Any tips for lining up critical top fabric and backing fabric blocks?
 

Hmmmm, I'm up to sandwiching and basting and I'm breaking out in a sweat just thinking about it. I have some blocks incorporated into my backing running down the middle length and I want to line them up with certain blocks on the top so they get the same quilting effect on them. Does anyone have any tips on how I can line my blocks up?

Would it be alright to lay my sandwich out and not tape or clip the layers down initially so I could bunch the 3 layers up in my hand so I can feel the seams of bottom and top blocks so I could snug them together and then pin them? Once I've done my middle length/line of matching blocks I could then do my usual basting process? What do you think?

Put a pin in the top and bottom of both top and backing. When you layer them with batting, you'll be able to position them correctly by aligning the pins

I've thought of doing this many times, will follow the thread as I as yet have not managed it. I tried pins but they are very difficult to get through wadding/batting in a straight line. Whether something like a u shaped staple would work as they are shorter and don't move as much.raid a tool box some can be 1" long. But these in the back top and bottom stretch backing fabric and fasten down ensuring you can see staple all the time. Cover smooth and push staples through batting. Now put on top positioning staples first then rest of quilt. Top.
this works in my head not sure about practically.

I use an avery tacking gun, it's tiny little plastic tags you can use as many as you want and if sew over them they don't damage your machine.

This is a thread that I will be following carefully also. Thanks for posting the question. I've never made a back out of anything except all the same fabric but have wanted to piece a back with other fabrics at times. I've never been sure how to line them up so they are "even" on the back (seams straight & not wonky).

I used thumb tacks. Thumb tacks are flat allowing them to lay against the table top. Put the tacks thru the backing at the points you want to match. You might have to put a small piece of masking tape over the head to keep in in place as you handle it. Tape the backing down to the pinning surface as usual and CAREFULLY smooth on the backing. You can now match up the thumb tacks with the top, again, be very careful. Use lots of pins in the matching areas. I would pin the top as opposed to glue basting as the pins will secure the top to the bottom. Glue basting secures the top and backing to the surface of the batting and if the center of the batting shifts a bit, you will loose the alignment.
This will get you very close, but SITD will probably not be perfect.

How large is your quilt?? If it is a large quilt, it will be difficult because you want to make sure the quilt is smooth and flat. I like the idea of using thumbtacks but you have to be so careful.

i think you've got the right idea! ...i would use clamps/clothespins to hold the outside together & try folding it to find the area you want to work on, ...you're right about snugging it up & using pins..that way you could still manipulate it without putting holes in the fabric Give it a go!

The way I learned lining up back and front is fairly easy for things like placing pieced back details where you want them.

For lining up vertical center rows, for example, I make sure the top and back are squared up with their centers in the true center and the backing is exactly the same width larger than the top on all sides. I then cut the batting so it is exactly the same width larger than the top on all sides and exactly smaller than the back on all sides. I generally go with a 2" ring (each layer is 4" larger than the one on top of it), but as long as it's consistent it'll work. The three layers can be centered by measuring the exposed edges of the backing and batting.

It's a bit harder for something like placing a panel/single block/detail exactly where you want it on the back, but if your measurements from all sides are accurate, it works quite well.

The three layers stacked:
http://i68.servimg.com/u/f68/13/49/59/13/backin10.jpg

I find the center on all sides of both the backing & the top and mark with pins at the outer edge. I have used the tape a wood toothpick to the floor at the center of the backing so that I can feel it when placing the top and getting it centered. I usually have a border on my backing, so I need to make sure of the backing center point.

Could u get you quilt all lined up and use some school/craft glue? I don't know if this method will work for you. I never have added pieces to back of quilt. I always use one large big piece. But when I get all my "sandwich" line up I do use glue to hold it together. If I don't use glue method I always lose a pin in the quilt and get stuck with it in the night when I use the quilt on my bed. I hope you have good luck with your quilt and happy sewing

Here it is Tartan, the lady with the "Skurrs" ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnke_KzeTI8
I use this all the time now!

