I'm a newbie, and only have done 3 quilts, all with SID, cross hatch, X's, just basic. I pin, and start in the middle. I use a walking foot, and have not had any trouble with bunching, or threads nesting. The largest was queen sized and I just rolled and sewed. I pull my threads to the top, tie and cut. I've heard a lot about spray basting, but haven't tried it yet.