we hand stitch them on the back because no matter how we try we can not get a decent looking binding by machine stitching it. . . and some of us do try again every once in awhile, i guess just because i haven't ruined anything lately...but the best looking bindings are going to be hand stitched because it's the only way to have an invisible stitched binding.

I hand sew my bindings on because I like the look of it. It's easier for me in the long run.

Me too!!
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Too funny! I machine quilt my binding on for this same reason! It looks reeeealllly bad when I try to do it by hand, plus I just don't have the patience!
I sew it on to the top with 1/4 inch, then fold it over to the back, pin the heck out of it, and SitD on the front, being sure to catch the binding on the back.
To each their own! We all just need to do what works for us! :D[/quote]

When I make baby quilts, I sew the binding on by machine. When I am making other quilts, I love to sew the binding on by hand. I love the feel of the quilt around my lap as I sew. I do a little praying for the recipient as I work my way around the quilt. Simply personal preference ...

Well I guess I listen to a very different drummer, I sew all my bindings by machine ONTO THE BACK of my quilts. turn to the front and hand stitch them down, on the front!

I do most of mine this way also but have machine sewed down to the front & hand-stitched to the back on several. Also, I thought the traditional method was to bring the backing over to the front, fold & hand stitch down. That's the way my grandmother and her mother did it. They didn't have time for all the fussy double fold bias binding and remember--there were no rotary cutters back then. Those are a new invention.

actually, I have some things that have bits of hand sewn pieces and machine sewn pieces and the machine stitches come loose first. I have seen this several times where the hand stitching outlasts the machine stitching.

As for me, I machine sew the binding on the back and fold it to the front and hand sew it down. But, I do a pretty good hidden stitch and you can't tell it is hand sewn.

I have tried over and over again to machine my bindings, but they always turn out so terrible: bumpy and awkward looking. I know people that machine bind their quilts, and they turn out looking very professional, but not me.

I really like the look of the hand stitched bindings, and the machine ones, but not mine. My hand stitched ones turn out really good. It just takes me so long to do it, my hands always go to sleep.

I agree with Scrappycats. I have made numerous full sized quilts that I hand stitched and hand quilted and I have never had to redo my stitching. I think we all discount how strong hand stitching really is.