Basting is used to hold  the three layers together and steady while you’re quilting and it gets taken out after the quilting is finished.

Because this project will be hand quilted I decided to thread baste it (you’ll see safety pin basting in the machine section). I picked a green 100% cotton thread for the basting to contrast against the red of the quilt which made it easier to see and pull it out at the end.

I used a curved basting needle and, without picking up the quilt sandwich, sewed through all 3 layers with large running stitches from the middle in a spiral. I didn’t tie a knot in my thread and left long tails so it would be easy to pull out later.

I put my sandwich in a quilting hoop to hold it steady but I let it stay pretty loose in the hoop (unlike in embroidery where the fabric is pulled taught)