mcfay

I have a shortarm setup. I've been pinning my back to the lining bar then the take-up bar. Then putting the batting on, then pinning the top to the top bar then floating it at the start. But I haven't mastered basting it with the machine like they do in videos. So this morning I spray glued the quilt top to the batting. Then I pinned on the back to the two bars and took of the bar for the quilt top, then just floated the top and batting on the backing. I pinned across the top of the sandwich until I got the first row done. This was soooo much easier.

dakotamaid

That does sound easier. Are you able to keep your quilt square doing that? Just curious.

mcfay

It should be since it is spray glued onto the batting. I made sure it was loaded on straight and checked it every time I rolled it. I still like one row, it is a lap quilt so should be pretty square. I guess I'll find out in the morning when I finish it.

CoyoteQuilts

I always float my top and batting. I do a single row of stitching across my backing on top of the batting with the machine locked so that it can't move back and forth, this is my 'start line' for positioning my top. I then pin the top to the back and batting by starting in the middle and going to the outside edge, while pinning I pull the top a little tight before I put in the next pin. Then I pin down the sides, then I put the tension on the sides and start sewing.

I have to much 'stuff' in the way to spray baste....

mcfay

I can't lock my machine, so if I baste I have to do it by hand. That took so much time between rolling. I sprayed another one today. But I put the batting up on my design wall, then pinned my top to it. I then unpinned the top portion of the top and let it down about half way. Sprayed that and raised it back up and smoothed it down. Then did the same thing to the bottom portion. I will have to remember next time to also put newspaper down on the floor. Had to clean over spray off the floor.

quilttiger

With my shortarm, I used to stitch the three layers together across the top before attaching the quilt to the take up leader. I let the quilt top and batting float over the other bar. Now that I have my Bailey, I now attach the backing at both ends of the frame (also done with the shortarm). I lay (float) the batting on top of the backing and then the quilt top. This time I pin these two layers down and then baste across the top before taking out the pins. Those pins are placed below the basting line so that the needle does not go over them. I may try using glue (probably a bead of Elmer's school glue?) to attach the batting and then the quilt top. I still float the batting and the top over the other bar. When I get near the end of the top, I pin the bottom edge down so it does not flap during FMQ. Thanks for sharing the glue idea!

cheryl222

Do you have any trouble with guck on the needle? Sounds like a good idea. Right now I Have stopped pinning my top to the 3rd bar; rather, I bought 10 small (1/2x1x1/8) neodym magnets to hold it to the bar so I can roll it. The batting just hangs free or sometimes I use magnets to hold it to 4th bar and roll it. Works quite well.