Centering the back
 

I'd like to do a backing for a baby quilt that is the main fabric in the middle and a secondary fabric on all four sides, like a frame.
Are there tips and tricks to make sure it is perfectly centred to the front when I baste the layers together?
I will be spray basting.

Thanks, Watson

I don't know the answer to centering it other than marking the center with a pin and spraying from the center out. But I have found that if I intentionally make it off center, it works fine and adds interest

I use thumbtacks. Put a few tacks thru the right side of the backing fabric
at the points you want to match and cover the heads with masking tape to
keep them in place. Lay the backing down on the table. Add the batting,
then carefully place the top, using the tacks to align. I personally would
add some pins as spray basting does not really adhere the quilt top to the
backing fabric and the batting layer can shift some. Remember to remove
the tacks before quilting.

Or you can use skewers, which works well with spray basting. Link to video:

http://youtu.be/iw4sibuP8n4

I use to press a fold in the middle of all four outside edges of the backing and then put a straight pin in the center of the outside of the quilt and line them up. Make sure your batting is slightly smaller that the backing so you can see the pressed folds.

I spray basted this one. the backing is showing in this pic. red border on front and two color binding. I lay it out on a table and use a flat board to fold the top up several times after getting all pieces in line. then spray and unroll and tap with hands as I go. Worked well. turned over and did the same on other side.

If you have one of those cardboard cutting boards for dressmaking, with the inches marked, you can pin the back to it easily. Just use regular straight pins to square it up. Mark where the center is each direction, then layer on the batting and top.