The quilt sandwich is made up of the quilt top, the batting, and the quilt's backing.

The layers are secured together using a process known as basting.

The steps you take to make a quilt sandwich depend on the type of quilting (by hand or machine) that is planned for the project.

We are using a sewing machine for our Feather Appliqué and Placemat Sewing Pattern.

The quilt sandwich consists of the appliqué panel you just arranged on the top. Then there will be a piece of batting in the middle and on the bottom, we will have a piece of muslin.

Stack the layers on top of each other so the appliqué is on the top. Pin through all the layers and then baste by either machine or by hand, through all layers, 2cm (3/4”) in from the cut edges on all sides. Do this for both panels.

Now we can baste our sandwich to keep it together. There are a number of ways that you're able to achieve this:

    • Long stitches taken with a needle and thread are a traditional way to baste. In this process, Use enough stitches to keep the layers from shifting and stitch in different directions. White thread is often used to eliminate the worry of dye transfer from the thread to the project. These days this isn't much of a concern with the use of colourfast thread and fabrics.
    • Fusible and adhesive products can be used. Sticking each of the layers together to keep them from shifting. It is important to follow each instructions if you choose to baste with adhesives.
    • Regular safety pins are an option and work just fine but specialised pins, known as fork pins (like the one's used in our photos) make the task easier. They are available at most quilt shops and fabric stores.

We have used a traditional method for our Feather Appliqué and Placemat Sewing Pattern.

Using a long stitch will make this easy to remove once you have your panels sewn together and selecting a bright coloured thread makes this easy to see against the project.

Once the quilt sandwich is basted you can join the project panels by either hand or machine.

Our full set of fully photographed instructions for making your own backing, borders, mitered corners and echo quilting are all available in our Feather Appliqué and Placemat Sewing Pattern.

We have more appliqué and sewing tutorials available on our website:

https://sewswpea.com/blogs/tutorials

We also have a wonderful online sewing community you can join to learn from, be inspired by and create with.

Sew Sweet Pea Applique & Sewing Patterns:

Members of our Sewing Community receive access to our Teddy Bear Appliqué set FREE and are regularly updated on new releases.

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