Shhh! Don't tell anyone. I have now quilted two quilts without basting. At all. This is how it started. When I was getting ready to quilt my Nativity quilt - well, you know how sometimes your border must have been a little bigger than your sashing, and now it kind of has a ripple to it?
As I was smoothing the backing and the front on to the batting, it was taking a lot of playing and smoothing. I was using the "Warm & Natural" batting, and every time I readjusted it, it wanted to kind of stick to the batting. I decided to try quilting without spray basting (like I usually do. I FMQed with a pattern that has a wavy line that doesn't cross over itself. I was expecting that there would probably be a few little tucks on the back, and was hoping they would be small enough that I could live with them. To my surprise when I kept turning it and checking while I was quilting - NO TUCKS! Wow, what a relief! Then my friend asked me to quilt a baby quilt for her, and she brought it over with the sandwich all made with top, batting and back. It had some creases in it, so I was pressing it and smoothing it, and I realized it hadn't been basted at all.
Maybe every body else already knows this and I am acting like it is some big revelation? I decided to just go ahead and see what happened, knowing that I might be picking out a lot of stitches. I smoothed it all nicely, she had also used "Warm & Natural" batting too. This time I used a loopy pattern that does cross over itself. I'm so happy to say - NO TUCKS! Again! YAY!!
As I was smoothing the backing and the front on to the batting, it was taking a lot of playing and smoothing. I was using the "Warm & Natural" batting, and every time I readjusted it, it wanted to kind of stick to the batting. I decided to try quilting without spray basting (like I usually do. I FMQed with a pattern that has a wavy line that doesn't cross over itself. I was expecting that there would probably be a few little tucks on the back, and was hoping they would be small enough that I could live with them. To my surprise when I kept turning it and checking while I was quilting - NO TUCKS! Wow, what a relief! Then my friend asked me to quilt a baby quilt for her, and she brought it over with the sandwich all made with top, batting and back. It had some creases in it, so I was pressing it and smoothing it, and I realized it hadn't been basted at all.
Awesome! Both pieces look great!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that some batting has that "grab". Hey, if it works, I say go for it!
ReplyDeleteA friend of mine would sandwich her quilts and then iron them. She also used Warm and Natural and said the layers would just cling together. So why baste? I have not gotten brave enough to skip the spray yet. Nice to know it works for you too!
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