Originally Posted by
thimblebug6000
I admit to only skimming the above comments.... I use my dining room table in the winter months where I can't lay my quilt sandwich outside.
I mark the centre of the backing.with a safety pin on the right side....lay it right side down on the table.... I mark the centre of the batting with a safety pin... lay that on top of the batting, matching the centre marking..... I mark the centre of the quilt top on the right side with a pin.... removing the pin that is in the batting.... lay it right side up matching the centre markings on the rest of the sandwich. Starting in the middle... I either pin baste a fist width apart.... or if I am doing intricate hand quilting.... I hand baste....from the centre out..... once everything on the table top sandwich is done....carefully shift the sandwich to the left....and repeat...and then to the right and repeat.
this is how i've been doing small quilts and miniatures for many years. when i started there was no you tube or internet. when a problem arose, i worked out a solution. the only thing i do differently than you, thimblebug (i
love! your avatar & name), is that i use painters tape to tape the back to the table. start in middle of edge, tape, other edge stretching till just taut and tape. then work evenly up then down each side. i use my dining table now as my sewing table doesn't fit any room in current home. i have a large cutting mat that almost completely covers my dining table and avoid marks from basting needle. i also thread baste all my quilts for hand or maching quilting except for flannel backed.