What do you think of my idea for basting quilts?
 

I've seen Sharon Schamber's videos on thread basting: rolling the top and backing on different 1x4 boards, then unrolling the backing, lay on the batting and unroll the top, then baste with thread. The appeal of this is no safety pins, can easily mark tops after basting rather than before, can baste and put aside until the urge to quilt appears. However, I don't really want to deal with the rolling/unrolling, and hand-basting would take f-o-r-e-v-e-r!

Then I read about someone who uses a long-armer just to baste her quilts and then she quilts herself on her domestic when she gets around to it.

So here's my idea. Why can't I baste my quilt with pins the usual way (maybe not as closely as I normally would) and then run the quilt under my machine using the basting stitch every six to eight or more inches? (I'm assuming that my even feed would run this long stitch.) Or spray glue baste and then do the same thing just in case the glue loses its stickiness?

I'm just trying to find an easy and cost-effective to have my quilts at the ready.

Thoughts?? Thanks.

Are you thinking that spray basting with 505 would be too expensive? I haven't figured out the exact cost per quilt of using 505, but I know it's not enough to keep me from using it. I can't imagine doing all that extra work to baste a large quilt when I can easily do it with 505. It does not lose its stickiness over time; only when the quilt is washed. I buy it online and estimate it costs $10 or less per queen-size quilt to use it.

Try it and lets us know how it works. I can't use sprays. I can use cornstarch for stiffening. I always use it quite heavily on the backing so it I just might try this.

Sometimes I will use small pieces of light weight fusible to baste my quilt. I put a small piece every few inches and press the batting to the back and then the top to the batting. It only takes tiny pieces to hold the quilt layers together.

I usually let the LA baste my quilts. She does it for $20 for a queen size quilt. Her basting stitches are about 5 inches apart in a cross hatching pattern.

I had never even thought of having a longarmer baste a quilt. That is a good idea :)
I haven't tried Sharon Schamber's method yet but I love the idea of it. I will be giving it a try. For now I had been doing safety pins - which sadly does get me some puckers on the back but since switched to spray basting...

My quilt group meets at a college classroom every 3 Saturdays and they have lots of long tables. A few in our group say they're going to begin basting their quilts there since there is more room there than they have at home.

Before I got a longarm I used the John Flynn frame (the only time I ever used it!) to baste a large quilt with water soluble thread. Then I was able to quilt it on my DSM. There was no worry about stitching over the basting threads, and no need to remove them as I quilted. I still use water soluble thread on the longarm when I want to baste a quilt to stabilize it.

Hmmm...after reading your thoughts, I'm wondering if basting on my domestic is going to be too much thread.

I like the idea of the spray basting but don't have a space in the house where I could do that. The only option would be my basement as we don't have a garage and I'd be too afraid of the flammability and the pilots on our furnace and water heater.

I like the idea of the John Flynn frame which wouldn't be too much different than the Sharon Schamber idea. Now, if I do decide to do that, my husband is going to kill me since I bought and returned two 8-ft lengths of 1x4 when I thought I would go that route. Why did I return them? Because they sat on my dining room table for a few months and didn't get used. :(

Thanks for your input.

Have you considered spray basting outside? It's pretty inexpensive to purchase a couple of sawhorses and a sheet of plywood to lay on top of them. You need a storage space for them when not in use (garage!), but they store fairly flat and don't take up a lot of room.

If you have a garage, some people use an inside garage wall (taping to the surface) for spray basting. Another option is to purchase a couple of 4x8 foam boards from a home supply place, create duct tape as a hinge for them, and prop them against the outside of a house as a smooth surface to spray baste.

One nice thing about spray basting outside is you don't have to worry about overspray!

Great idea, Dunster! I have a Flynn, and on the whole like it, but find it frustrating becuase of the small throat of my DSM. This is a perfect answer. I found that with the walking foot, it will self feed the quilt, with very little intervention from me. So, if I add the water soluble thread - I can go on to other projects while my quilt bastes itself!

I just pin mine with big safety pins on my glass topped dining table. It works for me.