OK, I'll go first! First, "hand-tied" is where one ties the quilt sandwich together with yarn or heavy thread at intervals, such as every four inches. Many older quilts were done this way. And yes, it is easier. Depends on the look you want, but this is a casual, informal quilt, in my opinion.

Second, yes you baste the layers together using thread or safety pins. It is best to work from the center out and save the binding until last. Hope this helps! And welcome!

Tamie

This is how I was taughtÂ

Spread out the backing on a smooth surface (table if itÂs big enough) or floor with the right side of the fabric face down. Use painters tape to secure your backing to the floor so that it is completely smooth, but not pulling.

Lay your batting on top of your backing. Lay your quilt top on top of the batting. Your backing and batting should be at least a few inches larger than your top. When you have made your quilt sandwich, I smooth it all out with my hands, starting in the middle. Once it is perfectly smooth, I begin pinning with 1 inch safety pins.

I start at the middle, and pin out towards the edges of the quilt. I leave the pins open until they are all in (I was told closing the pins pulls the fabric). Your pins should be close enough to each other that you can not lay your hand on the quilt without touching a pin. Once they are all in, I close them. There is a little tool called something like a quik qlip which makes it easier to close the pins.

When they are all closed, I untape the quilt and put it into my sewing machine and start quilting. As I come to a pin, I remove it. I think itÂs easier to quilt either from the center out towards the edges, or quilt across the quilt top to bottom and side to side so that you have established some foundation  rather than quilting to top left section first, etc. But this depends on your quilting design.

After IÂm all done quilting, then I trim the backing and batting to the correct size, and then bind it.

Good luck!

Lola,

I never knew that about not closing the pins. I'll definitely remember that. Thanks for sharing--It's always good to learn something new.

Geri

Thanks for the helpful suggestions so far.
You've prompted another question :)

This will be a wall hanging, and I'm unsure how to attach the hanging strips at the top of the piece, and bind it at the same time? I was thinking of binding it by making the backing a little longer, and then just wrapping it around to the front, but that doesn't seem like it will work well if I have to attach the wall-hanger-pieces as well.
Do you know what I mean? (i'm horrible at explaining this)

Thanks :)

If you use a separate binding, and don't just pull the back fabric to the front, it is very easy to add a hanging sleeve.

Make your hanging sleeve, then match raw edges of the long edge of the hanging sleeve with raw edges of the top of your quilt, when you stitch the binding to the quilt, the hanging sleeve will be caught in the top binding seam, then you just have to stitch it down at the bottom of the sleeve.

If you do opt to use the backing edges for your binding, you'll need to make the hanging sleeve with no raw edges, and stitch it onto the quilt back by hand.

Hope this is clear, I'm not too good at writing instructions.

I have only put a hanging sleeve in a few quilts, and it has been a while, so someone else may have a better description or suggestions, but here are my thoughts:

Make a hanging sleeve a few inches shorter than the width of your quilt and about 4-6 inches long. For example, if your quilt is 36 inches across, make your sleeve about 34 inches x 4 inches. Fold the two short edges about ¼ inch and hem, so the sides are smooth. Then when you are sewing your binding, pin the top and bottom edge of your sleeve flush with the top of your quilt so it forms a tube and stitch it in with the binding. Once you have finished your binding, you can stitch the bottom of the sleeve down to the back of the quilt (without going through all 3 layers). This is about as clear as mud. Here is a link that may helpÂ

Here is a link that might be useful: quilt sleeve

I read this tip in a newsletter from Kaye Woods. After you have the quilt basted and before attaching the binding, stitch along the edge of the quilt , all the way around it. This helps the raw edges lie flat when attaching the binding. It will help eliminate the puckers.

Besides all the wonderful advise from everyone here I would suggest going to your local library and checking if they have any quilt books. It is always great for me at least to "see" how to do things if you find a book with good pics and info too. Isamae

Thanks for all the great suggestions so far. I'm not finished the quilting yet, as I am hand-quilting (no sewing machine).

However, I'm looking ahead to the binding, and I'm pretty confused. I've been looking at a variety of internet site instructions. I understand the double fold, and why it can be better. I think I understand how the binding is attached to the top of the quilt. But then you pull it across the batting to the back of the quilt, and I'm not sure how to attach it at the back? I'm not aiming for the fancy corners, just a basic binding for my first major project.

