Sunday, September 24, 2006

How do I prepare a top for quilting

Cynthia was wondering in her blog what others prefered to use when they was preparing a top ready to quilt????

I normally baste my quilts with thread. This is what i learned when I took my first class in handstitching and handquilting. And this is what i teach my students in the same class now. I think thread basting is good for handquilting since it will secure the layers for a long long time, and not have pins getting in the way. I have tried basting spray on small projects and that works for me. But not on big quilts. Not so very fond of bastingspray because I feel it gets so sticky. Maybe I spray on too much when I do it.

After ironing the back very good I tape it on the floor. I do not have a big enough table at home so I use to crawl around on the floor. Looks stupid and my back hurts LOL. I do this on small quilts only, when I got bigger ones I do it other places where they have big enough tables. At the quiltshop they have a big table.

Then I put the batting loos on top of the back. Do not tape it.

And then comes the top upon the batting. The top has to be ironed very well because this is the final time you can press the seam allowance the right way and make it looks good at the wrong side. Tape the top as you did with the back.

Then I start to baste the layers together. Not a very comfortable way to do it, but sewing a small part, doing something else to stretch my back, sew again and suddenly all the quilt is basted. I start sewing from one edge to the other like an X. Then I sew in the middle from one side to the other one like this + Like this I now get four parts to sew. I sew horisontal stitches in one part and vertical in the other part, and oposit. (Do you understand?????????????LOL)

And then, ready to start my handquilting. I love to handquilt my quilts. But I also do machinquilting and think I am starting to get a grip on that too. But when machinquilting you cannot use this method. Then I use safetypins or just spraybaste the layers together.

I have enjoyed my sewing sunday and I have done some other sewing today as well. But I cannot show you because it is a birthdaypresent, and I know the one who is getting it visit my blog sometimes. But when she have got it I will show you. Now I am going to start quilting on christmasquilt I have basted today too. This one with spraybasting. Would show you the photo of it but blogger does not allow me loading more pictures. Maybe I have written too much today LOL.

15 comments:

Hedgehog said...

Great step by step, May Britt, and a pretty top, too!

Joyce said...

Good lesson. I use a similar method but I have never taped the top down. Now I think I will try it that way.

Hanne said...

I could only get Blogger to take 3 photos in my post this evening. I see you have more than 3 - lucky you ;-)

Patti said...

Seems like lots of people are making presents these days - lots of quilts in bloggerland being talked about but not shown yet. Quilts make the best presents!

Great tutorial. Makes my back hurt just to look at the pictures however. I finally made myself a basting frame out of 1 x 2's and four c-clamps. Worked beautifully for years. Now when I want to hand quilt I'm lucky enough to be able to baste it on the longarm.

Julia said...

great step by step lesson...
I too use a similar method but I have never taped the top down. But I think I will next time I do a quilt.
Hugs Julia

Libby said...

I like your step of taping - top and back. This makes sense to keep everything smooth.

Darlene said...

Great explanations and pictures. Maybe someday I'll learn to handquilt - sigh! LOL

I love that quilt - it's adorable!

Anonymous said...

Godt forklart og sånn gjør jeg det også. Det er "drepen" for ryggen og for parketten også *lol*
Nydelig topp, forresten!!

Cynthia said...

interesting to read how you baste your quilts. I like the quilt in the photos.

Elaine Adair said...

Oh Aby, your quilt is so lovely and I love the style. I think you might enjoy garden pads that fit on your knees -- I wish I had them!

I have been using basting spray a lot, then pin also. I use a light hand on the spray, especially if I plan to hand quilt. So far, so good.

Thanks for the lovely visit.

Linda C said...

I haven't stopped by for a couple of days and look what I missed!! Lovely pictures from Copenhagen, a cartoon that made me roar with laughter and you giving a tutorial on how to thread baste. Gosh, I hate to see anyone crawling on the floor to do that. Please be kind to yourself and get off those knees!!! We use binder clips and a 7 foot table and jack it up with bed elevators all the time for our donation quilts--works great and then all we complain about is ours backs and hands from the pins, LOL.

Anonymous said...

That is a very cute quilt!

Beth
http://bethknits.blogspot.com/

Estrella said...

That pretty you have had left the assembly of the quil.

Angie said...

I LOVE that quilt, Aby!!!! :)

Marlublu said...

I also baste like you do, only I still baste the big quilts on the floor and every year it gets worst on my back. I still haven't found a big enough table. I buying two folding tables and will do it on that from now on. It took me two days last week to recover from basting this time.

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