Mihály Csíkszentmihályi wrote Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience in 1996. I have that book somewhere in my Deep Stack of books. If you are unfamiliar with his concept of Flow it is this (his own words)
"being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you're using your skills to the utmost."
I believe that quilting, well really anything that we enjoy doing, gets us into a Flow state. It is one of the reasons it is so pleasurable. Where am I going with this?
I find most aspects of quilting Flow-inducing. I like to plan the quilt, pick the fabric, do my engineering to optimize production methods, cut, piece iron. Voila! A quilt top produce.
Anti-Flow is @#^#$%&^ basting a quilt.
For the last 2+ years my preferred way of basting (because I thought the commercial spray basting stuff too expensive) was homemade basting spray. I then moved to using fusible web (in spaced strips). However, both methods require ironing.
My ironing surface is 24 x 48. Plenty fine for a baby quilt, not so much for something larger. My throw quilt that I made for myself tested my limits on my ironing board. I thought I had everything line up well. Ironed and fused. Ironed and fused. Ironed and cried!
Somehow I had managed to get the backing askew, and I ended up with a long thin wedge of batting that was not covered by backing. I fixed it. And frankly, none could look at the back and know that such a mishap had taken place. But what a pain to fix.
I decided that there must be an easier way to do this on my design wall. YouTube is my go-to for all quilty problem solving. There were only a handful and a half of videos on this method.
I broke down and bought June Tailor Spray Basting. It was at Walmart, and it had the lowest price point and good reviews. It does require that your substrates be all cotton to wash out (v. dry clean!). I tested on my batting because I could not remember if my batting was 80:20 cotton/polyester. It was fine.
Here is my method. I'll take pictures and update this post or write another on my next quilt.
This method is a GAME CHANGER. It will allow me to do my Swedish Death Quilting very efficaciously!
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Materials needed
- commercial spray baste
- design wall that will accept pins
- straight edge (ruler will do)
- protective coverings for your design wall/floor (newspaper, old sheets, etc)
- Ventilation (or a complete disregard for your safety). I just opened a window, and I did not find it noxious.
- Step stool to reach higher regions of your board. I had an aluminum painter's bench that was just groovy.
- if you are out of shape, you might be sore after doing this stepping. Know that it is good for you. But mind your safety and if you have a physical impairment or balance issues, this may not be a method for you. But you can certainly direct an able bodied soul in your orbit...so don't give up.
Note: several show spraying the fabric and then applying to batting. The JT sprays calls for spraying batting which I think is preferable, and what I believe works just fine for other sprays as well).
Method: (You will need to perform these steps to both sides)
- Put your wall and floor protections in place and increase ventilation to area that you are working in. If your machines are close to your wall, cover them.
- I had some upholstery fabric--bought at a roll discount 20 years ago!) that I will NEVER use. I used this fully cover my design board.
- Put your batting square up on the wall using pins.
- Ensure that you know which is the front and which is the back and match accordingly to your backing/quilt top.
- remove any creases. I used my garment steamer. (I haven't used it in 10 years or so!) You could use your iron against the wall, but that is not a gravity fight you will win.
- Mark the center of your batting. (I notched top and bottom)
- Don't spray yet
- Line up your fabric so that it sits square on your batting (straight on sides and top is level)--and that the center of the quilt aligns with the center of the batting.
- Pin top as necessary.
- If you are using a steamer, you can steam all wrinkles out of fabric and ensure you are aligning things well before you adhere. You can also use your iron.
- Treat the center of your backing/quilt top as a hinge.
- Working with 1/2 of the width fabric at a time, fold the fabric onto itself at two corners, right sides together.
- the center fold should align with the center of your backing.
- Spray the batting per mftr's instructions top to bottom on the exposed 1/2 of the batting.
- Unpin the corner and open your door, placing the corner of your fabric on the opposite corner. Your fabric should be opened fully and your top straight.
- Don't smooth anything down yet.
- Using a straight edge (or your hands, but I found a straight edge preferable), work from the center of your top (where the "hinge" was) to the outside edge.
- ensure that your horizontal and vertical seams stay straight.
- Using our straight edge, work from the top down.
- Once you are satisfied that all is right in the world with that side, rinse and repeat on the other.
- Work from the center out.
- Ensure that all vertical and horizontal seam lines are straight.
Quilt as desired.
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