For the first part of attaching the binding to the sandwich or to the front prior to stiching the back down .. I always machine stitch .. you can get more stiches per inch and an even tension , that is very difficult/time consuming to duplicate by hand.
Stitching final step of the binding , is a personal preference, I have been doing more by machine and like the results... but it takes a bit of practice and fiddling with your machine and feet to decide what gives the best results.