I do not trim away the batting or the backing fabric until after I sew the binding to the front of the quilt. Then I trim away the batting and backing but I leave about 1/8 of an inch beyond the edge of the fabric. I also cut my binding 2 1/4 inches wide instead of 2 1/2 inches. I fold the binding over and hand stitch it to the back. I entered my first quilt in a show and the judges critique was that the binding was not full. I learned how to make full binding after that.

Thank you Janie!

You’re welcome Rhonda. Hope it helps.

I should have prefaced my question with the info that the binding tutorials that I have been watching had trimmed all three layers but were using 2.5 inch width of binding. That where they lost me for keeping the binding full.

Thanks for those of you who say you use 2.25 as that makes sense for keeping the binding full if you trim all three layers. Just for the record For the 2.25 binding with people what seam alliance do you use to stitch your binding on the quilt?

I think for now I’m going to keep on doing what has been working for me but I’m open to learning new techniques.

Thanks to all who gave me much appreciated information.

I machine stitch my 2.25" binding to the front of the quilt lining up the edge of the binding with the edge of the quilt. I use a .25 seam allowance. After the binding has been attached, I use my long ruler and measure .5" from the seam where I've sewn the binding down. This leaves an extra .25 inch of top/batting/backing to fill the binding when I hand stitch to the back of the quilt.

Sharon Schamber shows how she does it in this video by folding the binding in thirds. It starts at minute 8:20:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hW...eature=related

This video does not allow for the thickness of the batt. It does take up some room, even if you squish it down.
I do not trim the batt and back to its final size before I sew on the binding. I just cut off excess if it will be in the way. Leave up to an inch on there.
Then I sew the binding on with the quarter inch seam using the edge of the quilt top as the guide. After the binding is on, I use a short ruler and rotary cutter to cut the back and batt exactly 3/8 of an inch from the sewing line.
It is important to measure from the sewing line.

Then I press the binding open carefully, turn it to the back and stitch in the ditch from the front. This needs to be pinned carefully, but I can do it without pins now that I have a little experience. I only need to pin the corners.

If you were going to hand sew the binding on the back, then the binding would be sewn onto the front and the 1/2 inch trim from the seam would be good

Sharon Schamber's method does account for the thickness of the batting. She folds it in thirds leaving about an eighth of an inch extra for the batting. She then sews the first seam and tests it to make sure it fits. If that first seam is off, she adjusts it.

I usually do about a six inch "test" (with a longer length stitch) when I start to sew on a binding to make sure that the binding folds over to where I want it to be. If it's "skimpy" - I make a narrower seam - if it folds over too much, I make a wider seam. I usually use a 2-7/8 inch width binding.

I trim the sandwich first and baste the edges together before applying the binding - it's another step - but that way I avoid pleats and misses of the bottom layer. Which had happened before.

I use a wider binding than most, but most of my quilts are queen sized and it is the last chance I have to add fabric. So I am almost always using a 3" cut for my french double fold continuous bias binding. Typically I also use thicker batts than are currently popular. When you fold the fabric in half, that makes it 1.5", subtract the .5" for the seam allowance and that gives you 1" which is a half inch on either side and a nice full binding.

I sew on my binding after the quilt is quilted but before it is trimmed. Before I quilted I already squared the quilt top. Using the standard 1/4" seam, I measure 1/2" above the seam line (so 1/4" above the top fabric but including the batting and back) and trim.

Recently I've been trying not pressing my binding in half before putting it on. Doesn't seem to make much difference to me.

For my quilts, most of which I donate to foster kids. I don't worry about full bindings. I do fold my binding in half and press. I cut my bindings @2-1/2 or 3". I only machine sew bindings on by machine.