Just a comment on hand stitching. I love to hand stitch and always do my bindings that way. Relaxing while watching TV, therapeutic for my hands. I have a couple of quilts that do not have one machine stitch in the entire quilt, many that are machine sewn.... Love it all! But regarding STURDINESS.. I am repairing an edge on a quilt I made my older son maybe 28 years ago or so... the binding was not worn out, the dog put a bite on the edge... so I decided to fix the spot and replace the binding. This quilt has been washed and loved and washed some more.....It has been a cover, a tent a fort, all sorts of things... That binding was on just as firmly as it was when I first applied it! It is even hard to remove! So I guess hand stitching can be pretty sturdy as well.