Start by laying out your batting on a clean, smooth floor. Spread your quilt top on the batting, smoothing out any wrinkles. You may need to actually crawl on the top of the quilt to do this. Trim batting to within about two inches of your quilt top.
Starting from the top, carefully roll your batting, as shown.
Continue rolling until you have a batting tube like this and set it aside. Don't worry about pinning the batting roll. The natural tendency of most battings is to cling to fabric, so your roll should hold itself together without any help from you.
Now spread your quilt back on the floor, right side down. Starting at the bottom of the quilt, use a strip of painter's tape to secure the edge of the quilt back to the floor. Move to the opposite (top) side and, pulling the quilt back ever so slightly toward you, tape the center top to the floor as well. Repeat with the left and right sides and each of the four corners, each time pulling very gently, but not stretching, to make sure the quilt back is completely smooth.
Bring back the batting roll and, starting at the bottom, slowly unroll the batting and top onto the quilt back. You have several inches leeway on all sides, but want to make sure that a) all parts of your quilt top are "inside the edges" of the quilt back, and b) your rows are perpendicular to the sides of the quilt back and parallel to the pieced row on the quilt back. If you see that you're off, don't hesitate to re-roll your batting and start over.
Depending on the width of you top back fabric, you may have several extra inches at the top of your quilt. Don't worry about that for now.
Once again, smooth out your quilt top and batting. I usually do this by starting at the bottom and crawling up the center of my quilt, smoothing as I go. You want to make things smooth, but be careful not to warp your fabric as you work. If you notice that your smoothing is making your blocks wonky, ease up a little bit and work them back into a nice gridded shape.
Once your fabric is arranged the way you want it, use curved safety pins to secure all three layers at the center of each block. If you're new to free-motion quilting, you may also want to place pins at the intersections of the sashing and around the edges.
Placing these pins is awkward at first, but it's something you're likely to get the hang of with practice!
Once you've placed all of your pins, use scissors to trim through all layers about two inches from the edge of your quilt top.
You'll want to handle your quilt sandwich with some care. However, if you've done a good job with smoothing and pinning, you should be able to flip your sandwich over and have the back be as smooth and even as the front.
Great tips!!
Just one question, how do you get the pins in without leaving little stabbing marks in your floor. ( as I have done ) whenI am trying to be sure that I have all 3 layers on my pin ???
( and not lifting the the layers off the floor and stretching them too much ??)
thank you for this wonderful tutorial BTW..I have learnt so much !!
Posted by: Peta-Jane | March 27, 2009 at 03:01 AM
I haven’t been participating in the quilt along but I have really enjoyed reading along with it. You are so clear with explanations and the photos are so nice! I especially enjoyed the “flat seams” or “open seams” segment. I use both techniques depending on the type of block I am working with. You have a natural talent for teaching.
Posted by: Patty | March 27, 2009 at 04:52 AM
I again want to thank you for doing this tutorial. It's been so informative and as the above poster said, you certainly do have a knack for teaching. I think your photos have been so clear too which has helped so much. I have seen some tutorials where there is such light coloured fabric used that one can't dissern what is being done.
I have used spray glue for my lap quilts with much success. I know it's not the technique taught here, but on the small quilts, it certainly make it easy to get the quilt together. I have arthritis a bit in my hands and the spraying has helped me so much.
Again thank you for your taking the time to do this as it's been a labour of love of this craft on your part to put this together.
Thank you!
Posted by: nanci | March 27, 2009 at 05:12 AM
Is that really enough pinning? (I have been told that pins should be no more than a hand width apart... or what looks like at least 3 times the pins that you used...)
Caveat - I send out 99% of my quilts to be quilted by a professional. (More time for me to play with fabric - my favorite part of the process.) So I don't really have practical experience.
Posted by: Amy | March 27, 2009 at 05:37 AM
I just have to find an area with enough floor space! Thanks again for these tutorials - they are an inspiration! The colours you've chosen for both sets are, as always, beautiful. I'm a bit behind (I'm just finishing the blocks...) but it's been great to try new things, and to actually have the possibility of finishing a "large" project within reach! I still can't quite work out how you manage to get your seams that perfect though. I'm hoping practice will eventually make perfect!
Posted by: Esther | March 27, 2009 at 05:38 AM
I've been really enjoying reading about your quilt process...and this post has given me a lightbulb moment. I never though of putting the quilt top on the wadding and then trimming it...I have always measured...which isn't a great method, 'cos I always end up short! I also love how you wrapped the top and wadding together...hmm 2 lightbulb moments in 1 post!! Thanks :o)
Posted by: Jane Weston | March 27, 2009 at 05:45 AM
Quick answers to a few questions . . .
1. I probably do leave marks on my floor, but I've never really noticed it. Using curved safety pins probably helps.
2. This is enough pinning for me. As I mention, if you haven't done a lot of machine quilting, you probably want to do more pinning than I do. (Placing additional pins at the intersections and the edges as I suggest would be roughly equivalent to "a hand's width" apart.)
