Stuffing Methods of Quilting

The "stuffing" in a quilt is produced by a layer of batting material.

While the appearance and feel of a homemade quilt may lead you to believe the quilt is "stuffed," this is actually a misconception. Quilts are made in layers, with a bottom or backing fabric, a layer of batting (stuffing), and the top "pieced" part that is quilted or stitched to join the three layers together. The quilter's stitches are small and made in a distinct pattern to create the defining look of an heirloom quilt. Authentic American quilts are hand-stitched by master quilters, though many modern quilters use sewing machines to make the process go faster. A full-sized bed quilt can take a master quilter many months or even years to complete.

Things You'll Need

• 4 boards, 1-by-3-inch size
• 4 C-clamps, 3-inch size
• Backing material
• Large office-supply paper clamps
• Batting material
• Quilting needle
• White thread
• "Pieced" material
• Straight pin

Instructions

1. Erect a temporary stretching frame for the quilt components. Take four, long, 1-by-3-inch boards and lay them in a square or rectangular pattern on the floor (or propped up by chairs) in roughly the size of your proposed quilt. Overlap the ends of the boards and connect them using C-clamps. The boards should not be able to shift out of square easily.

2. Lay the backing material (the bottom side of the quilt) over the frame. Use large office-supply paper clamps to secure the backing material to the stretcher boards. Place the paper clamps about every 8 to 10 inches around the perimeter of the backing sheet.

3. Lay the actual batting material (a sheet of spun fiber padding) over the top of the backing material. The batting can be in two or three sheets, but don't overlap the sheets. Make sure the batting reaches all the way to the edge of the backing material on all four sides. You can take a few quick basting stitches with white thread through the batting and the backing at several points around the quilt to make sure the batting doesn't shift.

4. Lay the "pieced" or top part of the quilt over the batting. Make sure the edges line up with the backing and that the top pieced sheet is square. Make sure the batting underneath the pieced part is smooth. Use straight pins with large heads to secure the three layers together.

5. Take large basting stitches with white thread at many points through the quilt to hold the three layers together. Try to work in a grid pattern so the layers are secured together in a uniform manner across the entire quilt.

6. Remove the straight pins and disengage the quilt from the frame. Transfer the quilt to a quilting frame or a small "lap" frame if you intend to quilt by hand. Otherwise, your quilt is ready to be machine quilted.

References

• "The Quilter's Ultimate Visual Guide"; Ellen Pahl; 1998
• "The Quilter's Album of Patchwork Patterns"; Jinny Beyer; 2009
• "Stellar Quilts"; Judith Martin; 2010
• "Liberated Quiltmaking II"; Gwen Marston; 2010

Resources

• Online Fabric Store: Quilt Batting
• Quilting 101: Hand Sewing Quilting Needles