Thread: basting my first quilt top Q's

Hey everyone!
I have a few questions as I prepare to baste my 1st quilt top. It's just a funky lap-top or craft quilt size project - pics later of the hexagon blocks - but I'm fearful at this point.

1. I am new to sewing not only quilting - this is about a 36"x40" top, and I have very little floor space to lay out my sandwich. I have a large enough table to do this - but if I can't get it all thread-basted in one day, and I have to remove (carefully) the project until another time, will I still be able to keep it all lined up?
2. Is it realistic to consider Elmer's glue basting for a newbie - or should I focus on traditional long-stitch basting stitches by hand? I feel better about the thread, but glue.....seems quicker....?
3. Would anyone recommend a particular thread weight/type and needle type for basting by hand please?

thanks so much - off to work with my 5th grade students!!!

Adam

See if this works - my funky top - don't mind the errors!

Originally Posted by Mdegenhart

Your top is completely sewn together, correct? It should only take 30 minutes to an hour to thread baste a quilt that small. You take huge running stitches in a grid, with the rows about a hands width apart.

I learned to baste using a starburst pattern starting at the middle. Any information about different basting patterns might be helpful. Any other methods?
I have also glue basted and much prefer that method. Throw a sheet over your table to protect the finish in case the glue comes through. Place quilt layers- backing face down, batting, then quilt top face up. Lift top layer and batting and fold it back over itself, swirl glue strings about four inches apart to cover that half of the backing, pull batting down, swirl glue in a similar pattern, then fold the top layer back down and smooth all layers. Fold back second half the same way to glue. Place a safety pin in each corner and one on each edge, then you can gently move it to a safer place to dry without shifting the layers, (Leave the sheet on the table). I use the shower rod in my extra bathroom since we never use that shower. It will be completely dry in about 24 hours. This method works great for machine quilting, but will be harder if not impossible to hand quilt.

Friends,

Thanks so much for giving me some ideas, confidence, and support as I move ahead with my new hobby! As it turned out, I took the Elmer's washable glue route on a "practice" quilting project first and liked the results I achieved.
This was mainly a test for me on 2 counts: one, to try out glue basting a quilt sandwich and two - giving myself a small bit of material to practice my hand at honest-to-goodness quilting with my new Bernina walking foot! The thing I basted for practice is just a pair of 12" traditional blocks with simple sashing and is about 18"x 36" in measurement.
I want to do some echo quilting and outline quilting to see how I do. Good luck to me!

Well, here is my first experiment with actual "quilting" - beyond piecing, sewing, ironing, etc....I am thinking this is just about best described as a micro-table runner thing-a-ma-bob.
Next steps: creating my binding - attaching the binding - and washing, then...bing!

Adam

ps....lots of experimentation here with different things from echo sewing/in the ditch sewing/border quilting/and so on....just was fun to actually finally use my Bernina walking foot! (#50) - It was really pretty darn easy to use!

Originally Posted by Mdegenhart

Cute top & good job.

Thank you!
It looks good - from a distance!!!! (a far away computer screen is perfect!)

Adam