Got my first top spread out on the floor yesterday, then thought, I wonder how close together I should pin? Ended up about 6" apart, alternating directions vertical/horizontal for better control. It seems to have worked okay for this pattern. Does it depend on how complicated your blocks are?

Also -- don't laugh -- how small does a scrap have to be to qualify as "garbage" instead of a useable scrap? Less than 2 x 2? Or 1 x whatever? (What I can use in a quilt may be totally different from what's useable for clothing/dressmaking).

I've been watching and love this site, have used a lot of your suggestions, but couldn't come on yesterday or I wouldn't have gotten the top done!

Thanks, Colleen

When I pin baste I aim for 4" or so; sometimes it's less, sometimes it's a little more (especially at the end or a larger quilt when I am running out of pins!).

Everybody has their own scrap management standards. I cut down to strips or squares, ending at 1.5 square (for the someday postage stamp quilt). But folks who do applique keep genuinely tiny pieces!

I prefer to Spray Baste. Havn't pinned a quilt in 10 years!

Whats the best spay to use?

I pin about 4 inches also. Usually the width of my palm for reference.

I save all my scraps, no matter how small. From time to time I go through and cut them into various size strips and squares. The little triangles are made into HSTs to be used later. Then the pieces are put into storage containers till I have enough to use in a quilt. Even itty pieces can be chopped up into fluff and put out for the birds. I must admit, I now do throw out some pieces I know will never make it into a pattern.

I usually pin about 3" apart - guess I have a lot of pins.

I pin about 1 hand width apart= to 3 in. (with closed fingers) but it also depends on how I am going to quilt. If I think that I am goin to SID then I do not pin on the seams. If I think that I am going to FM then I try to not pin to much where I think that my stippling FM will go.

Lots of people on this board and some site that I have seen recommend 505 spray. I had a hard time finding it in my area so I ordered it from Connecting Threads. Have not used it yet.

505 Spray and Baste is the best kind to use. Holds well, doesn't gum up needle and doesn't smell as bad as the others. Also, the overspray cleans up a little easier.

the general 'rule of thumb' for pin basting is every hand width...so each place you put your fist should touch a pin top, bottom, side & side- or about every 4 inches...they believe everyone's fist is about 4" across :)
as for your scraps...it depends on what kind of a quilter you are...i applique alot so i can use some pretty small pieces of fabric at times...i have a friend who tosses everything left from a project...(finally convinced her to not throw it away, she donates it to the senior center now) all i ever actually throw away is slivers...little bits trimmed from edges of blocks. i keep a couple baskets under the cutting table. one for strips (for rug hooking, wrapping clothesline, string quilts) one for small pieces; (cut off triangle corners, anything too small to fold) when i have been working on alot of different projects and the scraps are really getting abundant i look to see if anyone has put out a request for some, if so i box them up and mail them out...if no one is looking for what i have at that time i take them to the local pre-school or elementary school art department. the teachers really appreciate the donations and the kids are amazing with their creativity!