching in the ditch.

I have stitched the binding on and I stitch to the back first then do a decorative stitch on the front, mitered corners and all.

Stitching by machine NEVER looks as pretty as hand-sewn - I don't care what anyone says... :D

I like the look of hand sewing the binding, but if the quilt will be dragged around and washed often, it last longer with machine sewn binding. When I do that, I too sew fron the back fold it to the front, and add a decorative stitch.

I make my mittered bindings with the Mittered Binding Tool. I used to fold them mittered, but since I found the tool I would not do it any other way.

Here is a link to it:

http://www.softexpressions.com/softw...indMtrTool.php

Maria

Here's a link to a Youtube video that shows how to attach binding completely by machine "invisibly". (Think Harriet Hargrave's invisible machine applique.) She shows how to miter the corners.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw

In order to have machine binding look nice, I think you have to use either the invisible method above or use a decorative stitch. Basically you attach the binding to the back first, then turn to the front and finish with either invisible machine applique or a decorative stitch.

i do this all the time.

i attach my binding to the front the normal way to have mitered corners.

then i fold it over to the back and use elmers school glue to tack it in place on the back (sharon schamber method).

then i stitch in the ditch on the front. i don't use a stitch in the ditch foot. i do a much better job with an open toe foot because i can see everything.

i've tried the sewing to the back and doing the decorative stitch on the front and i don't care for that look at all.

I have been reluctant to finish quilts because I don't want to do the hand stitching of the binding. Lucky me, I found the Ricky Tims method on his video: Grand Finale. I just completed a UFO, my Fox wall hanging with this method yesterday, and I really enjoyed it.

On his video, Ricky demonstrates a step by step technique to create a binding, complete with a small piping, which is put onto the quilt completely by machine. The binding strips are sewn onto the quilt's BACK, one side at a time, and the corners are mitered. The binding is then rolled around to the front of the quilt, and stitch-in-the-ditch of the piping on the front of the quilt. NO hand stitching at all! It was fairly easy, but I could not have done it for the first time without the video.

This is a very general idea of how he does this, I recommend getting copy of his video, check out your library, or it is available for sale on the internet if you are interested in binding by machine.

I've done some bindings completely by machine. i pin, pin, pin the corners though. and watch where I'm going. usually works.