Yup, you can.

The thing that always happens to me is I "fall off" the back sometimes, so the back stitches do not look "straight" at all!

Someone said they increase the width of their strip from 2.5 to 3.5 inches and make a wider binding and it works better. I might just have to try this one!

Yes you can sew it by machine. I only use that method.
When you sew your binding onto your quilt, sew it to the back so you flip it to the front.
If you want the topstitching to catch the back part of the binding too, make sure your folded edge on the front is barely over the stitching line, and then topstitch about 1/8 " from that edge.
If you don't care if the stitching shows on the back, which is usually not a problem if you have a busy pattern on the back, just fold it where it fits best and topstitch.
You can also use a fancy embroidery stitch instead of the topstitch on the front.
Sharon Schamber has a youtube video on using glue to hold the binding in place until you sew it. I use that almost all the time instead of pins,

I use different stitches to sew on the bindings too, not just the straight stitch. Some are more forgiving than the straight stitch, like the blanket stitch :wink: I don't ever sew them on by hand :D:D:D

I do it by machine too!! Not good at hand sewing either. I use fancy stitches to try and make it look good.

Here is a pdf tutorial from Sharon Schamber. It shows machine stitching the binding and also the glue method for basting. I have found that if I use the glue method, I never miss the binding on the back.

She uses a zipper foot, but I just use a zig zag foot.

http://www.sharonschamber.com/free%2...ng%20Class.pdf

There are also videos on youtube of this method.

Ack, I must say that even with all of her extra steps and work the machine binding still doesn't look great:<

I only do bindings by machine. I cut my strips 2-1/4" wide, press in half, then sew with a 1/4" seam allowance onto the back side. I seam the ends together, then sew the top part down. Usually with a straight stitch, sometimes a decorative one. Works great for me. I don't use pins or glue.

I sew binding on the front side, then pin it around to the back and use a decorative stitch on the front. A patchwork/turkey tracks stitch does a great job because it goes over some of the binding on the front as well as into the quilt on the front and it catches everything on the back (provided I pinned well enough!).

I wouldn't machine stitch binding on something formal, but on something that's going to get a lot of use, it's better to do it by machine.

thanks for a great tip/ideas

My last quilt, I did the binding all by machine. I sewed the binding on the back, first. Then used a blanket stitch to sew the front on. It worked out really well.

I should clarify. I do many bindings by machine, but I do a decorative stitch on the front if it's for a child and that way, it looks great. I think the problem is when you do a straight stitch...any imperfections are very noticeable. I still fall back on my stitching it to the front and handstitching the back. It just looks the best IMHO.

I use both methods, machine only and hand-stitching. (But I enjoy hand-stitching.) To machine stitch the binding, I sew it on the back and turn the binding to the front to sew. I don't pin, just use my fingers to hold a section at a time. The key is to use the first seam as your guide. Turn the binding so it just covers the seam and use a decorative stitch along the very edge. The decorative stitch will camoflage the imperfections and using the first stitch as a guide will help to keep those to a minimum.

You could also, if you used a nice backing fabric, leave it bigger, then after quilting, trim to a scant inch wider than the wadding and top, fold in half towards the edge and press with the iron then fold in again over the top and zig zag in place. The corners take a bit of jiggery pokery to get neat but this is fine IMO for dolly quilts and other quicky projects. Otherwise I'm pernickety and always hand sew to the back. :mrgreen: :D

Eddie put a binding tutorial up here on the board a few months ago. It must work OK, because he has won ribbons doing it by machine.

Ricky Tims has a nice method, shown in detail on his DVD, Grande Finale. That DVD is available at my library, maybe yours too?

I think as quilters we worry too much about little details such as machine binding. No one that I've ever made a quilt for has ever complained about the binding. My thoughts on binding is make it co-ordinate, make it functional and long wearing and make it as neat as possible. Machine binding works for me and the quilts that I make.

Pat Sloan has a good tutorial on binding with machine on her blog, check it out. I've been using her method lately and even I get beautiful results.

k3n, what great morning glory fabric in your quilt. You don't happen to have any scraps left that you'd like to trade for? If you do, please PM me and let's see if we can work something out!!!
Hugssssssss and smilesss, wildlinda

I only do my bindings by machine. I fold it in half and sew it to the back of the quilt first and then fold it over to the front of the quilt and stitch it down with a straight stitch about 1/8" from the edge. It works great.
Look at Kaye Wood's website, she has a good video for doing binding.
Sharon W.

Go to you tube and search "Sharon Schamber Quilting" and lots of stuff will come up. there's more than 1 on binding

Hi Linda - I'm sorry but this was scraps that I was given by someone else or I'd happily send you some :-( . It IS pretty though, isn't it. :D

Here it is although all the pics are missing for some reason.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-25080-1.htm

On some quilts I do the machine stitch on the front after attaching binding on the back. I try to pull binding over so when I stitch it fall below the binding on the back. I uses a decorative stitch that grabs the edge of the binding and goes into the body of the quilt by just a hair. I use 2 1/4 for my binding width.

I hate hand sewing anything. For a binding, I like for it to be a noticable part like the rest. I usually start with a 3 inch strip. Fold it in half, press. Turn the edges under by half, press. My binding is then 3/4 inch. Pin the binding to the quilt witht he fold on the edge. Then... sew. Both sides are sewn at the same time.

I love doing the binding. Because then I know I'm getting close to finishing it. I too make a three 1/2 in, fold in half, sew it on with a half in. seam, fold to the front, and just barely cover the seam. I use a decorative stitch that looks like a half moon. and catches only one stitch on the left. Isn't that as plain as rain?

I sewed the binding on for the quilt I finished today. I have to admit, it looks pretty good, but I miss not being able to hand stitch it. I love hand stitching, it's the most relaxing thing I do. I just don't do it often cause I last only about 10 minutes, then it's lights out. I take a nap every time I hand stitch, whether it's quilting or sewing binding or sewing pieces. Works better and faster than any pm med I've ever tried! I truly believe that I can feel my pulse slow down and pressure drop. I used to bring hand work to the hospital to sit with mom just for this reason. I'd sew and chat with mom till one of us dozed off. If I spent the whole day, we might take 4-5 catnaps and I'd never quite finish the chore at hand!

Yes, fold the binding in half lengthwise, sew to the back, flip to the front and just bring the binding up to meet the stitching, not cover it, and straight stitch, Everything stays even that way, no puckers, no pins.

I always finish off with one of the decorative stitches from a modern machine since I hate to hand stitch. And sometimes I use one color thread for the top and a different color thread for the bottom. Last binding I did was the glue method that I read somewhere on this board.
I was very pleased with the way the binding turned out using the glue and iron method that I plan to use this method with all of my bindings.

I make what is called a Double Fold Binding, and I machine sew it to the back of the quilt first and then turn it over to the front of the quilt and machine sew it down. Turns out perfect.
I will use this for baby quilts, quilts for my bed or kids quilts. A wedding gift quilt I will do the hand method of sewing.
If a quilt is going to be washed alot or used alot I find the machine sewing holds up better. I know some people won't do a machine binding at all, but I know for judging, you can't use machine sewen binding on the front of a quilt.

Try http://www.sharonschambernetwork.com/ Go to Free Classes and you'll find it under Piped Binding