Practice Quilt Sandwich A practice quilt sandwich can be any size as long as the back is larger than the top. I recommend a 22 by 22 inch piece of muslin for the back and a 20 by 20 piece of muslin for the top. The batting needs to be larger than the top so anything 21 by 21 or arer will work Using a lower loft bitting will ake things easier becuase there will be less bulk under the needle. Muslin or any other plain cotto fabric will work for the top and back. The color thread you choose should contrast with the fabric. Press both pieces of fabic flat. Lay the backing fabric on a table top and tape the four corners of the fabric to the table with masking tape. The fabric should be taut, not stretched. Add one more piece of tape to each side. Smooth the batting over the backing. There is no need to tape it down. Smooth the quilt top over the batting. There should be backing and batting extending out from under the top piece on all four sides. Using your Clip, insert safety-pins in random order across the quilt top. Be sure to catch the backing, batting, and top with the pins. When you place your closed fist on the quilt top, you should be able to feel one or two pins, if not add a few more. You don't need any more pins tahn one or two per fist size especially on a quilt top this small. Once all the pins are in, remove the tape, and you are ready to start practicing. Make it a habit to keep a practice quilt sandwich near your sewing machine, so you can test the various threads react when you start a line of stitching. Different threads require different levels of securing in order to keep them from unraveling. For example, cotton threads are often the easiest to secure, because the cotton fibers of the thread mesh together easily with the fibers of the cotton fabric. Other threads, such as polyester and rayon, are more slippery and usually require taking a couple of extra stitches to secure. Metallic threads can be even more challenging and require extra locking stitches at the beginning of your line of quilting. A practice quilt is a smart way to test your thread tension before beginning any project. Bringing up the bobbin thread, Before you begin any type of machine quilting, you will need to bring the bobbin thread up to the top of the quilt sandwich. Lower  the feed dogs on your sewing machine and lift the free-motion foot. Place the practice quilt sandwich under  the foot where you want to begin quilting. Holding the top thread securely in your left hand, lower the needle into the quilt sandwich. On some machines this can be done with a single heel tap on the foot pedal or the touch of a button. Lower the foot and take one stitch. The bobbin thread should pop up. If it doesn't, try again. It may help to take the first stich with the foot raised, or to start in a different place on the quilt sandwich. Hold both the top and bobbin threads when taking the first few stitches. Quilting Terminology Quilting Terms C to G Quilting Glossary H to P Quilting Terms Q to Z Tools Types Machine Quilts Fabric Guide Caring More Quilting Tips Quilting Machine Benefits Quilt Sandwich Quilt Pattern Tips Large Quilt