When you attach your binding, do you machine sew it on, or machine sew the top and hand sew the back? Why?

I prefer hand sewing on the back, but understand why some prefer machine.

Prefer hand sewing the back. Like listening to programs so i do needle work then.

I prefer the look of hand sewing the back down. Mainly because it's not always easy to get it looking good on the back when you machine stitch it. I did recently glue baste the binding, then stitching it by machine. The first one was just ok. I adjusted the needle a bit and got it better on the next one. Last weekend I made a doll quilt for my granddaughter and forgot to move the needle over. I hated how it came out! But it was only a doll quilt, so I let it go. I forgot to make myself a note of what to use for the needle position, so I need to experiment and stick a note on my machine to remind me.

I definitely hand sew on the back - it's one of my favourite parts of producing a quilt.

Me too! I sit, watching tv, while covered with the quilt, hand sewing on the binding. To me, it's the finalizing step in adding love to a quilt for someone special. As it's providing warmth to me as well. :)

I have arthritis in my hands. I have a hard time with hand sewing. So, machine it is.

I'm sure this will sound crazy, but I don't even know how to hand sew...lol. I just started quilting almost a year ago, and I am completely self taught. Although, I have got great advice here on this board. I machine sew my binding down to the back of my quilts and then I machine sew the binding to the front with a decorative stitch. I really like it that way. I think it looks so neat. In the beginning, I was sewing it down on the front and then on the back, but you could always see that stitching on the front which looked messy to me, so that's why I started doing the decorative stitch.

I usually put the binding on the quilt by machine and hand stitch it in place on the back. I have put it on by hand as well.

I used to always sew the binding by hand to the back, but arthritis has "hit" so now I sew the binding by machine to the back and bring it around to the front and machine sew it with a decorative stitch/

When I handstitch the binding down, I knot ever time I add a stitch. I love the look of it and I also think the mitered corners look better on the side with the handstitching so I hand stitch on the FRONT of the quilt. I know most people don't do it this way...

Machine sew on the front, then hand sew to the back. But I haven't made any large bed-sized quilt. I have a queen WIP & that will take me awhile to bind!

I have seen some use just a whip-stitch. I use a blind stitch.

Hand..I love the physical act of hand finishing the quilt. Even in the summer I enjoy having the quilt all over me and my chair. It is like an ahhhh moment which stretches into hours. Sometimes I do smaller quilts on machine with a decorative stitch.

hand sew my bindings to the back with a ladder stitch,but I have heard an applique stitch is stronger, I just don't want the thread to show...

I'm another that machine stitches to the front and than hand sews the back. Quilts for Kids wants everything machine done so I've used decorative stitches on those but my personal preference is the traditional look and I'm not exacting enough to have the back look nice if I do the whole thing by machine.

Add me to the list of quilters who sew the binding to the front and hand stitch it to the back. I enjoy sitting and sewing while watching TV. So relaxing to me.

I attach the binding to the front of the quilt by machine and sew it to the back by hand.

I machine sew the top and hand sew the back. Unless it is a kids quils for the hospital. Then I sew the binding to the back instead of the front and bring it over and machine sew it down. I know they are going to be washed alot and I want it to last.

My preference is sew binding to front and then hand stitch on the back. I don't mind the hand stitching at all.

Yesterday was the first time I hand sewed on the back. Until then I always just made the backing bigger and brought it around to the front and machine sewed it down. So, I learned (taught myself through the web :D ) how to make a binding, machine sew it on the front and hand sew it on the back. The mitered corners turned out really well, which I never could get otherwise. The only problem I had is my vision is so bad that I had to use a very bright light to see what I was doing. It took a long time also, and I'm not very patient. While it may have been my first, it certainly won't be my last :)

Machine sew the front & hand sew the back

I have only done two... (all my other quilts are pillow cased)
both oth the ones i have done I have done with my machine....

I hand sew theback. Itried doing it by machine once, but didn't like the look of it.

I sew on the back, machine on the front. Having hand surgery in Oct. Maybe when it heals I can go back to hand sewing in the back!!

Machine all the way! I have a nerve issue so I can't grip a hand sewing needle for more than a couple of stitches before my hand becomes numb. I am able to sew the back seam a little more straight since I got a SID foot!!

For the first part of attaching the binding to the sandwich or to the front prior to stiching the back down .. I always machine stitch .. you can get more stiches per inch and an even tension , that is very difficult/time consuming to duplicate by hand.
Stitching final step of the binding , is a personal preference, I have been doing more by machine and like the results... but it takes a bit of practice and fiddling with your machine and feet to decide what gives the best results.

Ditto for me. I really like hand sewing the binding on the back. I challenge myself to see how tiny I can get the stitches and how invisible I can make them. I use thread to match backing.

Machine for me! Machine sew to the front then SID. Haven't tried sewing to the back first & flipping but I may have to try!

If it is made for kids I machine sew it down.

Another vote for machine stitching to the front and hand stitching to the back. I think it puts the finishing touch on the quilt, and my corners look great.
Sue

Actually it depends on use of the quilt. When I do for charity quilts that I know will get lots of washing, I do by machine. I sew to the back and then sew to the front with matching thread. All others I do by hand on the back.

I have always hand sewn the back, but the older I get, the more I am liking machine sew all the way.

I have done all of the above and even just had the quilter do the binding. I guess it depends on the look I am going for as to wether I hand stitch the back and/or the front - machine stitch -or pillowcase the quilt - I just decide what the quilt looks like it wants - "Speak to me of scraps of wonder!"

Just enjoy what you're doing that is what counts.

I hand sew the back. As much as I dislike doing it, I hand sew it because I like the look better. It's just personal preference.

I can't seem to do a nice job of machine stitching to the front with a straight stitch. For kids or charity quilts I use my 3 point zigzag to sew the binding down. I really like the look of HS to the back. I too have arthritis in my hands. I've quit HQ and have a dickens of a time crocheting, but sewing the bindings down with a blind stitch no problem. Whew, cuz it's the most relaxing part of quilting and I can then say my quilt is finished.

I hate any kind of hand sewing, so for me, I LOVE my sewing machine...

I can make it look better and stay filled or stiff if I hand stitch.

I am also one who machine sews the front and hand sews the back.....I save it for when I want to watch (really just listen) to TV or have quiet time when no one's home but me!!

I machine sew it to the back first then fold it over and machine sew a decorative stitch on the front, a wave, a zig zag or one of the other pretty stitches. Why? because I have a hand peicing project (GFG) and 2 hand quilting projects right now and don't have time to hand sew the binding on

I always hand sew the binding to the back. The cats love to curl up in it while it's in my lap.

I machine sew the binding on the back, then flip it over and glue down to the front....and then use a decorative machine stitch on the front side....I like machine stitching because it is more sturdy than hand sewing.....I really, really, don't want to do repair work on binding!