how to put a quilt together using pins

Once you are done sewing together a quilt top, you will need to add backing and quilt batting to it to finish off the quilt. For the backing, you may need to sew a couple of pieces of material together to make it the right size. You want the backing to measure 3-4″ bigger than the top on every side. It's better to have the backing way too big, than not big enough. We will be cutting the excess off later. Cut some batting the same size as the backing. Lay the backing, wrong side up, on the carpet or a very large table. Lay the batting on top of the backing. Starting at the center of your quilt, smooth flat in all directions making , sure the backing and the batting lay flat. Lay your quilt top on the batting with the right side facing up. Starting with the center of your quilt and working outwards, smooth out any rumples with your hand. Start at the very center of the quilt and place safety pins in a straight line down the center of your quilt about 4" apart. Continue adding rows of pins, starting in the center of each row, about 4″ apart. As you pin, continue to smooth out any rumples in the quilt. Trim extra batting and backing from your quilt to about 1" around on all sides.

Now it is time to quilt it all together. For this, I use my sewing machine. Start in the very centre of the quilt and sew in a straight line across. I usually sew where each quilt block is sewn together, so that you don't see the stitches when you sew the quilt together. Sew along each horizontal line, starting in the center row. Once you done this, sew each vertical line, starting in the center row. Once you are done this, sew any remaining fabric from the backing as well as the batting that is bigger than the quilt top.

Now it is time to bind your quilt so that the edges look nice. You can either make quilt binding or buy it. I always make mine out of material that matches the top of my quilt. To do this, cut a long strip of material that is a couple of inches longer than the quilt top side and about 3" wide.
With right sides together, pin one edge of the binding to the side of the quilt. Sew tape into place. Turn binding to the back. Pin it in place, making sure that the material covers the line from sewing it onto the quilt. Turn the quilt over so that the right side is up. Stitch "in the ditch", which mean to sew along the line where the quilt and binding connect. To bind around a corner, apply your binding down the next side of the quilt as in previous steps, leaving 3/4" of binding extending beyond corner. Fold extension to the back, then fold tape to the back. Pin and stitch "in the ditch".

Your quilt is now done and looks spectacular!