Prepare for Quilting

• 1). Piece backing fabric, as needed, so you have a whole piece of cloth that is about 3 inches longer on each side than your quilt top.
  
  
• 2). Spread out the backing fabric on a large, flat surface, with the right side (print side) of the fabric touching the surface and the wrong side facing you. On top of that, spread the layer of quilt batting. Finish the quilt sandwich by placing your finished quilt top on the batting. You now have a three-layer quilt "sandwich."
  
  
• 3
  Stitching in a quilt adds a design element and holds the quilt layers together.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Use contrasting thread and large stitches to baste together the quilt layers. This prevents the layers from slipping when you quilt your design. Some quilters prefer to hold layers together with an adhesive spray made just for this purpose. The spray is available at most quilt shops and crafts supply stores.
  
  

Mark the Design

• 1). Use a quilters' stencil and quilters' chalk to mark the design if you wish. Or, use the quilters' pen to mark with the stencil or draw freehand. Stencils are available with a wide variety of motifs, even stippling. You won't need to mark the quilt if you "stitch in the ditch" or quilt 1/4 inch from the seam.
  
  
• 2). Use the registration marks on the stencil to ensure design repeats are spaced accurately.
  
  
• 3). Use the quilters' pen instead of chalk, if you like. The ink is made to disappear after the first washing, but test the fabric with scraps ahead of time to make sure.
  
  

Quilt the Design

• 1). Hand-quilt using a short quilters' needle and thread made specifically for hand-quilting. Quilt through all layers with tiny stitches along the marked lines, if you have them. Or, if you prefer to machine-quilt, use thread made specifically for machine-quilting. If you're using a regular sewing machine instead of a long-arm quilting machine, be sure to drop the feed dog and use a walking foot as directed by the manufacturer.
  
  
• 2). Trim the batting and backing after the design is completely quilted.
  
  
• 3). Add binding using your favorite method. Remove basting stitches.