Originally Posted by thepolyparrot
Originally Posted by bunniequilter
May as well of tried to baste with a knitting needle.
:lol: Absolutely!
Katrine, thanks for the link to the MicroStitch. If I break this gun, I will try that one.
I should get one of those removal tools - I pick up one crossbar between my fingernails and snip the darn thing with scissors - the tool would probably be a lot faster.
I use the Kwik Klip (Quik Clip?) with the gun and that helps save wear and tear on your hands. (You can use just about anything including the bowl of a spoon or a nutpick handle or screwdriver.)
You just lay the tool on the top, push the needle down and under the backing and back up through the top and over the tool. Push on the tool to move the fabric all the way up the needle before you pull the trigger.
It takes a lot longer to say it than to do it - you can baste a big quilt in nothing flat.
Yes the removal thingy safeguards against cutting a hole in your fabric - all too easy to do when trying to get the tacks out with scissors!
And with the Microstitch, the tacks are smaller, so you only need to go through the layers once - you do not need to bring the needle back up again, it holds securely with just one piercing. And the tacks are small enough to not leave marks/holes in the fabric.
I have a Kwikclip to use with safety pins, but have never had to use it with the gun.