I do all of mine on the machine. I cut the binding 2 1/2" on the bias. I fold it but I don't iron it. I sew the binding on the back with a 1/4" seam. Then I turn it to the front, just barely covering the original seam. When I do this, I have some extra binding which I push to the back to make the back binding equal to the size of the front binding. It looks like bias binding tape after I sew it on. All the stitching is on the binding. It looks like a high end binding machine did the stitching.