quilting help....

[MamaLisa1]

Okay, I am feeling like an idiot here, but I have a mental block and I cannot figure this out.
I am going to make a quilt for my daughter's twin sized bed. I plan on doing 12" squares and every other square is going to have a fabric applique on it. I am cool with all the cutting, applique-ing and sewing the squares together. The part I am getting confused about is attaching the backing and the batting. How do I do this, and also have it attached all the way through, so that it's truly quilted and won't bunch and shift? I thought about using prequilted fabric for the back, but that still doesn't solve the problem of the top part not being attached securely. Do I have to sew them by hand? I can't imagine how to sew all through the middle parts without the fabric getting bunched up. There is probably a simple solution, but my brain is fried right now from overthinking.
If anyone has help, I'd appreciate it SO much!
Thanks
Lisa

[woodchick]

First, lay out the backing material face down. Then lay the batting on it. Then lay the top face up on top of the other two layers.

Baste- Long loose stitches through all three layers. This will hold the layers together as you quilt.

Now you have two options- a) Tie it. Using yarn or a couple plys of embroidery thread tie the three layers together every 6 or so inches (at corners of blocks and through the middle, maybe). Put the needle down and the back up, cute and double knot.

b) Quilt- hand stitch (or machine stitch) every few inches- you can do straight lines all across the quilt or follow the squares. Start from the middle and work your way outward.

Then remove the basting stitches.

HTH

[MamaLisa1]

oh, that technique doing the little knots sounds cute. Could you do little X's with embroidery thread at each corner???? I guess I could try that. Thanks a bunch.
How do you finish your edges then...

[iowaorganic]

Ew- don't hand baste- either use a fram take a stape gun and staple strips of muslin to a 1x4 and then safty pin the quilt layers to that- or better yet use spray baste. I have a frame for tying or I love spray baste or fusible batting that you steam with an iron!

[woodchick]

Originally Posted by MamaLisa1

oh, that technique doing the little knots sounds cute. Could you do little X's with embroidery thread at each corner???? I guess I could try that. Thanks a bunch.
How do you finish your edges then...

I think little x's could work. The main goal is to tie the layers together enough to keep the batting from shifting.

For the edging, I'd machine sew the binding to the top then, after quilting/tying, fold over the edge and do an handstitched invisible stitch onto the backing.

[dbsam]

I am a novice quilter, but…
I use large safety pins to hold it all together while stitching or knotting. I like using yarn knots in each square but also think it is cute to use big bright buttons - depending upon the fabric and appliqués. I would 'stitch in the ditch' first and then knot or button the middle of some of the squares.

[majick1]

Agreed! I don't baste either, I use safety pins. I think that stitching in the ditch holds together better than the knots, IMO. I also make my own binding and machine sew the binding to the quilt top then a hand stitch to the backing.