Assembling the Quilt Sandwich

Find an area where you have LOTS of space. If you have a large kitchen table then you can use that but remember to put something down underneath to protect the surface from needles and pins!

Alternatively, you can lie it out on the floor, although this can end up be back breaking as it is a long and time consuming process.

If you are going to assemble the quilt sandwich on the floor, clear the area first and vacuum thoroughly. Alternatively you can buy a thin piece of MDF or chip board and put that over your kitchen table to create a larger surface and store it in your garage, basement or garden shed (if it fits!).

Prepare the quilt assembly

First, lay down the backing and smoothen it out. Then lay the batting, making sure you centre it and leave even amounts of material around the edges. Finally add the quilt top, once again being careful to get it in the centre and keep even distances from the batting edge and backing.

If your backing is particularly large then you can trim it a little, however make sure you leave enough so that the batting is still larger than the backing. If you have a friend, sister, mother, partner or teenager who can help you with this process it is really a lot easier!

How to pin the quilt sandwich

Find the centre of the quilt and a safety pin or glass pin hold the three layers together, being very careful not to move the layers of the quilt sandwich.

Then 6 inches along (following the line of the squares and sashing) pin the next spot and so on.

Start in the middle and work out, this way you “iron” out any bubbles or excess fabric. Make sure you smoothen all three layers as you go to prevent any gathering.

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