HGTV-Alex anderson short video on birthing a quilt...
http://www.hgtv.com/video/birthing-a...deo/index.html

1.Place quilt top and backing fabric ~ right sides together.

2. place batting on top of the backing fabric.

3.Using a 1/2" to 3/4" seam, sew around the edges. Leave an opening big enough to fit your hand through.

4.Turn the quilt right side out.

5. smooth out the inside of the quilt with your hand or a pointed object, in the corners especially.

6.Close the opening with hand stitches.

7. stitch round the outside quilt with a 1/4" seam allowance, this makes what is referred to as a "false binding". or add regular binding if you choose.

i have never tried this with anything larger than a baby quilt.

and for seasonal wallhangings, i have made a slit on the back of the wallhanging, (the backing prt) and "birthed" it this way, instead of at the seam.

I didn't realize that was what it was called. I've never tried it with a large size quilt either.

Its makes so much sense to slit the back instead of leaving an opening, pull it through and then sew it and place a label on top of the stitching,

anita grossman solomon was on simply quilts a few years ago, and this was how she did it..

when the guild taught the 8th grade sewing class we always told the kids "time to birth the quilt"...they loved it. highlight of the whole class...there were 16 boys and girls so we had lots of giggles LOL

Thanks so much, this is on my agenda for this summer!

Can these be handquilted afterwards?????

J J

i don't hand quilt, so not sure. actually, i tie this type of baby quilt, and do the "false binding" on it.

this is not a quilt that is taped down and pinned, so it is not "tight",understand what i mean? so i would guess, it would have lumps or puckers on the ends,if you used a walking foot..or FMQ'd it.
never tried it ,so it is just my best guess.

Thank you.

As someone who was dumb enough to try quilting a "birthed" quilt (we call it the pillow-cased method in my quilt guild), let me tell you from experience that it does NOT work very well! Despite pin basting and using a walking foot, the quilt bunches up. I only use this method for charity quilts and then I hand tie. I think the slit in back covered with a label is a great suggestion.