Basting

Today I am preparing my Log Cabin baby quilt for hand quilting. It is a part of the quilting process that many quilters don't like very much, but which I enjoy as much as all the different stages of quilting.

You can find the method I use in MY TUTORIAL, where you will understand the reason of the spoon on the quilt.

Knots

My Scrappy Log Cabin top is finished, basted as shown here and tied with knots.

The border is machine sewn as shown here. 

Folded and put in my quilting bag, ready to be taken with me tomorrow to our Monday's meeting, where I will sew the border by hand as shown here.

I add this pictures for the ones interested in the knot method I used for tying this quilt.

I found it in a French book, but I suppose you can find it in English on the web. Although it is understandable just by looking at the pictures.

It is called the Pompom Stitch because, once the quilt washed, it will look like a pompom.

Basting Tutorial

The first thing when you prepare basting is to cut the backing and the batting at least 4 inches larger and 4 inches longer than the top.

Draw a mark on the middle of your table.

Fold your backing in two lengthwise, wrong side against wrong side.

Line it up with the mark.

Open and fix it with a tape.

Do the same with your batting. Then fold your top in two lengthwise, right side against right side and line it up.

This is what you obtain.

These are the tools you need for basting your three layers.

Before stitching, put some pins to maintain the three layers together.

The spoon will help you to lift and grasp your needle effortless without moving the quilt.

Start from the middle of the quilt and stitch diagonal lines with big stitches.

The quilt is now ready to be fixed on the hoop for hand quilting.