Backing a Quilt

Does anyone have any suggestions for laying out your backing material for a quilt so you you don't have a "billowly"  back to your quilt? 

I do not have a quilting frame and I've tried taping the backing down, adding the quilt top, then pinning, but I always seem to have more back material than front. How have you all been successful?

Thanks!

Hmm... I'm not sure what you mean when you say you have "more back material than front"? You mentioned that it's billowy?

 I always do the method you described (tape quilt back to floor, lay down the batting then the quilt top, pin all layers together) and never have an issue.  I really make sure all of my layers are perfectly flat and smoothed out.  And I use plenty of pins to make sure that it's all very securely held together. Hope that helps a bit?

Thanks that helps. I didn't know how to describe it very well. Sorry.  I thought I was pinning the layers together enough, but maybe not. Try, try, try again I guess. Thanks!

It also helps to start pinning in the center and working outward. Then you can quilt the layers (center out) and lastly square up the edges to even them and make the corners 'square'.

I have had much success with thread basting.  I put the backing on my diningroom table (which has a cover, so I don't worry about the needle scratching the wood), smooth it out, put in the batting, smooth it out, and then put on the quilt top.  I work out from the center, taking big stitches in an outward spiral.  then, to get to the edges that are lying off the side of the table, I just roll one side up and scoot the undone part onto the table.  I have found that the thread does not allow the fabric to shift like pins do, and I have had some problems with pins ripping holes in the fabric or tangling up the thread I am quilting with.  So far, no billowy or bunchy problems with this method! 

Rachel