I was just wondering if we are supposed to sew close to the edge of the quilt before trimming it and applying the binding. I have noticed several videos on you tube about applying binding but no one ever mentions if you are supposed to sew down the edge of the quilt

I do. I find that it prevents slipping and tucks.

i do because i quilt on a frame and bast the edges as i go (most of the time) it does make applying the binding easier having everything nice and flat on that edge

I learned to do this watching a Fons & Porter quilting show once. It is especially helpful when I attach the binding to the back first and roll it over to front.

If I have quilted on the LA I have tacking stitches all around the edge anyway. When FMQ on my DSM I usually have quilted so close to the edges that it isn't necessary. Hand quilting, it all depends how densely I have quilted the border and how "loose" things appear around the edges. I will make a judgement call if I find it necessary or not.

A lot depends on the tightness of the weave of the fabric and if it has borders or not. I am currently handquilting a quilt whose top was made of loosely woven feed sacks. A lady at the Senior center donated it to benefit the center. It had no borders. I took it home and stay stitched he whole outside before washing it to be sure it would not fall apart. I then pressed it and added a solid border on all four sides. I currently have it more than three quarter of the way handquilted and it is doing fine.
Staystitching is a good idea if there are no solid borders or if the blocks have a lot of bias edges. It is mostly a judgement call.

I usually quilt to the edge, so I generally do not stitch around the outside again.

If the quilting is dense, there will be less chance for slipping, I don't. If the quilting is looser with bigger areas not quilted right at the edge, I do.

I do. I always use a narrow zigzag stitch. It flattens the edge and makes it easier to apply the binding.

I attach the binding, then trim

I usually do a small zig-zag stitch very close to the edge. That way I don't worry so much about the backing not being caught in the binding. I do mostly echo or stitch in the ditch quilting, so my edges are rarely quilted.

I do. Helps keep everything in place when I attach the binding.

I have to say that 90% of the time I do stitch around I like having the flatness to bind to.

Yes, most of the time I do too :D:D:D

I do , I use a larger stitch about a 3.5 or 4 , it just makes everything easier. It's time/effort well spent.

I stitch! I've had some that didn't have enough quilting around the edges to keep it flat and ended up with puckers or pleats when I applied the binding.

I use my serger to neaten up the outside edges and trim at the same time.

I don't but I'm going to start. I find that if I am sewing the binding on with the machine I have problems with the edge of the quilt not getting caught in my sewing. Therefore it is sticking out of the binding. The last couple I have done I did the binding by hand and liked the look a lot better.

Good information. I have never heard of doing this before and I think it would make things easier when attaching the binding.

I didn't used to but I read here on the Board that all lot of you use your serger to serge the edges before binding. I tried it on my last two quilts and I was very pleased with how much quicker and smoother my binding went on, so now I plan to do that with all my quilts.

I do this also. If I don't use the frame, I do baste around edges whe I baste the whole quilt .

I measure from the last border toward the edge and mark. I sew a zig zag stitch around and then trim a straight edge. It helps keeps the binding perfectly straight.

I mark the cutting edge with a permanent Sharpie first, then sew around the edge close to the marked line, either a little inside or a little outside the marked line. I do *not* trim before attaching binding; I attach binding for the first side using the marked line to line up the raw edge of the binding. Only after attaching the binding do I finally trim the edges, being *very* careful not to nick any of the binding fabric (especially at the corners).

Waiting to trim allows me to adjust the width of the sandwich in the binding to make sure it will will the binding the way I like it. Also, then I don't have to deal with cut edges of the quilt sandwich rippling or getting ragged from handling.

I noticed that when I cut first and then stitched around the edge, I was still likely to get some sliding, distortion and tucks because the sewing line is *so* close to the edge. The way I do it, just marking the cutting line without cutting, makes the edge much more stable while I work with it.

I do a long basting stitch around the edge before I trim the edges. Keeps it together very nicely.

I quilt to the edges so have not stitched around before binding and have had no trouble.

I do and use basting stitches as well. If I don't, the binding always pulls something out of place and creates wrinkles.

ditto

Great idea. Thanks.

It wasn't in the instruction book so I didn't do it for the first quilt, although my sewer's brain said "stay-stitch!!" But I've done it since - a little baste or zigzag - and it helps me keep the backing in line. I need all the help I can get as a rookie

Me too!

i do not. i quilt to the edges, so i've never had a need to.

Never.

Yes I do.

I do it by hand. It's kind of a long running stitch - nothing fancy. The stitching is covered by the binding, so I don't have to fuss taking it out.

Yep, sure do.

I quilt as close as I can to the edge and if the quilting design isn't close I straight stitch the edge.

I use my serger to trim up the quilt

I do. I actually serge the edges because it makes the binding easier to do.

If the fabric is a bit unruly, yes I stitch around the edge. If it lays nice and flat I don't bother and it turns out fine. You can also use a long machine basting stitch on an unruly edge so that you can clip as needed to make the fabric lay where you want it without having to take out a lot of little stitches.

I always do and I even did a blanket stitch around my last one before I binded...I don't think I will do that again...since it does use up so much thread. I also sew twice on my borders.