Do you use the straight grain or bias? I usually use the straight grain and don't get puckers. I don't find a need to use bias unless I round the corners or make a scallopped edge.

I use a walking foot or the starch and press method.

I will try putting the pressed binding on a roller as you described. Thanks for passing on this tip. Now< I better get on a ROLL and get this binding on a roll. HA! copycat

I love that roller idea! I sewed a binding on last week and it kept falling onto the floor.

As with everything, do what works for you.

No one has mentioned that when zigzagging around the edges you compress the edge of the quilt so that you don't have a "full" binding. I like my finished edge with binding to be as thick as the quilt. I do hand baste around the raw edges to keep the edges together when sewing on the binding, but I like the raw edges of the quilt to fluff back up to fill up my binding.

This is the ame way I do my binding. I also use the binding clips (the ones like hair clips) after sewing the binding on.

I assume the reason you get puckers in your binding is that the binding is too long for the quilt edge. Measure the CENTER of the quilt in both directions. That is the length to cut the binding strips, plus extra for corner turns. You shouldn't ever have puckers in your binding doing this. For instance, if the center length is 50 inches and the edge measures 51, cut the binding 50 plus corner allowances. Pin mark the binding and quilt into half and quarters, and pin the binding to the quilt matching the pins. Let the corners hang loose. Stitch the binding to the quilt, easing in the quilt's excess. No puckers and a smooth, non wavy quilt edge.
SandyQuilter

i use a walking foot to attach my binding to the quilt. never have puckers, whether i do the final hemming by hand, or do it on the machine with a zig zag stitch, or decorative stitch.

and i never measure the length for binding, i just sew a bunch of strips together, fold, iron, hook them together with a large safety pin, hook it to my shirt, and start sewing the binding on.

Luckily, binding is one thing that I never have trouble with. The hardest quilt I did was the Double Wedding Ring. But I got through it pretty good. I always use the IDT on my Pfaff 2144.

I serge around my quilt after it is quilted, fold and press the binding, pin about every 5 inches and I never have puckers or pleats. I have also found some of the neatest clips to use when I am finishing my binding, they are by Clover and are made like hair clippies, but smaller. I find they are much kinder to your hands as they never prick.

I lightly starch the binding as I am folding it. Keeps smooth without puckers.

That is really interesting...not ironing it flat before sewing it on. Is it hard to keep the two pieces together? Do they get away from you at all? And when you turn it over to sew it and you don't have the flat fold, how is it to sew?

I cut the binding, iron it in 1/2, then fold the edges into the middle and iron with starch. I then place the binding onto the quilt by hand and slowly with my fingers guiding the binding, hand sew it on. I don't have the puckers or twists you're talking about. Long ago, another story - too many twists and turns. It's amazing how educational tutorials can be!

I do not sew the binding strip. But what I have found helps me more is after I square up the quilt before binding, I go around the edge with a zig zag stitch. This I find is worth the extra time.

I have always done my binding similar to this but I really love the tute about the sewing on of the binding this way. I cannot do a lot of hand sewing because of arthritis. Thanks for sharing this tutorial.

If you have never made your bindings like Sharon Schamber you really need to check this out! Go to YouTube and search for Sharon Schamber bindings of the Angel..her techniques are spot on!