I sew binding either/or to back or front depending on the design I want to create... Frame the back or match the front. I then do a serpentine stitch and it finished nicely.

Friday evening I attended a quilt night at the church 6:00 to midnight. One of the women sat and pinned her binding on while we all chatted. She too asked this question. Her binding was the same fabric as the backing. I told her.....I don't cut a separate binding. I leave about a 3" piece of the backing longer than the front the quilt. Have the quilt..quilted and then I fold the backing over to the front front of the quilt and stitch it using a simple decorative stitch.

Have you seen the Ricky Tims video 'Grand Finale'? He demonstrates a super way of attaching the binding to the WS first and then stitching in the ditch on RS, having put a very narrow 'piping' on the binding strip first. (Sorry, that sounds a bit longwinded!) But I've followed his instructions and it works beautifully, with no handstitching!

I have tried on several occasions to put the binding on with the machine. It just doesn't look as good as by hand. Guess I am of the old school. I think I will try the decorative stitch on a mini quilt.
Peace and Blessings

watch sharon schambers video on you tube. She makes it look so easy.

Here is the link
http://quiltinggallery.com/2008/05/1...s-school-glue/

Best wishes
Chris

Sometimes, IF my project is not too heavy, I use the zipper foot. Stitch the binding to the front, fold to back so it's a (scant) 1/8" wider than the front. Make sure it's even.Pin. Stitch on top side: Line the edge of the zipper foot snugly against the binding. Stitch. You'll hardly notice the stitching in front and the back should be nice and even. Is that the Quilt Police knocking at the door...

You could use invisible thread on the front of the binding with an machine applique stitch. It wouldn't be too noticeable that way. Good luck.

I haven't read the whole thread yet, so I hope I'm not repeating anything. This is what I do: I cut the binding strip a little wider (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch wider depending on the thickness of the batting). Fold in half as usual. Sew to the right side of the quilt. Roll over to the back. Here, you will see that the binding on the back is a little wider than on the front. On the front, machine stitch as close to the binding as you can get. The "fluff" of the binding and the quilt will usually hide the stitching. In so doing, the back binding will be caught in the stitching and looks neat.

Edit: Oh, I see that Hevemi does the same thing. And yes, I agree about the QP.

how does the material move evenly if not using a walking foot?

I thought "skinning cats was a Texanism!" And here you are using it in New Hampshire. Small world!