Basting across definitely has it's advantages. The quilt can't draw up in the middle as you quilt it. I use magnetic bars on the belly bar as I quilt, so it stays straight and I don't need to do quilting across the quilt. You can purchase these for about $5/bar at Harbor Freight. I have three, as I normally do lap quilts. I don't baste the entire quilt, though, as I float my quilts.