How to Layer and Baste a Quilt (Make a Quilt Sandwich) – FREE Beginner Quilting Videos and Pattern
When I was making my first quilt I went to the fabric store to get batting and the very enthusiastic sales woman, was very excited that I was about to make my “quilt sandwich.” I nodded politely, but inside was thinking she must be nuts.
Later I learned making the quilt sandwich was the process of layering the quilt back (the bread), the batting (the warm fuzzy stuff inside aka the meat) and the quilt top (also the bread) together before you quilt it. This is also called layering and basting.
There are all kinds of methods for layering and basting a quilt. Some people spray baste, which involves using a can or spray adhesive and, for me, lots of cursing. You can also take it to a longarm quilter to have them baste it on a quilt frame. But my tried and true method of layering and basting is to pin baste it.
That is the method I will show you in the video. We also go over batting selection, the right and wrong side of batting, and how to roll your quilt up so it will fit under your sewing machine in the next step … QUILTING!
When you layer and baste your quilt, you are going to want a large flat surface to work on, preferably countertop height. In the video I used the table we cut fabric on at the shop. But my second favorite place to baste is on a banquet folding table with the legs placed on top of bed risers.
You can buy bed risers for about $10 at Walmart or Bed Bath & Beyond. They will raise any table up to countertop height. Don’t skip this step, it will save your back.
You can also use a dining room table, but make sure you protect your surface by placing your cutting mat under the area you are working on. You are going to be poking safety pins through all three layers of your quilt and you don’t want to damage the surface of your fancy table.
If you are enjoying these videos, but haven’t downloaded the pattern yet, make sure you do it! We’ll send it to you for FREE, plus a 20% off coupon that you can use on everything we use in the beginner quilting series.
That includes all of your notions and in-stock fabric from QT Fabrics, our class sponsor! We also have created a few quilt kits for the Split Nine Patch pattern and have made digital versions of the quilts so you’ll know you love it before you start sewing.
The coupon will be sent to you via email after you download your FREE pattern to go along with this course. Click here to download your free copy.
Other videos in the series:
- Beginner Class Introduction
- Must Have Quilting Supplies and Tools
- How to Read a Quilt Pattern
- What’s the Difference??? Quilt Shop vs. Chain Store Fabric
- How to Use a Rotary Cutter
- 3 Ways to Sew a Perfect Quarter-Inch Seam Every Time
- How to Sew a Split Nine Patch Quilt Block
- How to Chain Piece Quilt Blocks
- How to Assemble the Quilt Top