After you pin with the dreaded safety pins, stitch in the ditch in a grid pattern if your quilt top pattern has such a pattern to secure the layers. Then, remove the pins and quilt free-motion as you like. If your top doesn't have a grid pattern, use wash-away thread to do the grid pattern and when you are done with your quilting just wash that grid away. You still have to use safety pins but just for a short time.