Basting Strips? Whaaattt???
 

Hi everyone! I’m about to start a new quilt and in going over the instructions, it calls for basting strips once the quilt sandwich is made and before the binding is applied. Huh? The quilt is made of blocks within blocks, alternating with stars within blocks and that doesn’t seem like anything out of the ordinary so I’m puzzled about the purpose of the basting strips. Not that I’ve been quilting all that long, but I’ve not heard of these strips before. And the really confusing part is they appear to be part of the design, like a very thin (3/4”) border and then the binding is applied. I confoosed.

Can you post a link to the pattern?

Could mean the basting strips that are fusible? There are rolls of it available in different widths. It's great for keeping binding in place before you sew it by hand or machine. It started out as Basting Tape but so many other uses came about some changed the name to fit the use.

Could this be meant as a strip of piping added when the binding is sewn to the front?

There are simpler ways to do this, without so many layers of fabric.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EB0rc76kVV4

I think Onebyone has the right idea with fusible strips. I have not done this, but I understand that you can use strips of double-sided fusible for basting the quilt sandwich together. Usually, though, patterns don't give instructions for how to baste, quilt, or bind.

I'd love to but I can't. It's a paid-for pattern. Last time I did that, it was removed.

The instructions say: “Press the K and L strips in half lengthwise wrong sides together to make four basting strips. Align the strips with the edges of the quilt. Baste strips in place.

Prepare binding and stitch to quilt front edges, matching raw edges, mitering corners and overlapping ends. Fold binding to back side and stitch in place to finish.”

The color of the basting strips are a definite border type of thing that goes around the quilt, right before the binding.

If this is just another very small decorative thing…OK. But I don’t get calling them “basting strips.” It makes me wonder if there's a structural reason for them but I can't see what it would be.

Does the border look like this?
https://sewfreshquilts.blogspot.com/...-tutorial.html

From your description it sounds like they want you to make a separate flange before putting the binding.

If it's too complicated, why not just put a binding and call it done?

I probably wouldn't call it "basting strips" ...
... but the way your instructions read, you are creating a "flange" at the outside edge, next to the binding.

You are "basting" them to hold them in place, temporarily,
then they are properly sewn in place with the machine stitching of the binding.


Re EasyPeezy's link ... the flange and binding are one piece together, attached to the back of the quilt, then folded to the front, and machine stitched to finish.

Whereas your instructions ... the flange is created by the basting strips, and the binding is machine stitched to the front, folded to the back, and then, you hand stitch it on the back of the quilt.

wow, can't find a thing. can you contact the designer or the shop where you bought the pattern?

Yes! That's what it is! ...a flange....! I'm making a different type of border anyway so I'll leave this off.

Done!

Thanks, everyone!

Cntact the designer or publisher for explanation otherwise we are guessing what it means. It might need clarification in the pattern.

EasyPeezy....thank you for posting that link for the flange binding. I've saved it to my favorites on the computer!

Before you decide to omit the flange (referred to in the pattern as basting strips) can you tell us if the outside edges of the quilt are on the bias? This may be why the pattern wants them and refers to them as basting strips as opposed to a flange. When a pattern ends up with the outside edges on a bias you run great risk of stretching it out of shape in the process of finishing it, simple handling can stretch a bias edge out of shape and quilting can definitely do it. If you want to omit them, that is fine but then you should put a basting stitch around the entire outside edge of the quilt top. If you can at least post a link to the pattern you purchased, we may be able to tell by looking. Bias edges would be very common in quilts made out of nothing but triangles or quilts set on point where the pattern author had you cut the setting triangles from squares cut in half diagonally (as opposed to squares cut in quarters where the outside edge would be on the straight of grain). Many pieced borders can also end up with bias on the outside edge, like a pieced chevron border or spiky paper pieced sawtooth edge as is common in some of Judy Niemeyer's patterns.

Thanks for this!

I've never heard of basting strips before, but the only place I see where they would be very useful would be on a quilt with bias edges, as feline fanatic has said. That's when I measure the quilt several times in the center, top to bottom, average the lengths, cut something that length on the straight grain and ease the quilt to that measurement as I sew that on. Then I do the same for the sides.

I also give a little tug on my binding as I'm sewing it on to be sure it is taut.

Bear asked for a link. You can't post the actual pattern, but you can post a link to another web page that has the pattern. :thumbup:

Glad you got it figured out. My first thought was that the quilt designer was using terminology that differs from ours.

Give a thought or two before you omit the flange. I love the look on most quilts that call for one. Great way to add a touch of accent when needed.

I would also omit the basting strips.