These are great hints! For those of you who use invisible thread, do you use it in the top AND the bobbin?

WHen I bind a quilt on the machine, I sew it to the back, press and bring it forward. Then I use a decorative stitch and sew it on to the front. I usually use a loop stitch. I have been very happy with the result. It looks great.

Me, too! When I took a class a few years ago on beginning quilting, we were asked if we wanted to be shown how to do the binding by machine or by hand. Well, I didn't think I wanted to do anything by hand, so I said by machine. I still hate looking at that binding. I taught myself to do it by hand for the next quilt, and could not get over how beautiful it was! In fact, that was the best thing about that quilt. I have tried a few times since then to do one entirely by machine, because I figure I should know how, but no matter how slow and easy I take it, it still looks awful.

I have a question. When you cut it wider, do you use a bigger seam to sew it to the quilt? If so, how wide? If not, then is the binding not quite as full?

Would love to see a picture of this!

Yup see back first then bring it to just over the sew line and sew it down. I get to use my decorative stitches then yippee! But if pressed for time I'll just straight stitch or blanket. Even better my binder attachment. It folds etc and attached front and back at once :). Unfortunate I can't hand stitch (it's lousy and my hands can't handle it. )

Good luck with that one. I have that system also and it does do a wonderful job when you can get is set right, but that has only happened once for me. I haven't tried it for quite some time, need to try it again.

What type of machine does this foot work on? I am always looking for a new method for sewing binding. I like the way it looks. Thanks

Machine Binding
 

This is one I did several years ago....sewed binding to back, turned it and did dec stitch on front. Hope the pics show up!

Ditto! Finishing binding is one of those things that is best done by hand unless you have some kind of extra special machinery or wizardry. froggyintexas

I was wondering the same thing so I am really glad you asked!

I emailed her to ask, but she's out of state visiting family and won't be back until Tuesday. When she gets back I'll post a pic of her quilt binding. It's really pretty.

if i have put a lot of work into a quilt, then i go ahead and sew the binding onto the backing by hand. several quilts which were made with larger pieces, and not as labor intensive/$ intensive i do/have folded the binding to the front and used a zig zag stitch to sew it to the front. if you are real careful about just putting the binding on top of the sewing on the back, (i use a lot of straight pins), it turns out very nice.

I like to use 2 and 1/2 inch bias binding. Sew to the front, turn to the back and do a decorative stitch from the front.
Works for me best.

Another vote for the flange binding, it really adds extra snap to a quilt due to the extra pop of color.

I prefer finishing the binding by hand, but the arthritis in my hands is getting worse so will be doing it all on the machine before too long.

Thank you all for those helpful hints.

I usually sew mine by hand. Have tried machine sewing it down but usually looks really bad.

I agree. I just bought the 1/4 inch to use for zipper application, now I'll have to give this a try.

Most of my quilts are for Quilts for Kids and they do not want any hand work. I've struggled with machine binding but it is getting better with each quilt. I recently purchased a package of the Clover Wonder Clips http://youtu.be/0zqtj6xG4Sg
and they have helped a lot. Sorry, I just shipped off my latest batch to QFK so I've nothing to photograph for you. Like others have mentioned, I use 2 1/2 inch binding, sew on the back and flip to the front and stitch down. I haven't tried a decorative stitch but may next time around.

I guess some have trouble using the binding foot. Here is a document I found with good instructions. I'm definitely going to give it a try.

Update: I can't figure out how to attach a PDF. Is there a way?

I do my binding by machine. Stitch to back, flip over and use deco stitch and matching top and bottom thread. Works for me, I'm just not that picky, and I ain't entering in no quilt show.

When I use invisible thread I use it in the top and the bobbin. I stitch the binding to the front, and turn it to the back and stitch from the back, close to the edge w/invisible thread. I also have done binding, stitching to the back and bringing it to the front and use a decorative stitch to secure it. I have an embroidery machine w/lots of stitches. I pick a stitch that compliments the quilt. I typically use this for kids quilts. I've attached a picture of a quilt for my grandson that was an outerspace theme. I used a decorative star stitch to attach the binding. And I hand stitch the binding to the back on some quilts. It depends on the quilt and who it's for.
Dolly
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Unfortunately I do not have a picture as I just gave my grandson his quilt. I have done the binding by hand but I have also done it by machine. I don't prefer one over the other but if I have a large quilt or charity quilt, I use the machine. What I do is make my binding - 2.5 inches wide. Fold it in half. I start on the back of the quilt and use my 1/4 inch seam guide. So I go around the entire quilt until the back binding is finished. Then I iron the entire edge where I just put the binding - IRON IT FROM THE FRONT. Pulling the binding around to the front as I go. Then I find a decorative stitch - mine seems to be a zig zag - and I test it first to see how it will look. If it looks good, I am off and running. I would also recommend that you google Sharon Schamber who has a terrific tutorial you can watch over and over. It is called Binding the Angel. It is in 3 parts and has helped me greatly. Good luck.

