Nearly there - but how do I attach the binding? (Hand sewing front as well as back)
 

OK, so I've watched the Youtube videos for French binding, and there's still one thing I can't figure out: When you sew the first edge (or rather edges, since it's folded double) of the binding to the front edge of the quilt, do you sew all the way through the quilt sandwich, or do you just sew it (right sides facing) to the top (/front) layer of the quilt, tucking the middle and the back out of the way while you sew? In all the videos, it looks as if they are probably sewing through all the layers together, but I can't really tell because they just shove it all into the sewing machine and the view is always more or less from above... also I am hand sewing, not machine sewing - does that make a difference? It would be quite hard to sew neatly all the way through by hand, but I expect it's easier on a machine!

My hand skills are seriously lacking and I can't give you a hand answer.

Since I am using the machine, I am sewing through all the layers when I attach my french binding. That is the two layers of the folded binding, the top of the quilt, the batting and the back.

I use a slightly wider binding than most (cut 3") and I do not trim my quilt until after the binding is attached. (The top was squared before quilting) I use the seam line and trim 1/2", then flip and hand sew the back.

Because you are doing this by hand I would suggest a knife edge finish. No binding involved with that. It isn't as durable as a french binding but may be easier for you. Here is a blog that explains it. http://www.todaysquilter.com/tutorials/knife-edge-finish-quilts/

Not sure what a french binding is, but when I attach binding I go through the whole sandwich on the back and hand sew the front folded side of the binding with a blind hem stitch in just the top layer of the quilt.

For what reason would you go through the trouble of hand sewing the back when that will never be seen? When you machine stitch through all of the layers and then turn your binding to the front, you’re completely covering the front sewing. Then you can use your blind stitch without having to go through all of those layers.

If you're talking to the OP, I think she means she's sewing the entire binding on by hand, no machine stitching involved.

To the OP - I'm trying to understand, are you stitching it by hand because you don't have access to a machine? Because yes, they are stitching through all layers, and it would be much easier if you did also. :thumbup:

SophieHatter, good to see someone going at it by hand! To your first concern about sewing on the binding, here's a YouTube video with Becky at Power Tools with Thread where you can actually see how she does it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPMHvDTn_b8
And watching Kate do her hand quilting might be helpful at The Last Homely House East of the Sea, also on YouTube. Kate pieces by machine, but then does the rest by hand. Just love this woman, watch this one all the way to the end where she gets muddled with which way the binding goes on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beW6h-SKGN0

I do have access to a sewing machine, but
a) I am not good at using it, and this doesn't seem a good thing to practice on
b) I don't have one of those special footings for doing quilts (and the machine is so old I'm not even sure I can still get parts that'll fit it)
c) the edge of the quilt is a bit wavey, and I want to gently and neatly accomodate the wiggles, as I have with all the rest of my sewing, not steamroll straight through them
d) I have done the entire rest of the quilt by hand because I find it very relaxing and I don't enjoy using the machine.

Sophie, it's your quilt and you get to do it your way :) I wish I had the skill and patience to hand sew but I get really cranky when I try...

For the last 30 or so years I've been using a vintage machine older than I am and it didn't have any special feet or way to lower the feed dogs. It can be easier with the modern stuff but my old machine did everything I asked of it just fine, including putting on the bindings. I do pin a lot, every 2", which works for the machine but I can just imagine how many new holes and scratches I'd be putting on myself trying that with hand sewing.

I am not 100% percent certain I know exactly what French binding is but I do hand bind my quilts that are completely hand stitched. Using a machine to bind my EPP seems wrong and I normally need to fiddle things a bit. I just don’t trust the walking foot that much.......

I cut my binding strips to the width I need, sew together on a diagonal, and press in half. Then I match my edges on the front and carefully line things up and stitch through all layers, all around, using corner techniques similar to machine binding except I don’t break the thread. The smallest stitches I can stand with a heavier needle. Double thread as opposed to the single strand I hand quilt with. This is hard on my hands and I only do this for maybe an hour a day. It takes days. When I have it all in place I trim my excess batting and backing and stitch the binding down carefully in the back. This process takes at least two weeks for any quilt beyond a crib size.