Some people cut their quilt edge slightly wider to make sure the quilt "fills" the binding; they don't like a flat look to the binding. Some quilt show judges will mark off for bindings that are not "filled".

I personally don't cut the quilt to size until after I have sewed the binding on. I use permanent marker to mark the cutting line and place my folded binding fabric edge on that mark. It seems to me I have more control of the edge this way.

Here is a Youtube video for an "invisible" way of attaching a binding completely by machine. This is the method I am going to use on my next quilt, as I think it will be faster and still give an acceptable look. (I have tried other binding-by-machine methods that came out totally unsatisfactory for me.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wprg5vzkuGw

Since I sell my quilts, I don't want to spend any more time than necessary doing hand work. I use a method where you bring the quilt backing around to the front to create the binding and there is minimal hand sewing. You can see a tutorial here: <http://www.lorettaalvarado.com/binding.htm>

Enjoy!
Retta

How I put on a binding depends on the type and use of quilt I make. If it is a special quilt that I invest a lot of time and energy into I sew to the front first than turn to the back and sew by hand. But if it is a baby quilt or one that will be use and washed often, than I use the machine to sew on the binding. Either way is fine to me, the binding is where you will find the most wear, and I have actually replaced it on quilts before.

i square up the quilt and trim everything down.

i use a 2" folded and i attach it to the front of the quilt by machine.

then i fold the binding strip over to the back and i hold it in place with binding clips and i stitch in the ditch from the front.

I usually sew the binding on the front, trim to about 1/4" from stitching line and turn and sew a blind hem stitch on the back.

BUT there was one quilt that had a backing that really matched the front so I left an inch of batting around the quilt and folded the backing to the front, mitred the corners and hand-stitched it down

Here's a pic to show you what I mean:

Colour is washed out but you can get what I mean?

I usually sew the binding on the front and turn and so a blind hem stitch on the back.

I'm glad you showed us that...I wondered about doing that method and wasn't sure if it would work or what it might look like~Thanks for sharing! Skeat (who thinks everyone has great ideas over this!)

I also use 2 1/2" binding, trim quilt. I machine sew to the top and hand stitch on the back. I have even used a little larger binding and less trimming, Depends on the thickness of the batting and the look I am trying to achieve.

I've done both machine and hand and prefer to hand sew it. Actually, I just did something I haven't done before on my wedding ring quilt. I trimmed the warm and natural batting down about 2" then folded the quilt edges over to finish it, then hand sewed. So there is no binding on the front. Just the back. I really liked that. I think I'll do it on my next one too.

This is the way I was taught to sew on the binding. My favorite and best looking way is to take the binding, top and batting to a quilter and she long arm quilts it and then sews on the binding to the back, folds and machine sews with pretty feather stitches. It looks so pretty! Other than that I must hand sew it, not too bad for lap quilts, but a big quilt...nope.
Judithb

"I cut the edge clean (and square) AFTER the binding is sewn down. Then I turn the binding and hand stitch (for the nicer ones). Sometimes, I sew the binding to the back of the quilt, trim the edge, turn the binding to the front and use a decorative stitch with my machine to sew it down." From Martina.

I can't stand hand sewing anything so I square up the quilt, sew the binding to the back, turn the binding to the front just to the previous sewing line and then sew on the edge of the binding with either a straight stitch or a decorative zig zag.