finish on back by hand love the neat look.

You know I really don't like doing the binding for some reason. Maybe it's because it takes so much time to do it and I am excited to get it done!

Like many others, binding is my least favorite part of making a quilt, but it must be done (smile).

I do both machine and hand stitching on the bindings. Depends on what it is and how it is going to be used. Children's quilts, pot holders, table covers or something that will be laundered frequently, I often sew by machine or some art quilts, postcards and such. Bed quilts, other art quilts and so on I like to sew by hand. I think it looks better, tidier, and more authentic.

There is no one saying this or that is best. Do what you like and works for you. It is all good. Have fun!

I prefer to hand sew my binding.

Use a matching to the binding thread and a fine needle, like a #10 sharps applique or something. One strand of thread. Bury your knot in the seam allowance and then just catch one or two threads on the very edge of your binding, plus a bit of the backing and batting. If you bring your needle up underneath the edge and the threads that you catch are on the very edge or just under the edge of the binding .... your stitches will not show much. Good Luck!

i machine stitch binding to the front then fold to the back and hand stitch. i have been (lazy) a couple times and machine stitched both sides...when time was an issue and i didn't have time to do it right.. i always feel horrible when i cut corners and do that-- i think it looks like crap and ruins all the work i put intothe quilt in the first place to finish with a shoddy technique for the binding.
i'm sure it's just me- i just don't like the way they look when they are machine applied...always looks...like it came from walmart to me.
a quilt that was maybe a good $500 quilt, suddenly becomes a $50 , ashamed to give it away quilt.
i know some people successfully machine apply their bindings and like it that way...it's just one of those (things) with me.

I bind everything by machine. I also sew the binding to the back with a 1/4 seam allownace first then pull it to the front and stitch down by machine. This method gives me a bit of a wider binding on the front and it covers the bobbin thread that shows on the front from stitching to the back first. I normaly use a 3 1/2 inch wide straight grain binding folded in half for the actual binding.

Yeah, and for me, it's usually a bit of blood.

:-)

Yeah me too, especially if I stitch by hand :roll:

I do mine by hand, I don't like the stitches showing on the front. I guess with the time and effort I put into a quilt I don't want to look like I rushed the binding.