First, Happy Thanksgiving everyone. In attaching a binding to the quilted sandwich, there are 5 layers: 2 of the folded binding fabric, and the 3 of the sandwich. When sewing on the binding on the front side, is it imperative that I sew through ALL 5 layers, or is there an alternate way to do this? Thanks in advance for your help. Phyllis [email protected]

I don't know of an alternate way to attach. I sew it my machine from the front with my walking foot. Then I hand sew to the back of the quilt.

sometimes I sew to the back of the quilt by machine, fold over to the front and and sew to front with a decorative stitch.

Why would you not want it to go through all the layers?

I'm not sure I understood your question, but you used "by hand" in the title so I'm wondering if your question about going through all 5 layers is in reference to the hand sewing part of attaching the binding.

When you machine sew the binding on to the quilt, you want to go through all 5 layers. When you do the hand sewing part you only need to go through the binding and the backing.

Fromthenestdesigns has a good tutorial here on how to use the ladder stitch to attach binding by hand.

If I misunderstood your question, then just ignore me! :)

Yep, go through all five layers. Use your walking foot to make the everything feed easier. Fold a miter at each corner and finish the way you're most comfortable. This is the video that clicked for me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c85voeoj50Y Good luck and happy binding!

Are you hand sewing your binding to the front? If that's the case, I understand your question...but I don't know the answer. lol I would think it would be more secure this way, but having never tested it out, I don't know for sure. I hope you get an answer :)

After I sew the binding on to the back side I turn the folded side to the front of the quilt. I then use a stitch that catches in between the fold (try to visulize the fold that you ironed that folded part is where I catch my needle and thread. I go inbetween the fabric so I am only technically going through one layer as they say clear as mud???) Sorry best description I could come up with since I just finished the binding.

I machine stitchon the binding onto front or back then, blind stitch down the non attached edge.
LOL that reminds me.... 2 waiting, gotta go :)

I sew my binding onto the top, and machine stitch it down through all five layers. I then hand stitch onto the back.

The original sewing line (through all 5 layers), provides a really good guide when hand stitching, and makes sure that it is attached in a straight line :)