If you've ever hemmed a skirt, you can use the same stitch.

If not try any stitch - a slip stitch, a whip stitch, or any other you like.

I've never actually made any clothing :)
The stitch seems flexible, that's good. But do I simply stitch the binding to the back? Because in the pictures I've seen, it looks as though it is tucked under (I don't know the right word for it), just like on the front. Like a seam. And I'm not sure how to get that effect. I could just stitch the binding to the back and have the edge there, but it looks as though there is a better way to do it.

I know I'm explaining this badly :) Its probably a very foolish problem with an easy solution, but I can't see it right now . . .

1. Take your binding strip (long) and fold/iron it wrong sides together.
2. Place your folded binding along the outside edge of your quilt with all raw edges matching.
3. Sew parallel to the raw edges with a 1/4" (or something there abouts) seam.
4. Fold binding over the edge to the back.
5. Hand stitch the folded edge of your binding down to the backing. Catching the batting gives it more stability in my opinion.

I sew a double binding onto the back and then turn it to the front so I can machine stitch it down the correct distance from the edge and also make it stronger, but since you are hand-quilting, you will probably want to go with stitching it to the front, turning to the back, and hand stitching.

Hi cziga,

If you are doing a double-fold binding and sew both raw edges to the front, you will find the edge of the piece at the back is actually the fold and does not need to be 'tucked under'. If you are doing a single fold and only sewing one raw edge to the front, you would have to 'tuck under' the other raw edge on the back.

Make sense?

And welcome!

Faye

Oh that's true, the double binding will have just the raw edge, which tucks under at the front. The back then, the fold, is just stitched onto the backing of the quilt with a blindstitch or something similar?
That does make sense, I think I have the idea of it.

Thanks so much for all the help! I've been reading a lot of the more detailed postings (and drooling over pictures of course), but I never realized that I had kind of taken some of the "basics" for granted :) I will give this a try, thanks!

The only reason to use a doubled binding is because, on a quilt that you use, the binding is always what gets the most wear and wears out first...for a wall hanging or table runner....anything that isn't being actually USED, you needn't double it. After all, it won't get any wear.
I think you'll find a lot of wonderful information in general quilt books...and, with pictures to look at, too, which make it SO much easier to understand...so, please go to your library. I'm sure they'll have a range of books...start with one on the basics and work your way up.

I'm bringing this to the top for our newest members.

I learn alot from watching quilting shows online . you will enjoy this one .
betty

Here is a link that might be useful: QNN Shows

And this one
betty

Here is a link that might be useful: QuittersTV

Another recommendation from me for QNN. I've sewn garments for years, but quilting was entirely new to me. I learn (and continue to learn) so much from watching quilting shows on my computer. After I watch a show, I often have one of those "Aha!" moments, where I think "Oh, now I get it. *I* can do that."

Here's (helpful link below) is a link to Simply Quilts videos online at HGTV. They generally have two episodes that rotate every week, but you can also search for episodes and watch those, too.

Also, there's the Quilt Show with Ricky Tims and Alex Anderson. Although you can subscribe, they have at least one free episode you can watch.

http://www.thequiltshow.com/os/index.php

CMC

Here is a link that might be useful: Simply Quilts Videos

Everyone has given great answers so I'll just jump in here with BASTING SPRAY. OH how I love it! I just did a king size quilt and used basting spray to hold the layers together and I put MAYBE 10 pins in it. It hasn't shifted a bit. Not one tuck or pucker (so far) and I've been dragging that quilt all over the place.

I get mine at WalMart but I'm sure any quilt shop or craft store would probably carry it.

LOVE IT!

I give Laura's recommendation a big second! I love basting spray, have used the one called "500" on three large lap quilts (the biggest being 48" x 60") and I didn't even bother to pin them. I machine quilted all three, pushing and pulling them all over the place, and didn't have a bit of trouble with shifting.

I've never tried basting spray yet, but I wanted to say that all the information I got on this thread was a big help! The binding worked out nicely and I did in fact figure out how to work it out. I ended up doing a double fold, sewing to the front of the quilt and then bringing it around to the back and blindstitching it to the back. It worked out really well!

The first try is always the hardest as you have no real clue what you're trying to do!