I found the QuilTak basting gun quick and easy compared to thread basting, but I was bothered by the holes it left, and it didn't seem to hold the layers together very tightly. I am about to try the Sharon Schambers thread basting method for my first attempt at machine quilting and am quite excited about it. It seems it should be so much easier without the quilt bottom clamped down, which was the thing that made the traditional thread basting method so difficult for me.