Before leaving to teach in Maine recently, I basted my Blue Slash quilt. I finished the top much earlier this year, and so the basting was overdue! A Gathering of Stitches hosts these beautiful weeklong retreats, and I loved the idea of bringing this project along. Not only was it the same project I’d be teaching, but I’d also (hopefully) have some time to hand quilt it during the week.
Basting A Quilt
To start, I made sure my backing and quilt top were ironed and that my batting was cut to an appropriate size. Then I laid the backing on to my cutting table and smoothed it all out. The backing here is kind of scrappy, but uses a leftover Architextures wideback along with some of my Collection CF prints.
Next I layered the batting, smoothing it out. Batting here is my current preference for most quilts, especially if I’m hand quilting it.
Finally it’s time for the quilt top. It’s usually good to take your time laying out each layer. I throw on some music or a podcast, which makes it a wonderful experience.
Once everything is laid out and smooth, I start putting in the safety pins. Notice that my entire quilt doesn’t fit on the table at one time. That’s not a problem! You can work it in sections.
After this section is basted, I move on to the next, making sure to smooth each layer as I get to it.
If you’d like to learn more about how I baste, check out the basting post from the Ray Quilt Along.
See the basting in (quick) motion over on my Insta.
Thoughts and Plans
I mentioned having this quilt top for awhile. I don’t mind basting, but I think I might stall on choosing the backing fabric and/or prepping it. Once I get into the basting, I really enjoy it, because it marks a new stage of the project, and I always get inspired to think about the quilting. In this case, I eagerly pulled threads for hand quilting. This potential color combo surprised me in a good way, which is a good reminder to audition thread options you may not have had in mind already. We’ll see where it goes!
Project Details
Pattern: Slash Quilt Pattern
Technique/Templates: Template piecing with the Long Leaf Acrylic Template Set
Fabrics: Collection CF, Essex Linen (Teal), Essex Classic Wovens
Threads: Sashiko threads from Upcycle Stitches, Material Goods, A Verb For Keeping Warm, Brooklyn Haberdashery
Love the threads that you chose. Excited to see how you stitch this one.
Thanks, Dawn! I’m excited to start stitching on it too!
I didn’t know that you used Sashiko thread to quilt with, Is it difficult to thread with the Sashiko big eye needles?
Hi, Diane! Yes, you can absolutely use Sashiko thread to quilt with. I do use a larger eyed needle, which works great. You can see more about it in this post here. Hope that helps!