Thank you all for your helpful thoughts and links and ideas. I'm feeling much better about the next quilt I try binding on, lol. This one, I'll just glare at it and make it work.
I'm thinking I'm going to cut my batting/backing to the quilt top size, no excess. What size binding strips do you cut? When I did 2.5" and did this, it gave me waaaaaaaay too much on the back. I'm thinking 2" should be enough (1/4 sewed down, 1/4 showing on top, 1/4 on side 1/4 on back, x 2 strips = 2")??