Need help with a quilt pattern direction
 

I am making a quilt from a pattern and it says to "pillowcase" the quilt then do the quilting. I have been making quilts for awhile now and I have never used this technique.

First layer the quilt: batting, backing right side facing up, quilt top wrong side facing up. Stitch all around leaving about ten inches opened to have a place to turn to the right side. Once the corners are well turned close the opening my either topstitching with the machine or hand stitch.

That is the way I make most of my Linus Quilts. You will still have to baste the quilt before you do the actual quilting. It saves having to bind the quilt. I machine quilt my Linus quilts about 4 inches apart and use a decorative stitch. I finish it up by stitching about a half inch from the outside edge all the way around. It kind of makes a false border.

It' also called 'birthing' a quilt. There are lots of instructions on line.

That is what I have always heard it called too. I never seem to be happy with the results so I end up doing the binding.

I prefer binding; "birthing" is a hassle for me unless it's a very small quilt.

I made a tabletopper that I "pillow cased." The edges were a tad bulky due to the extra bulk from the batting. Then it was difficult to get a nice flat edge when I topstitched around the top edge of the wallhanging. So, I prefer using binding for having a project without the fat edge.

There is a bit of a trick, at least it works for me, when you birth a quilt. When quillows were popular I learned them. First if you cut your backing about 1/8"shorter on all sides when you turn out it will roll to the underside just a hair so no backing shows on top side. And before turning out cut the batting as close to the stitching as you can, and cut corner triangles close to stitching ...this will eliminate a lot of the bulk. Also, at corner don't just make that sharp turn, make one stitch on diagonal, then swing to the direction you want...gives a better looking corner.....like I said, these work for me when making tablerunners, placemats, etc.

I, too, have only used pillowcasing on a table runner... I can see where it would come in handy on Linus blankets but I gift my quilts to family and friends and like the looks of a traditional binding.

I find if I layer the sandwich with the back, the top and then the batting, that having that bit of batting in the top of the seam when turned it tends to roll the backing under so it doesn't peak out.