i'm laughing, but, yes. it makes sense. i pin on the sides, not sew. i can't manage to keep those stitches within 1/4", so the heck with that. i don't know - everyone i talk to does it a different way, it seems. i know someone who takes off the leader and bastes the backing for totally even tension. to me, that seems over the top. i got this to make my life easier, not harder.
i do clamp, but i do it the sharon shaumber way. she pins a strip of fabric to the sides. the strip has a tunnel through which a tube is inserted. the clamps clamp around the tube, giving even tension. i saw that on youtube. since i leave my backing extra wide, i just fold over a metal rod and clamp that. but it makes a big difference.. did that make any sense?
i'll have to try again to float the top. if i take my time and pin the sides more often, maybe it will work this time.