Barb in Louisiana

The snap on foot I use on my Brother machines. I honestly could not do my method of binding without this foot. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/282395589935

I'm a reverse binder. I, also, use a smaller seam than a lot of quilters, a 2.0 seam when I am piecing or sewing on the binding. The normal seam most quilters & piecers use is 2.5 which is too loose for me. I find that it comes unsewn at the edges of blocks. I, also, don't use pieced final borders very often. If there are a lot of seams on the edge of the quilt, then I always sew that 1/8" seam to keep the edges together and that is before quilting. Consider it as a basting stitch. I do use my normal 2.0 stitch length.

I quilt on a long arm Edge to Edge and frequently run a small (1/4") around the edge while on the quilting frame. I square up my quilt after the quilting, which means some or all of that 1/4" basting stitch will likely be cut away. Because I know I am going to lose some of my borders, I will cut them about 1/2~1" wider to compensate for the loss. I then measure the squared quilt and cut my binding 2 1/2" on the bias for the outside quilt measurement plus about 12 inches. Sew your joining binding seams at a 45 degree angle, not straight across. I iron my joining seams open. I like the bias for that little bit of stretchy. When I sew WOF of fabric binding, I always end up with a tuck somewhere in the seam and that drives me crazy! Then I fold the 2 1.2" binding in half. I do not iron. Start in the middle of a side and sew on the back of the quilt using a 1/4" inch seam, making sure that I keep both edges of the binding even with the outside edge of the quilt. I stretch the binding just a little bit. Not enough that it tries to ruffle, but enough that it lays down snug against the quilt. If the outside starts pulling up and becomes smaller than the quilt itself, you are snugging it down too much.

Before you start the binding process, practice how to do a corner properly, there are many YouTube videos on how to get that proper mitered corner. On the second part of the corner, I have to use a starter fabric so I can use it to help pull the quilt through the machine. My machine will just sit there and chew the corner if I don't help it. Pull is probably the wrong word. Too much pulling will get your machine out of time and you will have to visit the tech. I sew very slowly and help the feed dogs pull at the same speed they are trying to pull the quilt through for the stitching.

After joining the two ends and sewing that last part of the binding down, then I fold the binding over to the front. This is where the fun part starts....I roll the binding to the front, keeping the fold even and position the leading edge of the binding just slightly (1/8") past the first seam I sewed. Then I take out the slack in the binding at the edge of the quilt, by rolling it to the back, which puts my stitch line on both the front & back at 1/8" from the edge of the binding and leaves the binding full and not sloppy at the edge. I use the original Clover clips which have the measurement on them and make every effort to keep the edges even with the outside edge snug against the quilt edge and sew on this 1/8" line.

For the corners, I work them by folding one of them to the right and one to the left. This is the only place I use pins. The Clover Clips are too bulky. It doesn't matter which side is which, just that they don't get folded the same way and create a lot of bulk. You will likely have to hand sew the folds in the corner. I cheat and sew up the 45 degree angle and them back down. If your thread matches the binding, you will never notice it. I do use a 50 weight Aurifil or a 50 weight Connecting Thread's all cotton thread.

If done properly, both the front and the back will have the seams about 1/8" from the edge, which is the smaller edge of the generic 1/4" foot measurement. No other seams will show. One day I will take pictures while I am doing the binding and it will be much more clear. The things I like about my method, is no handwork and there are two seams which add strength, and it looks professionally done.

maviskw

After your quilt is quilted, it has several inches of extra batt and backing on all sides, correct? If the top is square, that is the edge you use to sew on your binding. No matter how wide the binding is, that is the edge you use. That way you won't cut off points. I will trim a little of the batt and back at this point just to get excess out of my way. Leaving about an inch would work fine.
After the binding is sewn on, the batt and back need to be trimmed. The measurement starts at the sewing line you used to sew on the binding. With a 2 1/2 inch binding I usually cut at 3/8 of an inch. That leaves just enough to fill the binding. I you made a 3 inch binding, you might need 3/4 inch from the sewing line. You will have to try it out, and don't forget to allow for the thickness of the batt.

Mitty

I'm guessing that this would be so that the binding doesn't cover up the edges of the top (essentially cutting off 1/4" of the design). I wouldn't do it that way myself, because I'd worry that my binding wouldn't be exactly 1/4" in the front and then I'd have some of the batting showing. I cut all three layers flush.

I also usually stitch around the perimeter to hold the top/batting/back together, which makes it easier for me. The exact seam allowance doesn't matter, but you want it to be covered up by the binding, so less than 1/4". If it doesn't get covered up you can remove it after binding or use thread that blends in and pretend it's part of the quilting!

You might want to practice on a scrap sandwich. Bindings are tricky.