Hand Sewing Binding to Back
 

When stitching the binding to the back , do you feel it's secure enough to pick up just one thread of the backing or do you pick up a couple or even three ?

Neither. If doing a blind stitch, I tunnel under the quilt back and catch 2-3 threads of the binding. If doing a ladder stitch, I tunnel alternately through quilt back and binding. Here's a good description - http://www.connectingthreads.com/tut...ack__D102.html

I ladder stitch also. I make mostly charity quilts and assume they'll be washed, I'd rather they be more secure than not, since I cannot fix them later.

this is how i do mine too. the resultant finished binding holds up well to my little grand treasures use/love & abuse of the quilts i've made them over the years.

I follow mostly the same process as Tartan and roguequilter. Although I don't stress about how much batting I might be picking up. What I also do, though, is 'lock' each stitch. Not a ladder stitch per se, but close, but each stitch ends up being 'knotted' to a degree. I come up through the backing/binding and go under the loose thread from the previous stitch and pull until it is taut. Sort of 'knots' each stitch and to the best of my knowledge, none of bindings have come apart yet. I usually catch 3-4 threads of both backing/binding on each stitch.

I now machine sew all my bindings. I know they will not come out. I use a bit smaller stitch. I back tack at all corners.

This is how I do it also. ... except I have no idea of the kind of needle I use. Does it matter much?

As well as catching enough of the back and batting, every few stitches I catch the line of stitching that sewed the binding to the right side too.