Maybe this should be “compartment” quilting, but still it was originated for the woman who lives in tiny rooms, efficiency all over, even to finishing her full-sized quilt therein, to its last lovely stitch. This may be done in an apartment that can’t accommodate a large picture frame, to say nothing of quilting frames! One young thing wrote, “We even have collapsible tooth brushes, and yet, I am quilting mine own quilt.”
The secret is this, quilt the blocks separately, then set them together-a “makeshift,” says grandmother with a sniff, “about as backwards as pickin’ a chicken after it’s baked.” But oh, the modern methods we love, the jolly substitutions and short cuts that leave us time and energy for recreations like quilt making. So after the blocks are pieced, and the plain squares stamped for quilting we may cut a back and interlining the same size. Spread them smoothly on a table and baste around and through rather firmly. Then you may quilt them on the table, or on your lap, taking even stitches which go through the entire thickness. Some quilt a fourth of the quilt this way, or eighths, or single blocks. The quilted sections are joined by sewing top parts with a running stitch on the wrong side. Then smooth the interlinings of cotton to overlap about 1/4 inch, and sew back sections together with a blind stitch. The quilting is then continued along the join line.
Bias tape in white or a color may be used to cover all seams on the back, making a pattern of squares over it all.