I've basted a couple of quilts for a friend who hand quilts them. She says it works great. She can take out the basting stitches as she goes, with never a pucker on the back or problems of any kind. I take care to square up the quilt as I go, the same way I do for quilts I machine quilt, and it stays square for her. I stitch a few large stitches every 3-4", (with thread stretched between the areas of stitches) in a grid all over. I do horizontal rows of basting, then vertical rows as far as my machine will reach, roll the quilt to the next section and repeat. You have to make a few stitches everywhere instead of just one. If you only make one stitch every 3-4", once you take the quilt off the frame, those long threads inbetween the stitches immediately start catching on parts of the frame, buttons on your shirt, everything in sight (ask me how I know). And the thread long breaks, so that one stitch easily comes out.