Prism99

Regarding question #1, there is no need to cut batting and binding 1/4" larger than the top. That would be difficult to do!

Regarding question #2, I cut all the layers together. Sometimes that means trimming a bit of the top off too. As much as possible, I want my quilts to be square, and that means making sure the corners are squared.

Regarding question #3, it depends.

The reason for sewing around the perimeter before attaching binding is to make sure that all 3 layers are captured before you apply the binding. If you do this, I would advise using a long stitch. That way, if you inadvertently get a tucker or puck, or get an edge folded under, it will be easy to unsew that part and re-sew. It can be difficult to sew like this inside a small 1/4" seam, but the reason to do it is so that you can correct any issues (such as excess fabric at the edge) before you sew the binding on. Since you have already cut and pressed the binding, I assume you are planning on a 1/4" seam for the binding.

After years of struggling with bindings, I finally developed my own method that is faster and excludes the "oops" I used to get every time I did it. I will not describe it here because of where you are now. It would just be confusing. Next time you need to bind a quilt, though, I would recommend posting before you do any trimming or cutting of the binding, as I think you would find some tips that would make the process easier.

Edit: I just realized that you have not cut your top yet. One of my tricks is to *draw* the cutting line on the quilt sandwich using a ruler and Sharpie marker. This becomes a "virtual" edge. When sewing the binding on, I line it up with that virtual edge. I cut the sandwich after sewing the binding on. This way I don't have to deal with sewing near the edges where stretching and folding is more likely to occur. When cutting with this method, you *must* not cut any of the binding fabric at the corners, as doing so will result in a hole in your binding.

This approach also makes basting around the edges easy, as you do not have to stay within a narrow 1/4" seam allowance to do it; you can baste anywhere to the right of the "virtual" marked cutting line.