My method:
1 Tape backing to quilt wall;
2 Spray-baste backing, then smooth low loft batting to backing;
3 Spray-baste batting, then smooth quilt top to batting;
4 Using hands and working from the center out, smooth out entire sandwich (checking for lumps);
5 I put a few safety pins around the edge of the quilt and down the center to avoid slippage while sewing.
6 A good walking foot is a must
7 Recently became a convert to quilt gloves, they really help
8 Use a relatively long stitch (not quite as long as basting though)
This works well for me, and I now have smooth even quilting lines.
Good luck