I never had good luck till I started using a skinny strip ( 1/4 inch) of heat and bond lite to hold the binding exactly where I wanted it to be. It makes no difference if you bring the binding to the back or the front .. just make sure you cover the first stitch line by a few threads . If you are bringing it to the back , I stitch in the ditch on the front side. If you are bringing it to the front I top stitch on the right side.
Having the binding fused in place will make a world of difference . Use a decorative stitch if you like , but I perfer not see the stitches, and often use invisable thread .
Note : they even sell 1/4 inch wide fusible on a roll at Jo'anns.