I have found that if you cut your binding fabric 2 3/4 it is easier to put on. Also I was taught to pin on the binding before sewing so that you make sure that the joining peices are not on the corners. Also A professional quilter told me that she always hand sews binding on unless she is doing a kids quilt. she also stitches binding to front and then turns to back and stitches. Also method of turning backing to front for binding works and is easy but only if you want your binding to match the backing. Good luck!

Thanks for the link, Holice. I found our episode, I'm off to watch it. Do you handstitch or machine?

Yes, of course you can. I do my machine binding that way - always. I sew it to the back - the same way as anyone would sew it to the front. Then fold it to the front. Once it's been pressed really well, then I go over it again using Sharon Schamber's method of using school glue to hold it. You have to use a very thin line of glue - so put it in a special bottle with a steel "pin hole" top that you can get a Michaels in the porcelain painting area.
Do a bit at a time, glue it and set it with the dry iron. This washes out with absolutely no residue.
Now the fun part. If you don't like straight topstitching, use a feather stitch or a blanket stitch over the edge of the binding on the front. Presto!

If you have a friend or fellow quilter that lives close to you, maybe she can help. Sometimes it just feels akward but then when you are shown it makes perfect sense. I must be a little strange but binding is my favorite part of the quilting. Find it so relaxing and also cuz the quilt is finally almost done.

Oddly enough, I feel the same way. The first quilt I made for someone else (the reason I bought my new machine in 2009), was a special baby quilt, using squares contributed by members of my church. I was/AM such a novice and beginner, and made it so much harder on myself than it would have been if I had just known what I was doing. I basically reinvented the wheel. So lots of mistakes, but it still did turn out really cute. But with all that, I was very happy with the binding. I looked at lots of directions, both in books and online, took my time, and this was the first one that I hand sewed it to the back, and that made a huge difference. Really the binding for me was the best part of that whole quilt!

I know some on this board do not like Sharon Schamber's method of using Elmer's School Glue, but I find it makes the job of binding much easier -- no pins to deal with. Since using Sharon's glue method and Kitsie's perfect binding tutorial (http://www.quiltingboard.com/t-51632-1.htm), my bindings have turned out perfect.

The only quilter friend I know does her binding by folding over from the backing. I don't mind this method, but I'm determined to master the other way too. There are many Iowans here on this board, but I havn't found any very close to me.

Evie, I can't get your link to work. Am I doing it wrong?

It seems to be the right link. You can find it by looking in the Tutorials section. Also, this is the same one I linked to here:
http://pir8.freeservers.com/quilting...ding/index.htm

Do a search for the "Cut-Rite Bind Up Tool". I couldn't do a binding to save my soul. This tool is inexpensive and easy to use. There is a video tutorial to show you how. (I'd find it for you, bit I'm on my iPad which makes it a bit of a process.) I love this tool. It has solved my binding problems.