Assembly of the 3 layers, trimming, and basting the next quilt to be done.

I pin and trim and as I go I turn the quilt on the table to get to the next section.

After a six day trip to Indianapolis and a week to get things back into order at home I started back on Quilt #3 this afternoon.  Previously I had completed the embroidery of the four women's names who will have "had a hand" in the completion of this quilt* and purchased and laundered the backing material.  I chose unbleached perma pressed muslin. I had on hand 100% cotton batting and hand quilting thread in several colors.  I chose to hand baste in contrasting black.

The quilt top measures 6 1/2' by 7 1/2' so it is nice and big but it will be awkward to work on because of the size.  I start by lining up the backing on the corner of my dinning room table with all of the leaves in.  With Brian's help we laid the batting on top lining up the starting corner and sides.  It was much easier with a little help!  Next we placed the pieced top on the batting forming the three layers of the quilt.

The new long straight pins did make this go with more ease.

Last week I broke down and spent $7.00 on a new package of long straight pins with red beads on the end.  This made the pinning easier and more visible.  I pinned it all of the way around the perimeter smoothing the three layers as I went. Then trimmed the three layers all to about 3/8"from the raw edge of the top. (I can't tell you why I do it this way, I just do?)

Honking big gaudy basting stitches!

My hand basting is big and easy to see as well as easy to remove when I am finished! It has only one purpose and that is to keep the layers smoothly in place as I work. It was evening by the time I finished the basting and I had to turn on the dinning room light which is why the photos are so differently lit!

The basting is done at about a 6" interval in a rectangular spiral pattern from the outside in.

My next step will be to try to figure out how to put together one of my two quilting frames and how then to get this quilt onto it!  Hopefully my son Mike and his wife Julie can lend a hand tomorrow night after supper.  Both frames were her late Grandmother's.  If that doesn't work out I will call my neighbor Cindy who quilts with a frame and perhaps she will help me.  Will go from there!  Plan "C" is to just use a lap hoop and just get at it!  *  Here is the link explaining the 4 generations who have put these together.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2014/10/quilt-number-three-starts-today-weekend.html