How about machine sewing to the back and topstitching on the front?....Marge

If you measure very carefully you can stitch in the ditch on the front and catch the binding on the back. Pin it in place in the ditch and check the back to make sure it is catching it but not leaving too much of an edge. Much quicker than hand stitching the back.

Faye

I've done this. I sewed the binding onto the back of the quilt then brought it to the front and used a feather stitch on the front of the quilt. It wasn't prefect but I liked it and it wasn't as much work as doing it by hand. Peg

I agree that I get much the best results by sewing the binding to the back of the quilt and then top-stitching it down on the front. Peg's idea for using decorative stitches is great. I've seen this done and it's very pretty. I use a 1920's walking foot machine for this job.

Annie

I always do this with baby quilts since they are going to be washed frequently. I pick a decorative stitch that kind of matches the theme of the quilt and it's cute.

Mine come out messy if I sew it on the back and bring it to the front. Are you glueing or basting before sewing it down on the front to get the binding to be more even? What's the trick? --Amy

It does help a lot to starch the binding when you press it in half. I have no problems whatever with a stiffly starched binding.

Annie

I have done it Faye's way a couple times -- and it is certainly much faster, but, while I THOUGHT I was being careful, there were areas on the back where it was wider and my ditch stitches weren't that close to the edge, and then other places were it was too narrow and I missed it.

I think with practice I will get better.

This last time I was having trouble and my binding is a pretty solid color so I after folding it over to the back, I used a zig-zag stitch on the front. It wasn't overly elegant but I didn't mind the look at all.

As for the time it takes to do it by hand -- when I do it that way I do it while watching TV so I see that as "down time" anyhow, and I don't mind it. But if I'm in a hurry to be done, it goes under the sewing machine needle.

I do it the way Faye does, I do the top then the bottom, then the sides. This works good for me.
bopeep

I'm a huge fan of machine front and back binding. I apply it to the back of the quilt and fold it over to machine edge stitch it to the front. Its not perfect on the back, but its reasonably tidy and a HUGE time saver. ~jen~

If you're in a hurry to finish up a quilt, or if it's something small like a placemat or a wall hanging, you can bind from the back of the quilt. I've used this method quite a few times--I like it.

Here's how:

http://www.whatididatschooltoday.com/archives/2008/01/in_memory_a_qui.html

Hopefully that link will work.

If not, google "binding a quilt from the back" and you'll find something there.

Anitastitch,
Thank you for posting the link!
I've been trying to find this info on the web for awhile now and I love all the pictures that she included.
I've also used this method for binding the quilts that I had made years ago, but had kind of forgotten exactly how to go about it now. (I had found it in a library book years ago).
I have it bookmarked.
Thanks!

Cathy

Here is a link that might be useful: Self binding

Thank you for all of your advice. It's good to know that I can get lots of feedback!

Cathy and anitastitch, great link. I have it bookmarked.Thanks.
~GEraldine