I had a problem figuring out the "layering", "turning", and "basting", until i figured out it is done in that order. But no one has said how to do the layering. I have been doing this since the 50's. Talk about old! You need to place the top and back right sides together. The batt probably goes next to the top. If you want to baste at this point, that would be fine. But then you sew all around the outside leaving a few inches open for turning. Then you need to remove the basting in order to turn it.

Another way that we used to do was to sew just the top and back together, right sides together, leaving quite a large turning space. Turn it and then work the WOOL batting inside, trying to get it into the edges and corners all around. Doesn't sound like fun, does it. But we did it. Then they were tied with wool yarn. These quilts were not washed. If the top got too soiled, you took off the ties, opened the last seam and washed just the top and back. If the batt was bad, it went to the woolen mill to be recarded. Our quilts were not made for show, just for warmth.

She then trimmed off the seam from the turning and added a binding. I'm sure she had a book she wrote, I remember her signing some. I didn't buy one as I was addicted to crochet at the time. LOL[/QUOTE]

I "birthed" a quilt once, but I didn't "trim off the seam from the turning, and add a binding". I may try that. I guess it would look more like a quilt finished in the traditional way, if you trimmed the seams and bound it. I think I just turned it and top stitched all around it.

This works great for making little quilted coasters.

I'm a 'Linus Project' member here in Washington ST. thats How We do The Quilts!
Lay down Batting, lay down Backing, Lay down TOP Face Down with Enough Batting, Backing, for About 1.5 to 2 inch extra around the TOP Pin All around Leaving a small OPEN SPACE. Cut ALL Around the Quilt TOP, Sew 1/2 to 1 inch Seam Allownce Leaving OPEN Space To TURN Quilt/Birth. (Called Envelope) Then Sew Around the Quilt Again 1/2 to 1 inch inside the Edges and Tie with Yarn/Heavy thread. :)

Eleanor Burns of Quilt IN A Day did that on t.v. and always went right to her machine and started quilting it. now i know she would have had puckers since she didn't take time to smooth it out well. I did it once on a king size and tied that one. I would never try to machine quilt it. i have enough trouble. but for tying, it is fast and easy. no binding.

I use this method while teaching a first timer to quilt. This is because I only see the person for 2 hours once a week and most time for only 2 weeks. It is a temperory home for homeless pregnant women and they are moved on to a more permanant home. This way they can finish the quilt and take it with them.

I have an Aunt that does all her quilts this way. I have tried to talk her into doing a binding, but she just won't try it.

Not sure if I can explain this clearly...I've done this on a couple quilts. One of them, my sister had pieced the back, but it was so nice on the back, I didn't want to trim any of it, so I layered it...right sides together and batting on top...stitched the sides together and turned it. Because the back was a bit bigger, it wrapped around the sides when I turned it. I just layed it flat, made it even on both sides, pinned the edges and loaded it on my long-arm frame. When it was done, it had to only be bound on the top and bottom because the sides were already done. I quilted it all the way to the edges and it turned out really well, nothing wasted and it was completely reversible.

It's a little fussy to quilt it on the big frame, but it was fun and she didn't have to cut into her design to finish it. Before I had the big machine, I always used the pillowcase method and tied the quilt with yarn.

I "birthed" a quilt once, but I didn't "trim off the seam from the turning, and add a binding". I may try that. I guess it would look more like a quilt finished in the traditional way, if you trimmed the seams and bound it. I think I just turned it and top stitched all around it.[/QUOTE]

I still don't see any benefit in trimming the edge after turning a quilt inside out.

I used to do baby quilts similar to this way. I always used a ruffle on the edge. I always hand quilted, usually around whatever print I was using, the teddy bears, the hearts, the trains, etc. I didn't trim the seam, obviously, and I didn't bind either. I just made a stitch 1/2 inch inside the edge.