Next Step on Quilt - Making The "Quilt Sandwich". 12.21.21

I struggled with ways to make the "Quilt Sandwich"- Backing layer, inner batting layer, top pieced quilt layer. With my first quilts, I tried spray adhesive that washes out when the final quilt is washed. That stuff is aweful - fumes like an auto body shop. Even with windows open and fan running. Plus, I still couldn't get the layers matched up to my satisfaction. It was a mess. With the last quilt, I spent a few hours pinning it together on the sunroom floor which is big enough and is porcelain so won't be scratched by the pins. That worked OK but took a lot of trial and error. Working on the floor isn't that much fun for me, either. Taping the bottom layer to the floor helped a bit but not a lot. This time, I cleared off the kitchen island and used that. That actually worked a lot better. I can work while standing, fold the quilt layers over as I pin them together, smooth under and over as I go along, the coffee pot is close by for emergency infusions. The island surface is slick enough that I can slide the quilt back and forth to smooth it and pin.

Now this quilt sandwich is all together and ready for sewing. That will take a while, but is rewarding because the final quilt begins to emerge. Even before it's sewn together, with the layers all there it now has the thickness, the feel and the weight of a real quilt. I think putting the quilt sandwich together is one of the most difficult parts. Working on the island helped tremendously.