I, too, do machine binding. IMHO the trick is to sew the binding onto the front, then PRESS it well, pushing the binding outward from the quilt, and using the point of the iron to push into those mitered corners. Once the pressing is done, I use those binding clips (aka hair clips) to hold the binding in place. I start in the middle of one side, and place clips down that side, around the corner and halfway down the adjacent side. I use my thumb and index fingers to get the correct 45 degree angle in the corner and put a clip on to hold it there. Then I stitch in the ditch on the front side. The reason I do only a portion of the quilt at a time is because the clips tend to fall off if you try to do the entire quilt. I started out with 2 1/2" binding as most books suggest. Once I became proficient with machine binding I cut the binding width down to 2 1/4" because I don't like the look of a wide "flap" on the edge of my binding. Here is my suggestion: make some placemats and practice on those. That way you won't feel you have ruined a quilt if your bindings aren't perfect at first. Good luck!

I have seen several posts about monofilament (invisible) thread. It is usually recommended that you use monofilament thread on the top only, NOT in the bobbin. That said, there are always exceptions to any rule, but normally it is not used top and bobbin. I use cotton, poly, or Bottom Line in my bobbin when sewing with monofilament. BTW, please do not use monofilament thread in quilts for babies or children. If they catch a finger or toe in a monofilament thread loop, it can have dire consequences. Project Linus will not accept baby quilts with monofilament thread.

Knowing they will get hard use, this is the method I use on baby quilts, kids, and teen quilts.

Actually, I machine bind most of the time. I use 2 1/4" bias strip, sew to the front, press with a 'wooden' iron, turn to the back, and machine stitch from the front (in the ditch). I pin in the top and bottom corner, stitch about 2"-3" at a time positioning as I go. With practice, you'll learn to feel when the back edge is just right. Here's a photo of a baby quilt with the corner folded to the front. Hope you can see what the binding really looks like on the back.

Maybe this will help: http://quiltingtutorials.com/all/bin...ewing-machine/
It seems I always look to the tutorials on Missouri Star Quilting Company for something.

As always, MSQC has great tuts and this is a great list of these tutorials. Thanks.

I do the same thing as carolaug!

Me, too, although I do not always do a decorative stitch, many times just a straight stitch.

If you bind the quilt totally by machine you apply the binding to the back first and than to the front and top stitch all my quilts are done this way.

Sorry, I sew my binding to the front, then turn to the back, turn it under and hand stitch it. Maybe someone on the board can get you a tutorial to watch, as I have seen them here on the board. Good luck.

I bought the Clover clips and just used them for my first binding and it went awesome. They don't distort the fabric like pins do so everything lays flat and it looked great. I can't show a picture because I gave the quilt to my niece at her shower last sunday. The clips were not cheap, but now I am glad I have them.

Lots of great ideas. I intend to explore them all.

I bind my quilts that way too. Sometimes I use a straight stitch and other times I use a decorative stitch. My wrists and right elbow get very unhappy when I do too much hand work. So its either do it all by machine or stop being a quilter.

I really miss my Mom! I would sew on the binding and take the quilt to Mom and she would tack it down by hand. She dearly loved the hand stitching. After her health failed, I learned how to put the binding on by machine. Do this on most big quilts, but I like to do small quilts by hand using a single binding. I use the single binding on small because it is less bulky and lays better.

I have machine bound my quilts ever since I became the Project Linus coordinater for North Wales as the quilts get so much more wear, tear and laundering than a normal quilt, it can be easy once you have got the hang of it, but you must use the correct measurements.

My binding, for normal wadding, is 2 3/8"binding, folding in half longwise and stitched on with a 3/8" hem, when folded over the edges, back and front match EXACTLY. On my Elna 720 I have a blanket stitch but on the example below I used a stepped zig-zag as most of my pupil's machines have that stitch. The secret is to pin the binding in place 6" - 10" at time placing the pins in sideways so you can take them out easily as you sew. Don't be frightened of a machine sewed binding it is so much more durable for hard wearing quilts and if you use a variable thread it is stunning.

Hope this answers your query.

I tried the zig zag today, but I'm not getting it lined up on the opposite side. It looks great on the front, but yucky (pardon the technical term, lol) on the back.