Beginner's Guide to Quilting - UK (2020-02)

Layering up your quilt top, batting and backing is easy. Here’s how...

QUILT SANDWICH

So you’ve finished your quilt top and
have taken a trip to the fabric shop to
stock up on your backing fabric and
batting. Now how do you turn it all into
a gorgeous finished quilt?
Your first step is to make a ‘quilt
sandwich’. This is the term quilters use
to describe a layering of the quilt top,

batting and backing. Start the process by

cutting your batting and backing so that

they are several inches larger than the

quilt top all around, to allow for any

movement when quilting.

Then before making your sandwich,

give your quilt top a final pampering by

pressing it well on both sides, checking

the seams are pressed neatly and in the

right direction, and trimming any trailing

threads. The sandwich can be fixed

together in various ways: with pins,

basting spray or by loosely sewing

(tacking) it – see our feature on page

52 for more details. We’ve used the

tacking method in the example below.

STEP ONE

First, prepare and press the backing

fabric. Lay it right side down on a flat

surface and carefully smooth it out

with your hands.

STEP TWO

Lay the batting on top of the backing

and smooth out any wrinkles with your

fingers. Make sure you can see some

backing fabric all around the edges.

STEP three

Lay the pressed quilt top on top of the

batting, right side up, with the backing

and batting showing all the way around.

Temporarily fix the layers to the batting

with masking tape.

STEP FOUR

Tack all three layers together with long

lengths of thread, working from the centre

out in a grid pattern, with lines about

4 in (1 0 cm) apart. Alternatively, use pins

or safety pins to secure the layers.