:DI should have remembered that Kitsie since it was pretty funny!

I wanted to see if anyone else posted the link we were thinking of. one and same. How to baste large quilt on a small table.

Thanks so much everyone, a lot of good ideas for me to mull over! I'm off now for a week of camping with DH today so I will report back in a week or so on how I got on. haha, I feel so enthused about the project now I wonder what DH would say if I ever so sweetly asked that we postpone the camping trip for a few days???? Yikes...don't think that would be a wise thing to do...no, not at all....and afterall he has agreed to stop in to the local large haby chain store here on the "way out" so I can pick up some more machine needles that are on sale at present! Can't resist a sale!!!

I think the only way to do this perfectly is to do it as a "Quilt as you go." You could cut it up yet and do this, but you would lose some seam allowance on the back. Maybe you have enough for that.
Cut or open seams top to bottom on each side of the center square. Then cut or open seams to get the center square free from anything else. Now layer the top, back and batt of the center square. Quilt it as desired. Add the top and bottom pieces to the square and quilt that. Then add the side pieces one at a time and quilt them. May be doable but not easy. Could work if your back is large enough to accommodate the extra seams. The seams of the top would be taken apart, so would go back together again. You would probably need to add the top first and work on the back later with each piece.
Does anyone see how this would work?

After getting it lined up, I would carefully unpin each block one one side, then glue baste the matched blocks, re-pin, allow to dry and layout the rest of the quilt around the pinned and glue basted blocks. Glue, pin, or tailor tack the rest before starting to quilt.

I saw that too.
 

I tried this with the directions received. The video is on YouTube.

Well I have finished basting my top and backing together and thought I would share my "travels" with you. I have a top consisting of 8" chevrons in 11 rows. The backing is 2 pieces of plain/marbled pink with an off centre lengthways strip of chevrons. I needed the back strip of chevrons to align with one of my vertical rows of chevrons on the top.


First problem I encountered was sewing the back pieces and chevron strip together. Whilst one backing piece and the chevron strip seamed beautifully, the seam joining the second backing piece and the chevron strip was a nightmare resulting in some slight bunching along the seam. I unpicked and re-sewed it three times, with great care not to stretch either fabric etc but to no avail. Perhaps it was the quality of the backing strip, perhaps it was an unevenness in the qualities of the chevron fabric assortment but either way, I was not going to try a fourth time. So, there may be some wrinkle in the finished backing or it may settle with the quilting, or not really be noticeable shhhhhhh!...meh.

So onward I went. I pushed a drawing pin into the corner of each of the backing strip chevrons.

Next, I flipped the backing over to the wrong side, taped it down and placed the batting on top pushing it down over the pins. I then followed with the top, lining up the corners of my chosen lengthways strip of chevrons with the pins poking out from the batting. I then used my basting pins to secure the quilt sandwich at the column of "chosen" chevrons and once secure, flipped the quilt over to the right side and removed the drawing pins. I really didn't want them in the fabric any longer than need be.

I then turned the quilt back over so now I had a sandwich pin basted down the middle strip. I secured the backing to my table, smoothed out the batting and then the top and continued the sandwiching and pin basting as per normal.

On reflection, I am not so sure that my expertise level has allowed me to do a particularly good job of a 3 pieced backing...something to work on in the future or perhaps never try again....haha, like eating cabbage! Once the quilting has been done I will be able to judge my success.

Thanks everyone for their suggestions on how to go about this "lining up" caper.

I meant to add that the reason I wanted to remove the drawing pins as soon as possible was because the tips were very small and hard to see by the time all 3 layers were sandwiched on them, and the base of the pins were quite large and flat by comparison but only seen from the underside. I was terrified I would accidently sew over one of them whilst quilting if I forgot to remove them all and cause no end of grief to the machine, and me!