Hand sew binding or machine?
 

Hello and good afternoon. My question is do you hand sew your binding to the back of the quilt or do you use the sewing machine and why? Are there advantages and disadvantages to both? Thanks!!

I normally hand sew the binding (ok, I haven't actually finished all that many quilts... About 9 including 6 baby quilts). I only did it by machine on one, which needed to be a "quick quilt" for a friend to use during chemo. For her's I used a decorative stitch on my DSM. Maybe I should have turned the whole thing around and sew the binding to the back so I could turn it to the front for sewing it down - I did it the "normal" way and then decided to do the decorative stitching from the front so that it looks nice on the front. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a close-up from the binding, but I think it turned out ok. And my friend (who is not a quilter) just LOVES that quilt with all its imperfections and is using it all the time!
Conclusion: I would definitely do it by machine again! It's so much less hassle and faster. However, maybe not for a heirloom quality quilt...

I hand sew mine. I've tried machine stitching it from the front in the ditch but had trouble catching the binding on the back. I like the idea from Monale to sew the binding onto the back then stitching down on the front with a decorative stitch. Might try that with my next child's quilt!

I hand sew all of mine. I enjoy the process and think it looks better. However I haven't practiced sewing by machine. Many people do it that way and are able to produce nice looking bindings, but I do think it takes practice and finding a method that works for you.

I hand stitch my bindings. I ( personally) do not like the look of machine stitched. To me it just seems like all the work you put into making the quilt deserves a hand stitched binding. A machine stitched binding makes that quilt suddenly turn into something you could pick up at Walmart. ( just me-- I've never seen a nice, neat, well done machine finished binding)

The only advantage to sewing it by machine is to get the quilt finished quickly. I have always hand stitched the binding to the back because it just looks better and since I was in competition for many years, old habits are hard to break.

I machine sew because it's quicker. I don't mind hand sewing but it seems to take me forever to get those bindings done and I have too many quilts that need to be finished. Right now I have two special quilts that I'm considering hand sewing the bindings, but most are machine sewn.

I have been machine stitching the binding but sometimes don't like the look as well. But my hand stitching is not so nice but I just tried one and it was Okay I think I will do special quilts but for speed machine quilting with the decorative stitch is often nice.

I machine stitch most of my bindings. I cut the strips 2.25" wide and fold them in half. I sew the binding to the back with a very scant 1/4" seam, turn it to the front and top stitch very close to the edge. I try to use a color that matches the backing on my bobbin and the binding for my top thread. Alternately, I use the same color as the quilting thread. The line of stitching never hits the binding on the back of the quilt; it just runs parallel with it. The corners look perfect. I may be rationalizing and I have no proof, but I like to think that a machine-sewn binding is sturdier than a hand-sewn one. I do prefer the look of a hand-sewn binding, but I hate doing it, so usually I don't.