Originally Posted by Prism99

I have used almost all of the possible methods to baste, and spray basting with 505 won for me hands down! That is what I would recommend to a newbie. It is worth every penny. (1) It is fast. (2) It is easy. (3) If you make a mistake, it is easy to re-position. (4) It holds all layers in continuous contact with each other -- unlike pins, which make contact only every 4 inches or so -- and this pretty much ensures the layers won't shift on you while machine quilting. (5) It is removed in the first wash, which again saves time.

When I pin-basted with safety pins (small brass pins are the best; brass won't rust if your quilt happens to stay pinned for a decade or so in the forgotten UFO pile), a pin I didn't see got caught on my very expensive Bernina walking foot and ruined the spring in it. That's when I decided to finally try spray basting.

If you decide to spray baste, definitely read some of the old threads about it. Using a good technique and using the best basting spray you can find (for me that is 505 for a variety of reasons) makes the process almost magical. Without good technique, you learn everything the hard way (as in ending up with batting fluff stuck all over you ).

Edit: Elmer's school glue basting is newer than spray basting. If I couldn't spray baste, I would definitely try the Elmer's glue basting method.