1. BASTING QUILTS USING POOL NOODLES

2. THIS METHOD OF BASTING CAN BE USED WITH THREAD, PIN, OR SPRAY BASTING.
YOU WILL NEED AT LEAST FOUR NOODLES. YOU WILL ALSO NEED AT LEAST THREE DOWELS THAT ARE THE SIZE OF THE HOLE IN THE NOODLE. LENGTH OF THE DOWEL DEPENDS ON THE LENGTH OF THE NOODLE.
DECIDE HOW LONG YOU NEED THE NOODLES TO BE. I MADE MINE THE LENGTH OF ONE NOODLE AND ONE THIRD OF A SECOND NOODLE.
INSERT DOWELS INTO THE NOODLE. ANY NOODLES PUT TOGETHER NEED TO BE SECURED WITH DUCT TAPE.

3. PREPARE YOUR TOP AND BACKING AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY.
IRON TOP AND BACKING WELL.
PREPARE BATTING. I PUT MY BATTING IN THE DRYER WITH A DAMP WASHCLOTH OR HANDTOWEL. THIS GETS THE WRINKLES OUT OF THE BATTING AND MAKES IT EASIER TO SMOOTH OUT.
MARK ANY QUILTING LINES YOU WANT TO MARK ON THE TOP BEFORE BASTING.

4. YOU WILL NEED A LARGE TABLE
YOU WILL NEED A LARGE TABLE. YOU WILL ALSO NEED THE NOODLES, STRAIGHT PINS, AND WHATEVER METHOD OF BASTING YOU USE.

5. START WITH THE BACKING. LAY IT ON THE TABLE WRONG SIDE UP.
LAY ONE POOL NOODLE ACROSS THE BACKING ALIGNED WITH THE TOP EDGE OF THE BACKING.
PIN THE BACKING EVENLY ALONG THE TOP EDGE BY STICKING THE PINS INTO THE NOODLE. START IN THE MIDDLE AND PIN OUT TO THE ENDS OF THE NOODLE WITH PINS EVERY SIX INCHES OR SO.
ROLL THE BACKING ONTO THE NOODLE. IF YOU HAVE A CENTER SEAM, BE SURE TO ALIGN THE SEAMS AS YOU ROLL. THIS WILL KEEP THE BACKING STRAIGHT.
CONTINUALLY SMOOTH THE BACKING FROM THE CENTER TO THE ENDS OF THE NOODLES. ROLL AS TIGHTLY AS YOU CAN.

6. ROLL THE BATTING ON THE SECOND NOODLE
ROLL THE BATTING ON THE SECOND NOODLE. YOU WILL NEED TO KEEP THE EDGES AS STRAIGHT AS YOU CAN. BUT BATTING DOESN’T ALWAYS HAVE A STRAIGHT EDGE.

7. ROLL TOP ON THE THIRD NOODLE RIGHT SIDE UP
ROLL TOP ON THE THIRD NOODLE RIGHT SIDE UP. YOU NEED TO SEE THE BACK OF THE TOP AS YOU ROLL.

8. YOU NOW HAVE THREE NOODLES: ONE WITH THE BACKING WRONG SIDE UP, ONE WITH THE BATTING, AND ONE WITH THE TOP RIGHT SIDE UP.

9. START WITH THE BACKING NOODLE AND UNROLL ABOUT TWELVE INCHES.

10. PUT BATTING NOODLE ON NEXT AND UNROLL ABOUT TWELVE INCHES
PUT BATTING NOODLE ON NEXT AND UNROLL ABOUT TWELVE INCHES. MATCH BOTTOM EDGES.

11. PUT NOODLE WITH THE TOP ON NEXT
PUT NOODLE WITH THE TOP ON NEXT. ALIGN BOTTOM EDGE LEAVING ABOUT 2-3 INCHES OF BATTING SHOWING. LONGARMERS NEED 4-8 INCHES OF EXTRA, BUT, BECAUSE YOU ARE QUILTING IT ON A DSM OR MIDARM, THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE EXTRA 4-8 INCHES.

12. IF YOU ARE SPRAY BASTING, YOU WILL COMPLETE THE NEXT STEPS
IF YOU ARE SPRAY BASTING, YOU WILL COMPLETE THE NEXT STEPS. IF YOU ARE NOT SPRAY BASTING, MAKE SURE EVERY LAYER IS WRINKLE FREE AND START BASTING WITH YOUR METHOD. IF YOU ARE SPRAY BASTING, FLIP BATTING AND TOP BACK OVER THE NOODLE WITH THE BACKING.
SPRAY THE BACKING AND FLIP JUST THE BATTING BACK. SMOOTH OUT CAREFULLY. THE TRICK IS TO USE JUST ENOUGH SPRAY. TOO MUCH IS NOT GOOD AND NEITHER IS TOO LITTLE.

13. UNROLL ANOTHER FOOT. MOVE BATTING AND TOP NOODLES AS FAR DOWN AS YOU CAN UNTIL YOU REACH THE AREA THAT YOU HAVE SPRAYED. SPRAY BACKING. UNROLL AND SMOOTH BATTING. UNROLL AND SMOOTH TOP.

14. KEEP UNROLLING AND SMOOTHING EACH LAYER AS YOU GET TO IT.
MOVE THE QUILT DOWN AND OFF THE TABLE SO YOU CAN REACH THE NEW AREA. SMOOTH FROM CENTER OUT AND MAKE ESPECIALLY TO SMOOTH THE SECTION WHERE THE AREA TO BE SPRAYED MEETS THE AREA ALREADY SPRAYED.

15. KEEP SPRAYING, SMOOTHING, AND MOVING UNTIL YOU REACH THE TOP OF THE QUILT. REMOVE PINS FROM THE TOP WHEN YOU REACH THE TOP.
TRIM THE QUILT EDGES LEAVING 1-2 INCHES IF POSSIBLE. YOU CAN LEAVE AS MUCH EXTRA OR AS LITTLE AS YOU LIKE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO LEAVE 4-8 INCHES AS REQUIRED BY LONGARMERS.

16. YOU CAN ALSO STAYSTITCH 1/8 IN FROM QUILT TOP EDGES TO STABILIZE THE QUILT FURTHER. YOU MAY FIND THAT YOUR PRESSER FOOT WILL STICK TO THE BATTING BECAUSE OF THE SPRAY.
HELPFUL HINTS: KEEP A CHAIR AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE TABLE TO KEEP THE NOODLES FROM ROLLING OFF.
PREFERRED SPRAY: 505 AT WALMART , JOANN‘S OR LOCAL QUILT STORES.