striped backing.....how to keep the stripes straight?
 

I recently posted a baby quilt I am making, all made with large hexies. It still needs the edges trimmed so there is one clean straight edge. I have already basted it to the batting, then realized about the edges. Now the question is, do I trim off the excess now or wait until I have the backing basted on? And since the backing is striped, how do I keep the stripes going straight? I've had this problem before and haven't been very successful. I know there is a trick to striped backing, and am positive that one of you wonderful quilting ladies has the answer! TIA, Rose

I wouldn't trim anything yet. Use a yardstick to line the bottom points of your hexies with the lines on the backing, if you can see the lighter side of the stripes. Then I would pin baste the outsides of your top and batting. It won't be perfect but can be close. If there is a better idea, I'm all for it. You don't state how you basted it. Most I've seen and I have done myself, I baste all 3 at once. batting to backing then top to batting if spray basting. If the stripes are thin it is little more difficult. let's see what everyone else says.

I use thumb tacks to align backing. but you need to be very careful. From the right side of the backing, insert some thumb tacks along one or two stripes, or whatever you are trying to align. I usually put a small piece of blue painters tape over the head of the tacks to keep them in place.
Flip the backing over and tape the edges down. Put the batting on top, pushing the tacks thru, then VERY CAREFULLY put the top on using the tacks to align the bottom & top. Pin then remove the tacks right away so the blue tape doesn't adhere to the backing.
And I wouldn't trim anything until you are done.

I baste all three layers at once as well. I usually pin baste, sometimes thread baste. I work on my cutting table using binder clips to hold all the layers in place. For stripes, I would probably leave one at each top corner and one at each bottom corner to hold the stripes straight until I got the whole thing basted. I normally clip backing; lay batting and smooth it out then use the same clips to hold those 2 layers together and repeat for the top.

Well, I'd rather not use a stripe and therefore frustrate myself! :D
I pick my battles carefully, avoiding as many as I possibly can. :o

Jan in VA

my thoughts, too.

Jan is so correct. You just have to work from one edge of the quilt making sure the stripe is parallel with the side of the quilt and hope that it will be straight at the other end. Won't trim until you have finished quilting the baby quilt.

So funny. Some hills just aren't worth dying on!

My thoughts exactly