When you sew your binding on...
 

do you sew with a 1/4" seam? Or a 3/8" seam? Or something different? I am going to be machine sewing the back first and then machine sewing the front with a decorative stitch but need to know what length to use. Thank you. It's a big quilt and I really don't want to mess it up. And I'm not a binder. I usually pay someone to bind my quilts. It's my least favorite part. But for now on, I am going to try to bind my own, even if it is by machine only.

I always sew the binding on the back of the quilt. Lately I have been using the edge of the walking foot as the seam quite which makes the seam allowance a little more than a 1/4 inch. Then I pull the binding to the front and this leaves a little padding in the binding. I cut my binding strips to 2 1/2 inches.

Yes, I want to cut my binding 2 1/2" also. I have a dual feeding so I don't need a walking foot, but do you think you do 3/8"?

I make a small sample quilt sandwich and 'test' my binding width on that before I cut a lot of it.

I do mine the width of the presser foot, I think it is 3/8". I cut the binding 2 1/2" wide and that gives the binding just the right amount of fill.

I do the same as gramarraine, using a pressure foot as a guide. Unless you're binding with points and no border, it really shouldn't matter what size seam you use. Just use a few threads less than 1/3 the width of your binding and it should be fine. I find it much easier to form neat corners, when my binding starts out as 2-1/2, rather than 2-1/4.

Depending on the size of the quilt I have sewn it on the front with a 1/4" seam then pulled to back. That way if I need to do any fudging at all it is on the back. I either use glue, pins or clips to hold binding in place and then stitch on the top in the ditch.....when done go to back and do some hand work if necessary to catch anything that was not caught....... I would also strongly suggest doing a couple samples on what IS COMFORTABLE for you to handle....
Again there are not any Quilt Police,......1/4" or 3/8" front or back....what ever works for you and this quilt...the next one could be totally different...

I also start with 2 1/2 inch strip and sew the width of my presser foot.

I use 2.5" strips and sew it on with a little less than 3/8". It can depend on the thickness of your batting though, so if I'm using a different batting than usual, I will do a small test strip first.