The reason I am asking..I can get some of my quilt tops basted, will have space avalible, but it will be a while before I can get to them to get them quilted. Will have to have them folded. So..any ideas.

If you refold them every other day or so and can otherwise leave them alone, I would think it would be okay to leave them that way for a few weeks. How do you plan to baste them, with thread? Or with pins?

I think they can stay basted pretty much forever, no matter what basting method you use. Just be sure to re-fold them often so they don't develop crease marks.

I think I'd thread baste vs. pins for a couple of reasons. One - if you suck up all your pins on things that are just hanging around...you have no more pins unless you buy them. Two - if your climate tends to damp, depending on how long they will hang out without quilting there may be a chance of rust. Otherwise, I would think you could leave them basted for just about forever. I know others have mentioned creasing. A friend rolls her quilts (finished or not) into a ball for storage so they don't develop creases. Personally, I don't know that I'd worry about creases. I wash everything after it's completed anyhow and I think any creases would wash/dry out during that process. JMO.

I using the board methods of basting. Sharon S? She says with her method of basting will keep forever!

I have some spray basted quilts hanging here on the treadmill(quilt hanger) that have been here a couple or 5 years or so. I will get to them someday. May have to respray the corners but I have quilted several that had sat for years and they did fine. I did press them a little cause of the wrinkles from being rolled up and slung over the tread, I mean quilt rack.

I think they can be spray basted quite a while.

They are not like turkeys- -you can baste them and leave them! hehehe!

I pin basted a lap quilt and it was at least a year before I quilted it. I never refolded it. I never even took it out of the cabinet. No fold lines on it and no wrinkles either.

I thread basted mine and kept it folded for probably two months and it was just fine.

I have one that I pin basted about 4 years ago and did everything but the binding about a year ago and it was fine. Its companion that was done a few months prior that I started hand quilting and put away and take out to work on periodically is fine as well. That one is black and red,copper and antique gold so even if rust developed it wouldn't show!

I have a quilt that's been sitting, basted and partially hand-quilted, for about six or seven years. I've dug it back out of the closet to get back to it soon, hopefully it will be fine!

I don't think there is a time limit. On utube it even showed on quilter who spray basted 5yrs ago and it's still holding.

If I take the time to baste, pin or thread, I usually don't fold them at all and quilt them within a week or so.

I have one basted for a couple yrs. I just checked it & it looks the same as when I put it away. Still has the ugly backing fabric.