Thanks for starting this thread. Obviously many of us struggle with this phase of quiltmaking. Binding is my favorite part...because when it's done, IT'S done. I, too, am unhappy with machine stitching both sides. I do 2 1/2 or 2 1/4 depending on thickness of quilt and machine the front and hand stitch the back in small < 1/4" stitches. A few times, for children's quilts or wallhangings I have machined the back and then flipped and decoratively stitched the front. I like the way this looks and because you are looking at your flipped over binding, I feel like I have lots of control over how it looks finished.