Pictorial Guide to Back Basting

Mark the Pattern

Step 2: Once you have a reversed pattern, you are ready to mark the pattern on your background fabric.

Place the reversed pattern over a light source.

Place your background fabric over the pattern. Be sure the right side of the fabric is face down next to the pattern. Center the pattern under the fabric. Use any registration marks that are provided with the pattern. Secure in place so that the fabric doesn’t move when tracing.

Using either a #2 pencil or a mechanical pencil with #2 lead, trace the pattern onto the back of your background fabric. Logic says that we should probably draw a light line. However, in my experience, these lines lighten as you appliqué. The lead actually rubs off. I have had to re-draw lightly drawn lines in order to finish a block. As a result, I now make a firm line using medium pressure rather than drawing a light line. You can experiment with line pressure until you find a pressure that works best for you. A thin, light weight or light color background will require a lighter line as the line should not show through on the front of the background fabric.