Thanks for all of the suggestions and as I see it, everyone uses a rainbow of widths! I get the part about the batting thickness and all, but if most are using warm/ natural type, why the difference in widths? This is where I wouldn't know how to figure out my seam allowance.
As far as joining the 2 end pieces...I was following Sharon Schamber's video, but I screw up. I had plenty of binding, but I guess I didn't leave an "open" enough space left unsewn?? I don't know really. Anyway, the binding that I took off looks like crap with all of the dried glue all over it! lol It also didn't stick well for me, so I guess I am lucky for that. Since the small wall hanging that I was trying to bind had an appliqued rag flag on it, I just decided to clip the edges and let it be my border. I hate only being able to make raggy stuff!
Oh, how I long to know how to hand stitch anything down!! I have tons of books and tried to watch videos, but either I can't get the image right in my head, or I can't see "exactly" where they are putting the tip pf the needle, etc. When I have tried with some little things, the stitching is awful, and some you can see and some you can't. Another epic fail.