How to Layer a Quilt

Layering a quilt is the process of sandwiching the batting between the quilt top and the backing, then pinning and basting the layers so that they don’t shift during quilting.

Make the Batting

Batting is available in many different sizes, but depending on the size of your quilt, you may have to piece together two lengths of batting with a whip stitch. The whip stitch is used to join batting because it allows the batting to lie flat without any overlapping seams.

1. The dimensions of the finished batting should be 2–4″ longer and wider than your quilt top.
2. Assemble lengths of batting to fit the dimensions, trimming edges straight as needed.
3. Whip stitch the edges of the pieces of batting together using strong cotton thread.

Make the Backing

Like batting, your backing fabric may need to be pieced together from smaller swatches. Unlike batting, you don’t need to use a whip stitch to make the backing. You can machine-piece backing with a simple straight stitch and 1/4″ seam allowance. Be sure to wash and iron the backing fabric smooth before starting to stitch it together.

1. Assemble lengths of backing to fit the dimensions of the batting, trimming selvages as needed.
2. Piece the fabric.

Pin the Quilt Sandwich

Before pinning the layers together, iron the quilt top and backing so they’re perfectly flat. Then follow these steps:

1. Lay the backing flat on the floor, wrong side up, and tape it down with masking tape.
2. Lay the batting down over the backing.
3. Lay the quilt top over the batting, right side up.
4. Using safety pins, pin together the three layers of the quilt using a an “X” pattern across the center of the quilt and a border around the outside of the quilt. Quilt the “X” first, starting at the center and working out toward the four corners.

Always pin your quilt with safety pins as opposed to straight pins. After this stage, the quilt gets rolled, shifted, shuffled, and folded, and if you use straight pins, they’re likely to snag the fabric and prick you as you hold and shift the quilt on your lap.

Baste the Quilt

 

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Once you have the quilt securely pinned and you’re confident that the layers won’t shift, you can baste the quilt using a simple running stitch. Baste along the same pattern you used to pin the layers, working from the center to the corners, and then along the outside edges. As you get more experienced at quilt-making, you may be able to skip the basting step—as long as you’ve pinned the quilt securely.