I cheat. I am a handquilter mostly. I always cut pleanty of backing and have it hanging oevr the quilt top. No pins, spray baste, nothing. I lay it out on my floor, pick up the center and place it on my frame and tighten it. Then smoth as I go. Never had a shortage or crooked. Lucky I guess. Used this tecnique forever. Now as for machine quitling, I don't do that yet. I have a Flynn frame and will start but probably won't use pins. This is an interesting post. I know we all sew differently. When I tried pinning, then as I sewed it got bunched up so had to move the pins, so I don't do pins any more. Good luck.