Mwahaha, welcome to the world of pinning. Find the style that works for you, I use the big long pins and I use a lot of them, but I'm pinned way down an inch or so from the edge and out of the way of the foot much less the needle. When I'm in the part of a quilt that requires a lot of small pieces put together, I often do that at my sewing group, or while watching tv with the hubby, and now his bowling league is getting used to me sitting in the background with my box of work.
But, when I'm doing long seams like borders, I do them with the help of my ironing board. Get everything all nice and flat either with or without help of the iron. I currently have my ironing board out in the living room as an effort to get in more steps into my daily life, but even otherwise I'd move out there if I'm dealing with a full top so that the couch could take up some of the weight of the fabric.