I machine stitch to the back and hand sew to the front - I am more confident of my control with hand sewing, and I like to be able to see the front as it is being bound so that I know it will look neat when finished.
I use a 1/4 inch foot for machine stitching the back and have never had a problem - I don't do FMQ so don't have a walking foot
I love binding - the finished article appears as you work your way round
