August 28, 2010

Free Motion Quilt Along: Basting your quilt top



You can baste your top however you want, this is for all the people who are new to basting, or who wanted to know how I avoid puckers on the back. Welcome to my kitchen. Get your tape and your pins.


The first step, not shown, is pressing the front and back of the quilt top. Really well. I am way lazy and I avoid my iron like it has tuberculosis but I do make sure and get everything flat flat flat when I'm about to baste a quilt top. Then I lay the quilt backing right side down on a bit of floor I'm not afraid of taping and pinning.


I start on the selvage edges of the fabric. For this quilt that's the top and bottom. I tape one edge, making sure I'm not leaving any slack in the fabric between the pieces of tape. Don't forget the corners! (like I did here)


Then I tape the other, pulling the fabric enough that it is taut but not distorted. Start in the middle. Tape the whole edge. Yes, there are vertical wrinkles, don't despair.



Then it's time to tape the sides. I start in the middle on one side. Then I tape the middle of the other side, pulling it taut. See how the wrinkles disappeared between the tape?


Keep going, one side, then the other, until both sides are taped. Now the backing is nice and smooth.


Now lay down the batting.


Smooth it out with your hands. Smooth.

 
Now the quilt top. Get it nice and smooth too.

Now let's pin. I pin the middle in both directions first, then fill in the four quadrants. 

I hope you have a cute helper like I do.


About six inches apart, I use my thumb and pinkie as a guide.


Keep your pins out of the skinny strips for this quilt along. Here's my top, all pinned up.


Now you can remove the tape.


While you're at it, pin up your practice pad too.



Great! We've got a few more things to discuss this week and I start you stitching next weekend! Oh, and I  created a handy way to see all the quilt along posts, by adding a "Free Motion Quilting" page to the blog. See the little tab up above, right under the title? 

16 comments:

Arantxa puntadas said...

Que buena idea muchas gracias

Theodora quilts said...

very well done ,I am also getting mine basted on order to be ready for quilting.

Dori said...

Que buena explicacion . :-)
Gracias

Seguire Pendiente de los Avances

Un abrazo

Andrea said...

I have found your blog from Miss Pereas page and I must say that your blog is very complete and gorgeous. Thanks for showing us in detail all your work. Please be invited to my blog. Send you a big kiss from Spain

Sandy said...

So far, so good! This is great....I need baby steps - and really want to get a handle on this machine quilting! Sandy

Anita in Florida said...

I love the thoroughness you are putting into these posts........can't wait to start FM quilting next week! Thanks for all your time and energy.

Elsa said...

I haven't got my top together yet ... have had so many other projects to do ... but have some wonderful fabric and excited to get started on it! thanks for the inspiration!

Mama Pea said...

Getting very excited. I really like that you are breaking this down into small chunks for us. Manageable! Oh, does this mean I have to sweep my kitchen floor?! Shoot! That's going to slow me down.

Dolly said...

Wonderful instructions ! Thank you ! And thanks for adding the quiltalong page !

I just know I'm going to wish I had had solids to use, so that I could clearly see what I'm doing. Well, maybe it's a blessing in disguise that I DON'T see, while I perfect my techniques !

I cleaned the lint from my machine last night, and finished my back this morning !

On to the basting !

Jeane said...

I got my top ready today, gee I can make a LOT of samples, didn't realize the number of uglies around! LOL. Now onto the basting. I can hardly wait for the stitching part.

scarlett said...

(@Mama Pea - Ha! Exactly what I thought! Great minds think alike!)

Your instructions are so much better than most blogs and ALL books I've read...they all assume I know more than I do! Thanks!

Dolly said...

Yikes, I'm a heavy pinner.........where is my trust?

I left myself no pins for the practice pad !

Allie said...

I just found my fabric last night, I'm cutting and sewing and basting today!

Quilt Doodles said...

I wish I had a darling helper like you have. She is precious!

Fat Chick Design said...

ooh I am so behind on this project because of my workload!
I will run up a practice patch before the end of the week.
Nice easy steps, well thought out and described!
I love this blog!
Thanks Christina
:)

Heyjami said...

How are you getting those pins in all 3 fabrics without touching the back? And are you scratching the floor? My safety pins were not sharp enough to go through all of my layers so I used big straight pins. I'm only doing a small quilt.

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