Bastes edges of a quilt top?
 

Is it a good idea to baste the edges of a quilt top before doing the machine quilting to prevent any fraying along the edges?

I do when i have pieced borders.

I wouldn't think so, because as you machine quilt the center of the quilt the fabric will tighten up from the edges. If you've sewn the edges together, they will pull away from each other. Now, if you mean serge along the edges of the top and the backing separately, you could do that.

I zig zag the edges of the top and backing to prevent fraying. Just can't handle raw edges and fraying - even if it will all be eventually finished and hidden.

Nice tip; I imagine this would help with the hate & discontent that is created when I try to put the binding on, too.

After I finish piecing a quilt top, I sew a basting stitch all around the top before sandwiching it to do quilting. The reason I do this is because I don't always do my quilting right away. Sometimes I stack the pieced tops and wait until I have several to quilt. I have found that sometimes piecing around the edges will come apart because I don't lock the stitches. The basting stitch prevents this from happening. I don't baste around the backing unless it is pieced. If I only have one seam in the backing, I press it open and baste across the open seam line at the edges. I hope this makes sense.

A friend of mine that did one quilt for me, asked me to run a line of stitching all around the quilt to prevent it from pulling apart when put on the long arm machine. That particular quilt had a border on it, so I think it was just her preference and experience. She had not seen the quilt first, I mailed it to her, so she was just taking a precaution I think.

I do the same. For me it's a whole lot easier to handle if I don't have a lot of threads to deal with.

I glue the edges together.

together? What edges are you glueing together?

I machine-baste 'stay-stitching' along the edge of the quilt top (not the sandwich) if I have a pieced border. That keeps the pieces in place, locked, during the ordeal of the sandwiching and then the somewhat rough handling it gets when I have to stuff it all through my DSM to quilt it.

As a long-term quilter, I think it is necessary only when there are bias pieces on the quilt edge or when there is no border.

I do a large stitch around my quilts after I quilt it and BEFORE I trim the edges and sew the binding on. It just seems to keep the edges together and prevents them from getting messed up.

On my Handi Quilter I always baste around the quilt before quilting. That is because on the LA you do things differently than on the DSM.

On my DSM I will take a longer, wider zigzag stitch to baste around the quilt.

I baste the edge after it is quilted. This helps stabilize the edge when adding the binding.
peace

RE: I trim the edge twice. First down to about one inch so that when attaching the binding, the feeddog has some material to grab. After sewing the binding on I trim the one inch extra batting and backing down to the edge of the top which gives me the right amount of material to fill the binding when turned. I learned this tip right here on the QB:D.
peace

I started doing that a while back. I stitch around the whole quilt top and backing if it's pieced. I quilt on a longarm. It helps alot so seams don't come loose before it is quilted.

I top stitch around a quilt top prior to any sandwiching, using a regular size stitch. I also ,once it has been completely quilted, baste the outer perimeter of the sandwich about 1/8 inch from the edge.

I sandwich the quilt and go ahead and quilt it. At that point I check to see if the edges are straight and the corners good. Then I go around the entire top and zig zag. It makes binding so much easier. Then after I have the binding attached before I turn it over I press the binding, this helps me. It all takes time when I think about it, a few times the backing has flipped over and I have to rip it out, so time spent doing all of the above works for me and I am happy with my binding. Just how it works for me! I have mixed feelings at this point, am happy the quilt is done and done to my satisfaction, but then it hits me...now what do I do???

Before machine quilting I always baste my 3 layers together around the outside edge to prevent stretching while quilting. I also baste the outside edge of quilt top if there are bias edges to prevent stretching as well.

I baste the edge with the LA before starting to quilt. It helps keep the edges from moving and keeps the seams together.

I use a long wide zig zag for the raw edges of both the quilt top and backing. Some machines can do this without folding it under, some can't. I use my Bernina or Singer 237 for this, some of my other machines just make a mess of it.
Sharon

No, I pin the edges, but don't baste them. After the quilting in finished, I stitch about 1/8" around the edges to make it easier to bind.

After sandwiching my quilts with either homemade spray glue, Elmer's Washable School Glue or 505 temporary adhesive, I also do a running stitch around the out side edge of my quilt. I cut off the excessive material and then I FMQ starting in one corner and working around the quilt progressing into the middle. I read that if you quilt is properly sandwiched it won't shift and mine do not shift and I tried starting in the middle but could not for the life of me FMQ that way. Good luck on your project!

My quilter has asked me to stitch around the edge of my quilt tops before sending them to her. So I do.

I rent a LA at my LQS, the owner and employees, set it up for me and they always baste the edges as they get ready to turn to next area.

I sew a 1/4" seam around the entire quilt. It prevents stretching and tearing the batting.

this is exactly what I do and why!

This is what I do also. It seems to help hold the top together when adding binding. I think that you should NOT baste around the sandwich before you quilt it since the top needs room to move if necessary.

I don't see the need to do anything to the edges because you will be squaring it up after quilting and then binding.