I must admit that I don't but I'm thinking maybe I should. I think I don't baste because I'm lazy and I just want to get done too fast and go on to the next quilt :)

How many of you baste?? Do you hand baste? How do you baste...corner to corner, from the middle out? Do you leave your pins in even if you baste?

Tell me what works best for you :)

I hand baste. For me it works best when handquilting in a hoop.

I just got one of those quilt tacker thingies "Basting gun" (like the old "buttoneer") that shoots short plastic tabs through the sandwitch like the tagging guns for clothing. I just basted a small quilt with it, but haven't quilted the quilt and removed the tacks, so I don't know how it's going to look finished. However, it was easier than pinning and I don't have to baste.

If I don't baste or do something, my quilt backs get folds in them. I machine quilt on my regular sewing machine. I've tried fusible batting (works well, but it's 100% poly and pretty stiff), and spray basting (which messes up my floor if I do it inside, and there's also the fumes to deal with, or I have pollen/dust issues if I try it outside). None of these have been ideal. If I pin, I wind up stabbing myself more than once and then I have blood to clean off the fabric.

I pin baste the quilts I'm going to machine quilt. I know a lot of people use the basting spray but I've just not had a lot of luck with it. It seems to spray everywhere (stickiness all over the table) and the one quilt that was lap size came apart 1/4 of the way through the machine basting.

I use my dining room table, spread out the backing right side down and with metal clamps, clamp it to the table. Then I put the batting and quilt top on, and begin pin basting from the middle out.

If I'm hand quilting, I thread baste from the middle out.

This is what I do also. The clamps works great and, with lots of pins, I haven't had folds or puckers on my backing. Having my backing starched and ironed helps too.

Quiltilicious: I hear ya! I love everything about making a quilt, EXCEPT the quilting part...go figure :) No matter how much I fuss and check and re-check I always have an area on the backing that is not smooth. Of course it doesn't help if you have OCD...LOL I just sprayed with basting spray that I've had forever to put together a quilt I'm making for my grandson (I'm going to wash it before I give it to him) and I hate the way the spray "sticks" to everything...not just the sandwich!

I use the basting spray but I still use pins, too. Not as many -- and mainly just around the edges. I will also hand baste if the quilt will be hand-quilted. I always start in the center and work out towards the edges. I bought one of the basting guns that puts a small plastic tack thru the quilt sandwich, but I don't like it very much --- it just didn't baste the layers together as tightly as I would have liked.

I tried the basting spray but didn't like the gunk that accumulated on my needle and presser foot. Is there a way around that? I haven't used it again mainly for that reason.

I don't baste, but use lots & lots of safety pins. I remove the pins as I quilt with walking foot.

I spray baste. If you line around the quilt with newspapers and don't spray real heavy you won't make everything sticky (I do lock up the cats as they like to walk on it. They walk funny afterward. If you need a laugh don't lock them up. I'm kidding) With a light spray you won't gunk up your needle either. I do pin around the edges as they are most likely to slip. Easy.