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I've only done about 10 bindings so I'm no expert. I was taught to leave the excess batting/backing on when sewing on the binding, so that's the only way I've done it.

I've been watching several quilting videos online and they all show cutting off the excess batting/backing when preparing the quilt for binding. It's much easier to do the squaring step with a ruler and rotary cutter than it is to make markings on the border to show where to stitch the binding and then trim off the excess. On my very first quilt years ago, I slit the mitered corner by mistake when I trimmed off the excess fabric in order to turn the binding to be blindstitched to the back side. Luckily, it was a small and unimportant project.

I applied the binding to my first (I'm making three) table runner using the "leave the batting/backing excess on" method. I'm getting ready to do my second runner and I'm planning to square and trim off the excess and then apply the binding. Is that a bad idea?

I am not an expert either but I do square up befor sewing on the binding. Seems better if I sew binding on with walking foot, then press the binding out, turn to the back and hand stitch. I have also used white glue to hold the binding down before hand stitching and it works great (and no picked fingers!) I am sure others will be along with their favorites. That is what is so great about quilting lots of different approaches to the same outcome!

I usually quilt, stay stitch the outside, trim leaving a little batting to fill the binding, trim, stitch the binding to the front, hand stitch to the back. But the quilt I'm working on now I modified. I pinned well, stay stitched the outside, stitched the binding to the front, trimmed, stitched the binding to the back, and now I'm quilting it. I did it for two reason. My son was here visiting and I wanted to do handwork while we talked. The fabric was fraying despite the stay stitching I'd done before sandwiching it. I wasn't doing any long lines of quilting and only stitching the interior of each separate block. I had 49 blocks to quilt and need to quilt 5 more to be all done. This worked very well. I've done bindings before quilting a couple of baby quilts too. I wouldn't do it with long lines of quilting or any design close to the edge.

I have stitched along the outside of my quilt border to see where the front edge is so I can see if any area was too short somewhere. Then I can decide if I need to trim more off when squaring up the quilt. If it is pretty much square already that line of stitching helps me know where to place the binding as I stitch it down. I sew binding on to the back and then bring it forward and machine stitch with a straight stitch on the front.

I just saw those videos today by the woman who uses Elmer's School Glue. (I didn't catch the lady's name, but all 3 of her videos started with the picture of an angel on the screen). Her videos were very informative. I notice that she cuts off her excess batting/backing before applying binding.

If I'm reading your responses correctly, it sounds like you all trim your edges before applying your binding. Is that right?

I deliberately have 2 inches of batting/backing extending past the edge of the quilt around all 4 sides.

I went back and looked at the 3 videos, which I have bookmarked. Her name is Sharon Schamber.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CA Lori,

I used to stitch the binding to the front of the quilt before trimming off the excess batting and backing. When I had someone machine quilt a quilt for me, she stitched around the edges as she quilted and trimmed it off for me. That worked so well that now I usually stitch/trim with my serger before binding.

I always trim off the excess before adding the binding. I use my ruler and measure from my last seam line, then cut off the extra. It works for me...

I always trim off the batting and backing when I square up the quilt. Then I sew the binding to the back of the quilt and then turn to the front and stitch down with a straight stitch close to the folded edge of the binding like a top stitch. I cut my binding 3 inches wide so it is easier to turn and it usually folds over the quilt so I don't have to worry about there not being any batting in the binding.

I trim my batting and backing first,stay stitch around the quilt about an 1/8th from the raw edge then put my binding on,I stitch it to the back and wrap to the front and machine straight stitch it to the front.Love the SID foot for this or my blind hem stitch foot. I love the glue also and use it before machine stitching the front...however I do not use the glue if I am hand stitching the binding...Needle was tooooo hard to get through the dryed glue.