Edgy

This year's journal quilts are all getting the same edge treatment - satin stitch. I've found that a cord is useful for making the edges lie flat, so before doing the dense stitching (always with black thread) I use a narrow open zigzag to add the cord, which is actually crochet cotton -

The loop at the corners is useful for two things. First, it allows the cord to be held taut to make the edge lie flat. Also, it helps with "turning the corner" - if you stitch right to the edge, then turn, the presser foot can get stuck on the stitching already there, so having the cord allows you to pull gently to move the stitching onward.

There are always some tiny sticky-out bits, no matter how carefully you trim the edges -
To help the edges look dense, I use a black fabric pen around the whiteness of the batting (being very careful that the pen doesn't slip...).

It takes nearly 20 minutes to edge each quilt, once it's been cut to size. The narrow binding is probably quicker - and uses less thread.