Getting your quilt ready for free-motion quilting

What’s a Backing in a quilt?

The backing is the fabric that will show in the back of your quilt. Chose a fabric that pleasant and goes well with the front-top. Never think for a moment that backing should be dull because nobody will ever see it. Sometimes your quilting can be viewed from the back as well as in the front. Also, have in mind that your backing should at least have an additional 2"-4" wider, to compensate for the movement during the quilting.

Preparation:

• Prewashed and pressed the fabric.
  
• Layout the backing on a clean floor, or if you have two tables, set them together and lay the backing on it.
  
• Secured edges on the tables by using painters tape.

  Backing taped on my two tables

Where’s the Batting in a quilt?

Batting is what goes in the center of your quilt and gives it the form and softness, depending on the bating you'll be using. There are many types of batting available on the market and I'm not going to be specific on any of them for now.

At the beginning of my quilting years, I used mostly polyester, because that's what everyone did, but now it's your preference, project, and tag price that will dictate what you want to use. For this quilt, I'm using 80% cotton, 20% poly.  As the backing, you'll need an additional 2"-4" batting wider than your top.

Preparation:

• Follow the company recommendation.
  
• Lay flat on top of the backing.
  

Quilt Top

Your quilt top is the showcase of your ideas or followed pattern. The rows should be aligned vertically and horizontally so that it would reflect the top-quilt as a whole. Some quilt design does not have rows, but they do have a pattern.

Preparation:

• Washed
  
• Starch and pressed.
  
• Lay on top of backing/batting
  

Notice that the backing and batting are at least 2-3" bigger wider than my top-quilt. Before pinning or basting, I passed my hands over the layers many times, to remove any wrinkles.

How to keep it all together?

There are many different methods to keep the three layers together. These are the few I've used in the past.

• Baste by hand with thread.
  
• Spray baste. Costly if you have many quilts. Also, need to be done in a well-aired area.
  
• Pinning. Use bend safety-pins and fasten with a Kwik Klip.

  For this quilt, I'll be using safety pins and the Kwick Klip.

After you insert the safety pin through all the layer, you take the Kwick Klip to facilitate the closing of the pin. There can be at least 100 pins, if not more for a quilt.  

 All pinned out and ready to quilt. I haven't used this method in ten years, because I started using spray baste, which I loved, but my husband retired last year and I'm not working at the moment. So very low in cash pocket. Spray baste product is kinda costly.  So yep, I'm back in using bend safety pins.

Will you look at that! Even if I stretch it, taped it, and pinned it. There are still wrinkles that appeared in the back of my quilt!  No worry, as I quilt my top, I usually "petted" the fabric away from the center from where I'm quilting.

Now, it's your turn to go prepare a quilt.  

Woven- Part 2

Last Thursday with a new quilting friend, we've started another Woven quilt. This one has two additional fabric, making look more woven.

Swirly blue Batik for the background, yellow, green, light pink, dark blue Batik.

It's may take GREAT restrain of your will, not to go right away to your sewing machine and finish that quilt, so you can go to the next one...and the next one.

" Oh dear, there's no end to this!!"

That's right, so why not enjoy the whole process and develop a good habits by sketching some quilting design on paper BEFORE quilting.  Yep, I'm learning too:)

 The quilting design was changed of course, but it did help me to visualise what I wanted to do.
Very simple, straight and diagonals lines. The fabric on the left with stripes if for the binding.

                                        Besides the red, all fabric was from my stash.

Rosette #5

 Rosette #5: Green & Purple

Step-by-Steps instruction for English Paper Piecing: Beginner level

 1. Cut out each piece of the blocks, marked them for identification. Holes are punched through the paper for easy removal.

 2. Reusable templates from previous pieces are useful, so keep them. 

 3. Visualize the colour or fabric by setting it side-by-side next to your pattern piece.

4. Using your glue stick, tabbed just a little on the front paper and set on the back of the fabric.

 5. Passed the glue stick at near the edges, but not directly on the edge. It's for easy removal later.

 6.Glue your pieces all the same direction

 7. Another time to visual your block, before sewing it together.

Noticed how the edges have been glued in the same direction, helping the piecing to lay flat.

New Sewing Room

I'm sorry it took so long to post anything feed on my latest quilt or blocks. A good reason is not excused for not posting at least something.  *Big sigh*

But I've to admit, I did stall my sewing on purpose for good reason. *smile*
Our new home has three bedrooms and all of them are taken.

• Laundry room is Not an option.
• Using my only kitchen area is not an option.

How do you set up your quilting area then, if the space is limited?  Basement area and because it has an L-shape, I opted in using that area which is also out of the view as you come into the house.  The rest of the area if for TV entertainment. 

Under the stairs, there is a long narrow storage area for my fabric.

Today, I purchased backing for three quilts and find some grey print backing,

And I've no clue for which quilt it goes with.

A slow return indeed

              I've added more pictures of my sewing room set-up

  My Juki is facing the front of the house, giving me a nicer view of the weather outside,

 I butted two adjustable tables for quilting. When I do not quilt, one is use as a cutting table.

Storage units are useful for books and sewing tools that I need to be nearby. 

And I still have room on the floor to layout my blocks.

In the far back, I've hung my white flannel as my design wall, which a present if my English Paper piecing project.  Lighting is not great,  and I'm using what is available to me at the moment.