dpendleton

Also - try using a decorative stitch.

I see the binding to the back, fold over to the front (use glue to secure edge) and use the feather stitch on the front. The stitch goes left and right and this guarantees you'll capture the front edge.

Julienm1

A big TU for all the advice. Hae to finish up lots of UFOS so I can try all these methods. TY again.

Onebyone

A quilt judge told me when looking a standard machine binding, if the distance from the edge of the binding to the stitch line is not even or is too wide and makes a flange, it's a fail. I don't sew show quilt, but I like to sew good machine binding. My machine can use a left compensating foot and that is a game changer for me. My stitches are 1/16" from the edge.

joe'smom

Just wondering why a machine stitched binding is sewn to the back first and stitched down on the front, rather than being machine stitched on the front first and finished on the back (like a hand-stitched binding).

mkc

Likely because with machine stitching, you can't see where the bobbin stitches are falling - if they're close to the seam and perfectly straight or not. If it's on the back (finishing by stitching from the front), it's not going to be anywhere near as noticeable.

mkc

Another option I've done, when not doing a flanged binding, is to use a blanket stitch. The straight stitch portion on the quilt top right next to the binding, then the lateral stitches catching the binding. It takes longer than just a regular straight stitch, but it looks fancier.

GingerK

I think anyone making a quilt for a show/fair entry would not machine bind it, depending on the rules and category of course. But donation quilts, kids' quilts and any quilt that will get heavy use, would benefit from a machine stitched binding.

I have entered quilts finished with a machine binding. Last year, one throw sized top got a second place ribbon. The judge had noted on the back of my entry tag, to make sure to catch the edge all around, when finishing the binding by machine. I thought I had, so checked the quilt again--only to realize I had missed about an inch--right next to where my tag was attached!! Talk about shooting one's self in the foot!!

Onebyone

The last major quilt show I went to, over half had machine binding. Two winners had machine binding. it depends on the judges. There is no set rule for every judge or every show only guidelines.

Julienm1

I don't to ever plan to submit a quilt to be juried. I just want to speed up the process to get my quilts for PL done faster.

AprilM

Wow… learning a lot here and really would like to try the flange idea. I have only ever added the flange separately before the actual binding. Looking around on youtube i am seeing the 3” binding with the flange. I tend to want to try this stuff out on potholders or something small FIRST to see if i like it cuz just jumping in on something bigger like a quilt and maybe having to rip it out is definitely not how i roll!

I very much admire you brave souls who can just take the bull by the horns and DO it!