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The floor is NOT the best place!
I know I have seen threads on this but I must not be using the right keywords. What is a good way to sandwich a quilt? Right now i am doing it on my livingroom floor, but I foresee a day when my knees won't be able to get me up and down. I tried my diningroom table but I found it difficult to keep the backing smooth after I put my batting and quilt top on it and I had to keep tugging and shaking it....I think some of you said to use your local church but mine is about 40 minutes away (Greek Orthodox).
I have not tried the library yet but I hate the idea of having to wait especially if I am in the right frame of mind to sandwich the thing. Any ideas? or at least how to make my diningroom table work? Thanks! |
I sandwich on a bar type island thing in my kitchen. I use clamps to hold the backing down...using masking tape to hold it until my clamps are all "installed." The clamps are from Harbor Fright and are designed for lumber, I think. (My 'surface is about an inch thick.) My sister bought a ping pong table just for this use, and she uses clamps like those used to hold lots of paper together.
I would want to protect my dining room table somehow, if I used that. I wouldn't want to scratch the top with a pin. I do have to pin in three different stages....first I do the middle and then I go to each side. I just move the clamps after I am through pinning the area that is on the surface. It works pretty good, though my sister's ping pong table works better. I hope you figure something out. Pinning on the floor is no fun! Dina |
I use the table, did you clamp your backing to the table before you sandwiched your batting and top on? As you finish a section you unclamp, slide to next area, fold back batting and top, re clamp backing and smooth down batting and top again I got my clamps from the Office Depot, found them in with the paperclips large black clips used for holding thick stacks of paper. Good luck with your search.
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If you think you'll do this often (3-4x a year) it might be worth considering the purchase of a folding office table like these. They come in handy for SO many things. I use a self-designed 40" x 72" table to baste my quilts. I clamp the backing down first; lay the batting over that, remove each clamp individually and reclamp over the batting and backing, keeping both layers smooth and gently taut. Lay the top over that, again reclamp each one individually, smoothing as I go. If any hangs over the edge, that's fine. I baste (by pin, by thread, or with glue) in the area that is clamped; move the quilt to accommodate the undone area, reclamp, and baste again.
http://www.officedepot.com/a/product...d-Plastic-Top/ Jan in VA |
Some churches will let you set up and use some of their tables. I have heard some people use an old ping-pong table. If you have space there are some ping-pong tables that fold up when not in use. My table folds into a full length mirror. Got it from a Sewing Machine dealer/repairman. At the time it seemed like I really splurged, but my daughter told me I deserved it. It was $350.00 - marked down from $400.00. But it is a miracle for me - it is the proper height for me, I am 5'9", the cutting table folds out to 6 feet long opens to 40 inches wide. My husband fell in love with it when he was wrapping gifts one year. The full length mirror is nice to have also. Since it is on wheels it can move easily around the room, or even around the house, but I leave it in the sewing room.
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I use bulldog clips to secure the layers on the table. I put one about every 10 inches.
Here's a good video to get you started. I've used toothpicks instead of skewers. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnke_KzeTI8 |
Originally Posted by quiltingcandy
(Post 6038015)
Some churches will let you set up and use some of their tables. I have heard some people use an old ping-pong table. If you have space there are some ping-pong tables that fold up when not in use. My table folds into a full length mirror. Got it from a Sewing Machine dealer/repairman. At the time it seemed like I really splurged, but my daughter told me I deserved it. It was $350.00 - marked down from $400.00. But it is a miracle for me - it is the proper height for me, I am 5'9", the cutting table folds out to 6 feet long opens to 40 inches wide. My husband fell in love with it when he was wrapping gifts one year. The full length mirror is nice to have also. Since it is on wheels it can move easily around the room, or even around the house, but I leave it in the sewing room.
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I got myself the knee pads from the dollar store for crawling on the floor. I would rather crawl then lean over a table which makes my back ache.
I have sandwiched on the back of my garage door when using 505 basting spray and it worked well. I tacked up a fabric strip to the wood above the door first. I then pinned my backing onto the strip. I sprayed the back and smoothed on the batt. Sprayed the batt and smoothed on the top. When I had it just the way I wanted it, I removed the pins holding the whole sandwich to the scrap strip on the door header. I didn't have to worry about any over spray or fumes because it was the garage. |
My LQS allows quilters to use their large classroom table for basting. You just have to call ahead to be sure there is not a class going on.
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I make my sandwich on the wall (see Patsy Thompson's tutorial). For me, it works so much better than the floor or dining room table. I got cheap poster boards at the dollar store, and tacked them up on the wall. You could use a felt covering so they would stay up on their own; I just pin them to the poster board. It is so easy and fast--much easier to get the backing to be smooth.
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