I've been sort of AWOL on this thread as I've been working on two mystery quilts. One is finished now, so I can begin really pondering what to make for my swappie. She has no colour preferences, which is so lovely for me. That means I can play with my favourite colours and designs.
As to finishing -- I'm a "self binder" person on everything including quilts. None of mine will ever make it to a quilt show, so wrapping the back around to the front is my preferred method. Of course, that means I have to match the backing to the quilt, but that is easy to do, and especially with smaller items. I had trouble with the corners at first, but found this great tutorial.
http://jennabrand.com/2013/04/17/bac...ding-tutorial/
For those wanting to do traditional binding, I don't think you can do better than watch the three-part series called "Binding the Angel" by Sharon Schambler on YouTube. She goes into great detail.