Hello Everyone,

So, I finally crossed over the bridge to not being afraid to use basting pins, but, I find there are choices - LOTS of choices.

Straight vs Curved???

Size - #1, 2 or???

Steel or brass???

This brand or that brand???

When I first bought a 'package deal' a while back, it included curved #1 steel pins and those wonderful Pin Holders that my achy hands appreciate oh so much. Recently, it was time to get some more of both as I'm working my way up to basting larger quilts.

I was able to get the same nice Pin Holders at my LQS no problem, but when I asked DH to please insert the pins into the holders - he found a problem. My newly purchases Brass, "Quilt Safe", size #1, curved pins wouldn't fit into my Pin Holders. What's a girl to do?? :x

I called the place I bought the original package from to inquire about this, and she did say their packages include "Steel" pins, but thought it odd that these Brass ones didn't work since the Pin Holder package specifically states "Attaches to: blah, blah blah, which includes Brass and Steel.

Okay, so now I'm thoroughly confused, :roll: , and hoping some of you folks in the know will educate me on this prickly situation, lol. :lol: :roll:

Thanks,

Karla fr CO

I use these long pins with yellow tops to them.
They came ALOT to a plastic box.
Sorry I cannot help you more than that.

I use the pin covers and I was told to use needlenose pliers to snap the covers on the pins. The covers popped on the curved pins just fine. I don't know why anyone uses naked basting pins :D

I never have bought the curved ones...
Just normal Safety pins about 3 inches long...
Works great for me...
Maybe they are a bit shorter than 3 inches...
But work great!
Kirsten

Open pins? Don't you scratch yourself as you're machine quilting? Don't they fall out? I would be afraid of both things happening to me.

I'm just new to quilting, but I found a box of 200 for $8 that were size 2 nickel plated straight safety pins. My experience with them was that they went through all the layers easily and I closed them up using a soup spoon to lift the points. Really easy!

I think the curved ones are to make it easy to close without moving your quilt, but the spoon helps close them easily and I've had no problem with the quilt moving.

I saw on the really expensive "quilters" pins that it said they were safe to leave in the quilt for extended periods, but from what I could see they were just straight nickel plated size 2's so I went for the large box - 200 was the same price as 45 pins and identical product.

You are correct! That's what DH used the first time to get them on my pins a couple of years ago and it worked fine. He said they didn't work with these newest brass pins, nor did using a pointed dowel as the pin holder directions suggested. Ugh!

I worked with naked pins once - and I didn't like scratching my arms all up! :cry: Quite painful, but maybe I'm just a sensitive kind of quilter, lol.

Thanks for the tip, Kirsten. I've never tried that size. Maybe being larger, they're easier to grasp. Do they get in the way of your quilting more often, tho?

Wish I had thought of using a soup spoon, it would've been a lot cheaper! :shock: The "safe" pins that you refer to might be the same brass ones that I purchased and am not happy with. :? So much to choose from out there. We really have to be careful and make the best choices, for sure. Thanks so much for your input.

I use #2 safety pins and have never had a problem (except breaking my nails :lol: )