Help with envelope quilting please?
 

I want to try doing my latest quilt effort with - I believe it is called envelope style - in other words, no binding. I have the top pieced, and the backing basted to the batting. Before I go forward, I wanted to know whether others have done much of this and do you have problems after turning the quilt right side out and starting to quilt it, with bunching, wrinkling, etc. It takes me so long to piece a top so I don't want to ruin this one, but I want to do without the binding on this one. Any thoughts? Thanks so much!

P.S. - it is a lap size quilt.

I usually only do some things such as table runners and such using the birthing method. You will see the backing peek out. I usually try to trim my batting so only a tiny bit is in the stitching.

I have only done one and it was not successful. I believe that my backing wasn't square (it was in my early days) and the whole thing got totally skewed. I don't even remember what I did with it.

I haven' succeeded as well with the machine quilting on a quilt that has been done by birthing. I have done better with tying and machine tacking.

I like the birthing method for smaller projects - like table runners. I have done a twin size quilt this way though. The problem I had was getting everything smooth for quilting. But it is the best way I have found to put a ruffle edge on

My only tip would be after you turn it right side out.. pin, pin, pin. Smooth it out the best you can and then pin like crazy to keep it as smooth as possible[ATTACH=CONFIG]551207[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]551208[/ATTACH]

When I started quilting that was the only method I knew. And I tied most of those quilts. It was such a relief to learn the sandwich/binding method because the worst part of the birthing was sewing the layers together, the batting was looser and was forever getting caught in the presser foot, I would put a thin paper over it, to tear off later, then trim the batting back before birthing it. My guild would do it for Linus Project quilts and then after birthing them then would quilt around the outside borders and go in rather than out. That seemed to work very well. But it wasn't detailed quilting, just enough to keep the batting in place.

Eleanor Burns of Quilt In A Day does this all the time. on her show she starts machine quilting with no problems. i would have problems near the edges myself. But lots of us do this method with success.

I read read somewhere a tip on birthing without getting the backing peeking onto front. Cut the backing 1/4" shorter on all 4 sides, then when it's flipped it will be taut on the back, even pull a bit of top over....I've tried on small things like table runners, placemats, even quill owns, but not on bed size.....

interesting....I may have to try this

I always use the birthing method on the baby quilts when I use 1" poly batting. I lay my backing fabric face down, spray the backing with 505 basting spray, then layer the batting over the backing. Let it dry for an hour then pin the right side of the backing fabric to the right side of the quilt top & stitch all around the perimeter, leaving an opening for turning the quilt. Turn the quilt right side out, stitch the opening closed. Then I pin like crazy or use long hand sewn basting stitches (about 4" apart) to keep the top from moving while quilting. I do not have a problem using this method. The baby quilts I make are 45" x 60".