donnajean

I find the center on all sides of both the backing & the top and mark with pins at the outer edge. I have used the tape a wood toothpick to the floor at the center of the backing so that I can feel it when placing the top and getting it centered. I usually have a border on my backing, so I need to make sure of the backing center point.

Littledreamdevil

Could u get you quilt all lined up and use some school/craft glue? I don't know if this method will work for you. I never have added pieces to back of quilt. I always use one large big piece. But when I get all my "sandwich" line up I do use glue to hold it together. If I don't use glue method I always lose a pin in the quilt and get stuck with it in the night when I use the quilt on my bed. I hope you have good luck with your quilt and happy sewing

Kitsie

Here it is Tartan, the lady with the "Skurrs" ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnke_KzeTI8
I use this all the time now!

Tartan

I should have remembered that Kitsie since it was pretty funny!

tessagin

I wanted to see if anyone else posted the link we were thinking of. one and same. How to baste large quilt on a small table.

ruby2shoes

Thanks so much everyone, a lot of good ideas for me to mull over! I'm off now for a week of camping with DH today so I will report back in a week or so on how I got on. haha, I feel so enthused about the project now I wonder what DH would say if I ever so sweetly asked that we postpone the camping trip for a few days???? Yikes...don't think that would be a wise thing to do...no, not at all....and afterall he has agreed to stop in to the local large haby chain store here on the "way out" so I can pick up some more machine needles that are on sale at present! Can't resist a sale!!!

maviskw

I think the only way to do this perfectly is to do it as a "Quilt as you go." You could cut it up yet and do this, but you would lose some seam allowance on the back. Maybe you have enough for that.
Cut or open seams top to bottom on each side of the center square. Then cut or open seams to get the center square free from anything else. Now layer the top, back and batt of the center square. Quilt it as desired. Add the top and bottom pieces to the square and quilt that. Then add the side pieces one at a time and quilt them. May be doable but not easy. Could work if your back is large enough to accommodate the extra seams. The seams of the top would be taken apart, so would go back together again. You would probably need to add the top first and work on the back later with each piece.
Does anyone see how this would work?

madamekelly

After getting it lined up, I would carefully unpin each block one one side, then glue baste the matched blocks, re-pin, allow to dry and layout the rest of the quilt around the pinned and glue basted blocks. Glue, pin, or tailor tack the rest before starting to quilt.

LinRupp

I tried this with the directions received. The video is on YouTube.

ruby2shoes

Well I have finished basting my top and backing together and thought I would share my "travels" with you. I have a top consisting of 8" chevrons in 11 rows. The backing is 2 pieces of plain/marbled pink with an off centre lengthways strip of chevrons. I needed the back strip of chevrons to align with one of my vertical rows of chevrons on the top.


First problem I encountered was sewing the back pieces and chevron strip together. Whilst one backing piece and the chevron strip seamed beautifully, the seam joining the second backing piece and the chevron strip was a nightmare resulting in some slight bunching along the seam. I unpicked and re-sewed it three times, with great care not to stretch either fabric etc but to no avail. Perhaps it was the quality of the backing strip, perhaps it was an unevenness in the qualities of the chevron fabric assortment but either way, I was not going to try a fourth time. So, there may be some wrinkle in the finished backing or it may settle with the quilting, or not really be noticeable shhhhhhh!...meh.

So onward I went. I pushed a drawing pin into the corner of each of the backing strip chevrons.

Next, I flipped the backing over to the wrong side, taped it down and placed the batting on top pushing it down over the pins. I then followed with the top, lining up the corners of my chosen lengthways strip of chevrons with the pins poking out from the batting. I then used my basting pins to secure the quilt sandwich at the column of "chosen" chevrons and once secure, flipped the quilt over to the right side and removed the drawing pins. I really didn't want them in the fabric any longer than need be.

I then turned the quilt back over so now I had a sandwich pin basted down the middle strip. I secured the backing to my table, smoothed out the batting and then the top and continued the sandwiching and pin basting as per normal.

On reflection, I am not so sure that my expertise level has allowed me to do a particularly good job of a 3 pieced backing...something to work on in the future or perhaps never try again....haha, like eating cabbage! Once the quilting has been done I will be able to judge my success.

Thanks everyone for their suggestions on how to go about this "lining up" caper.