Originally Posted by
Jennifer23
I manage this adjusting how far from the edge I stitch when sewing the binding to the front.
Sew 4-6", then fold binding around and see how much of a lip there will be. Sometimes I even stitch it to the back, using a long stitch, if I'm not sure.
The lip is usually too wide, so I move the needle one click to the left (widening the seam allowance). Restitch that 4-6" chunk, then fold it over and check again.
Keep doing this until I have it just where I like it. I aim for less than a millimetre of lip sticking out.
Instead of pins or basting clips, I will often use strips of 1/4" wide double-sided fusible to attach the binding to the back. This way I can check the lip (approximately) as I iron it in place, and I know it won't shift as I sew it. Most of the fusible manufacturers make the 1/4" rolls; I've bought Wonder Under and Steam-a-Seam Lite at Joann's and Fabricland.
This is what I do, too.
I usually cut my binding strip about 2-7/8 inches wide because I like a wider binding. (I think it should be a bit wider if I am going to sew the second stitching by machine.)
I chose that width because of the left-most needle setting on my machine!
But there is always a little bit of testing before I go very far around the perimeter.
I know of one person that sews her binding to the front, then wraps it to the back and glues the binding down - and then stitches in the ditch on the top to catch the back of the binding. I have not tried that yet, but it sounds feasible. Again - I would do a bit of testing to make sure I liked the look before going very far.