Pilgrim League Quilt, step 3, quilting & ties

To view the first step, the beginning of the quilt,  click here.

a note on terms......
"quilting" is the stitching that secures a "pieced" top layer to the batting and backing.  So you see.... the top is now "pieced" and the "quilting" can be started. The "top" and inner batting and back all must be perfectly flat and smooth in order to quilt them together nicely. The following procedure is not the most highly recommended one, but it worked for me!
.......edited to add...I don't do this any more! There is a better way! watch this video of...Sharon Schamber's method ...no stress to the knees and hips!

But this is what I did for this quilt...

1. move all the furniture out of the breakfast nook
2. sweep floor (OK, hit the sticky spot with sponge too)
3. get the craft paper & painter's tape to protect Back cloth from floor, and protect floor from pins; cover  enough area of floor to be just a little smaller than the back cloth.

4. lay the Back cloth, right side down, over the craft paper, smooth out and tape securely.
5. lay the top over the Back cloth (batting not used due to weight), smooth out and secure with pins.
6. pin baste every block at least once, more if possible

Top layer secured to the back with large safety pins

Removing tape, see the craft paper under the cloth.

Some of the pins did go through the paper, floor undamaged!

Now that the two layers are secured with (a million!) pins, they can be quilted together with a minimum of shifting (in theory).... but some shift always happens. {edited to add...GET A WALKING FOOT! much less shift happens...maybe even no shift!!}
There are NO photos of me wrestling this thing through my sewing machine, but believe me, it is work!

12 inch squares are too large to leave loose!

close up of tie in center of the block

 At this point I showed the quilt to my friend, Sharon, the  professional quilter. She reminded me that once in 12 inches is still not enough!  So I added more ties to every possible block!

4 more ties in every large block

Ties in small blocks, but not in hat logo blocks!

All the colors of floss used to tie the quilt

These ties along the top edge would have stitched through the hanging sleeve(already completed!).

Yard stick to the rescue! Inserted in the sleeve, no ties sewn too far through.

for historical purposes, a tag on the back

Bill & Vicki just before the presentation

Presenting the quilt after the last game of this season