Thanks!
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 27, 2009 at 07:12 AM
I will second the suggestion for basting spray! Especially for beginners, I think it makes it so much easier to avoid wrinkles and bumps while free motion quilting. I tried safety pins and thread basting, and always ended up with wrinkles in the back. With basting spray I have never had a problem. Maybe I am just a poor pinner/baster!
Posted by: Kristen | March 27, 2009 at 07:22 AM
I will definitely have to try this method of sandwiching my fabric. It looks like a great way to do it. Thanks for all the practical advice during this quilt along.
Posted by: Liz Taylor | March 27, 2009 at 08:31 AM
Very helpful! I just made my first large quilt sandwich. It took forever!!! :)
Posted by: Kama | March 27, 2009 at 08:55 AM
I'm having so much fun reading your tutorials even though I'm not participating in this quilt along.
I have a question about the curved safety pins you use. Do they leave a hole in your fabric? I bought a huge package of curved safety pins before I realized that they are pretty big and they damage the fabric if I'm not careful. I've got my eye out for thinner curved safety pins, but I haven't found any yet. Any advice?
Thanks!
Posted by: Christa | March 27, 2009 at 09:33 AM
As with everything, there's quite a range of quality among pins. I've found that the more pricey ones that are marketed specifically for quiltmaking are sharper and cause less damage than the cheaper store brand or the ones on the notions wall. If pins in general are causing you trouble, you can always baste instead.
I just prefer pins because they're fast and I can usually have my quilt sandwich together in less than an hour, whereas basting takes quite a bit longer.
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 27, 2009 at 10:21 AM
I think I'll keep on looking for sharper and thinner pins rather than look into basting. Basting sounds like it takes forever!
Thanks!
Posted by: Christa | March 27, 2009 at 12:53 PM
I just found your blog! I love it. I can't wait to try some of your patterns. Great job!!
Posted by: heatherandrienne | March 27, 2009 at 01:00 PM
Thanks so much for the tutorial. I always had lumps in the back of my quilt. Now I am inspired to try this method! :)
Posted by: Lisa F | March 27, 2009 at 01:28 PM
One thing I've found really helpful when it comes to the securing of those pins is taking a knitting needle along with me to push the pointy end up into the "trap." Helps keep my fingers from getting too sore. They sell a tool for this at Jo-Ann, but I've found the knitting needle's great for it!
Posted by: JulieFrick | March 27, 2009 at 03:36 PM
Great tips - thanks so much for putting so much effort into this!
Posted by: Aimee | March 27, 2009 at 06:01 PM
I have a problem... I don't have enough floor space so I have to use my bed which is to soft and I get wrinkles in the back of the quilt...:(
Posted by: Maria | March 27, 2009 at 09:38 PM
Maria,
I would suggest that you work on a table instead. Let the edges hang off and start pinning in the middle. It's not ideal, but I think you'll get much better results than using a bed.
Posted by: Elizabeth | March 28, 2009 at 09:26 AM
Love the quilt sandwich. Great idea!
Posted by: Marie | March 28, 2009 at 07:31 PM
Floor space is an issue for me as well, but I always use my kitchen table when pinning and start from the middle and that works just fine. I appreciate your tips on laying out the top on the batting from one end and trimming it before adding it to the backing. And the trick of rolling it into a tube - thank you! I have always struggled with folding everything into quarters while layering, but I see that I can get this might work on my table too.
Posted by: mathea | April 05, 2009 at 06:56 AM
I LOVE YOU!!!!! i have learned more in the past 30 minutes since I foud your blog, than in the past 3 years of beginning quilting! I have been fairly successful in the quilts I've made, but your tips, hints, and shortcuts are DIVINE!
Posted by: Michele | May 04, 2009 at 04:36 PM
Thank you for doing this tutorial...I was not able to follow-along but I "followed-along". I am using your method of making a quilt sandwich, and I am wondering when did you take the tape off of the backing? do you keep it in place until after you are finished pinning? ...or did I miss something? Thanks for your help and Thanks for the tutorial! I love your teal/black/white color combo!
Posted by: Tammy Seguin | May 12, 2009 at 05:49 AM
thank you! thank you! thank you! I am a totally self taught quilter. Never taken a class or workshop, so I just learn as I go along or by reading what others have done or suggested. getting my back and top to line up has always been a problem for me. I just recently (yesterday)used your method on a quilt - you can see it on my blog if you like - and I am so impressed how well everything lined up. I can't thank you enough for saving me hours of time and frustration!!! Now I want to make another one!!
Posted by: Jeannine | May 26, 2009 at 10:47 AM
thank you! my floors are carpet so I go to my church and use their tables. I will try your method it seems so simple.
Posted by: Judy | May 27, 2009 at 08:45 PM