I have a huge weird quilting question that Im completely lost on???
 

I have recently moved from this huge military house where I had tons of rooms to spread out my quilts on the floor to bast them and tape down the backing and all that goes along with it now were retired and live in a really tiny apartment and have no room in any hardwood floor room and the biggest room i have is the living room and its carpet and thats if i move somethings out of the way ill have maybe enough room to do a full size quilt so is it ok or am I crazy to use duct tape to tape down the backing of my quilt cause i know we normally use making tape for this but i honestly dont think it will stick and i have 4 quilts im working on right now not including my stuff and the small projects i got goin on also. SO do yall think that will work or will it mess up the carpets or any suggestions for doin it ive spent all this money in these quilts and time with a bad back i dont want to not get to finish them. and my family is lookin forward to them badly. PLEASE HELP thanks

maybe you'll get lucky again! my idea is to use cellophane packing tape - the wide stuff. try that and see if it will work. i think duct tape would stretch your fabric out of shape when taking it off of the fabric. also, the carpet may work to your advantage. it seems like the fabric will stay where it's placed, kind of like a design wall.

generally- people use pins when doing it on a floor- visit Alex Anderson's web site, or check the tutorials here- there are a couple u=tube videos too that will show you how to pin your quilt backing to the carpeting for layering/basting.
i would not use duct tape or packing tape- the sticky residue left on the fabrics will be not only unsightly-but difficult to remove.
i also do not have room to lay out a large quilt in my home- i visit the community center- when they do not have anything happening it is not a problem to slide a few tables/chairs out of the way & have a large tiled floor to lay everything out & prepared. and they do not charge for using the space. I've also used a room in the basement of our library also for free.
but check out the tutorials for preparing your quilt for quilting- you will find many useful tips- some people prefer a carpeted floor :) (easier on the knees)

I would not use duct tape, it leaves a sticky residue.

What about checking with your local library, church, township hall, or senior center about using their banquet tables for a couple of hours? Most will let you. Put a couple together to make it large enough. I like this because you are not down on the floor.

Use Sharon Shambers' method or quilt as you go. I used to use my table. Start on one side, let the excess layers hang off the other side. Baste the space on the table then smooth the next portion and baste and so forth till it's all basted.

If you cut your backing/batting large enough, duct tape could work but you'd be trimming it off w/ scissors when basting is done. there are probably better ways to accomplish this but the duct tape could work too as long as you have surplus to trim away. you'd just cut beyond the tape and then pull tape along w/ your remnants up after you have trimmed the quilt away?

if you use duct tape you are going to have sticky mess on your carpet.

I would use masking tape and baste it hanging on a wall! Or call the local library, mine is use to quilters coming and using their conference room when it isn't booked for something else.

There are churches and quilting shops that have big banquet tables to use for basting. Churches are all over and very helpful if you need to go in during the week. Put two or four together.

you can baste your large quilt on a table as small as a card table.
Just layer each section on the center of the table. stretch and baste the section on the table area then gently pull the next unbasted section onto the top of the table. Baste that. continue pulling sided to side, top and bottom.
The hanging over the edge and stretching keeps the layers flat. So you don't really need to lay the quilt out full.
Try it. it works