I have been trying to machine sew my binding on the back of my quilt instead of doing the blind stitch by hand and it doesn't look good! But it takes forever to do it by hand. I would like to stick to doing it by machine so does anyone have any ideas how to keep it straight and looking good on the back and STILL catch the binding?

Sorry can't help you there but I know what you mean. Let's hope someone has the answer.

Sew the binding to the back and turn to the front instead. Then do a decorative stitch -- this won't detract from the pattern/design/"look" of the quilt off the edge of the binding on the back as it might on the front. Use a decorative stitch rather than a close-to-the-edge stitch.

Jan in VA

Hi

I machine my binding to the back of the quilt then fold it over to the front and machine sew it down from that side. I follow the usual instructions for attaching a binding but do it in reverse, I think since I machine quilt anyway, another row of machine stitching visible from the front won't make much difference. If you are careful to fold your binding evenly your stitching will look ok from both sides.

I hope that makes sense to you, good luck.

in the past 10 years i guess i have 'tried' to cut corners and do my binding by machine maybe 10 times...it has never come out looking good, in fact in my eye it totally ruins the quilt i worked so hard to make look good. the only bindings i have seen that do not hurt the over-all look of the quilt is hand stitched ones.
i know there are people who successfully machine stitch their bindings, i'm not one of them. and even when it does 'work' it still makes the quilt look (store-made) instead of loving done by hand.
i have found when i first started quilting it could take me a week to get a binding hand stitched around a queen size quilt, now after doing it alot i can do one in 2-3 hours...each time you do one you get a little faster..does not take that long to get good and fast.

Attaching binding by machine to the back and bringing it forward is a lovely way to finish, particularly for people with health issues and can't hand sew a large quilt, or if you wish to finish quickly. I've done them both ways and have been pleased, however I still prefer the old fashioned way of hand stitching to the back. It really adds the "I love you" factor and when I'm giving the quilt as a gift I'm sewing every stitch with love.

I don't have any advise I'm just thinking.... "oh how I miss my commercial machine and all the folders!" binding was a breeze!

Here's a good way:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5...eature=related

When I've done it, I pin in the ditch on the front, parallel to edge of the binding, very close together. When you're pinning, make sure you have a little bit between the pin and the fold of the binding to the outside of the pin on the back. That way when you are stitching, the stitch line is on the binding. I use my walking foot, go very slowly, and stitch in the ditch on the front. You may have to go back and restitch a little, but not too much.

Two ways. I use a solid or mottled on the back and match my bobbin thread as close as possible. I dont use 2 1/4 inches but 2 1/2 I attach to the back but I make the back a smidgen narrower than the front. So instead of attaching with a true quarter I use 3/16. Then I press and stitch from the front using topstitching. Takes some practice not to get the stitching on the binding (and I have a topstitching walking foot) but the stitching line on the back will show up like quilting.

Second I just used the idea somebody posted the other day where you made the two strips and stitch them together. A seam ends up on the edge and you topstitch the front and back at the same time. First try and it turned out good and it was fast. Plus you can have different color bindings on the front and back of the quilt.