I usually don't sew around a quilt before binding it but I did on the quilt I repaired for a friend. It was a baby quilt for her son (he is now 16) and the first time she washed it it frayed so bad the binding fell off. First I had to square it and then I sewed around the edge to help stop the fraying. Then I attached the binding. It seems to be holding and will be for her first grandchild. The quilt top was made by her, it was tied by her mother and had the binding attached by me. There are a lot of people involved with that quilt.