Go to you tube and watch Sharon Schambers tut on basting a quilt. She shows how to sandwich a quilt the easy way. She bastes a unique, fast way but you could also spray baste. It is a very efficient way, Ilove it. And before that was the job I hated the most.

You do not need a huge table either, very simple.

I go to my mom's house and she has two banquet tables we use. And this allows me time to spend with my mom. Win Win.

I have to say, i have been quilting for a long time and I do not use boards or safety pins. Basting has always worked and I get a nice smooth back, the only problem is the knees . My mother had two sawhorses adjusted to her tiny height and she put a cutting board on top over a piece of plywood. It stored easily and was the perfect height. I used to wonder why she did that but now I know.

Incidently, I used the bed and it worked remarkably well. I could sit on the edge if I needed tow, it was easy to reach the middle if I folded it up a bit and the back is perfect. This may be my new method, but I certainly love all the suggestions.
I will post a photo when I finish quilting.
Mary

I can't get down on the floor anymore either. I meet with a group at the church on Tuesdays to quilt, and the room is set up for us, tables butted together etc. However one of the ladies in our group brought quick clip clamps the 2" size I believe that you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot. They make laying out the quilt so much easier as they hold it taunt for pinning. You can tighten as needed, and they clamp on to the table edges, but don't harm the furniture. I plan to get some!

I know - if you are referring to the lady with the long boards to wrap the top and back of the fabric - I couldn't believe it. I have never seen anything like it. And it seems like such a great way to do it - and so relaxing and non-stress. Yes - time consuming but you will see all your stitches and get to know your quilt. I probably would do this only for my quilts that took a long time rather than quilts for kids etc. But I loved her method.

I have 5 of the 4 x 6 tables that I set up in my den. The most I have ever set up is 3. (I use these tables in craft shows). I center the backing on top of the tables, then my batting, then the quilt top. I start in the middle and pin them with the quilting safety pins. I pull the backing to straighten it as I pin. By the time I have it all pinned (I put the safety pins about 5 inches apart), it's straight on the back. I can't sit on the floor and we have dogs so I won't put it on the floor anyway. This seems to work really well for me.

The folding cutting boards work fine, each one fits on a twin bed, our beds are bumped together so two folding boards give me a 72 x 72 area to layer, pin and baste quilts together and I don't have to store plywood or extra tables, they fold up and are stuck next to a dresser in our bedroom. And they are cheap.

Carol J.

I can't do the floor thing anymore either. DH isn't a whole lot better, but between us we get the backing taped, then I use spray basting. Spread the newspapers around the outside edges so the floor doesn't get sticky. I do stick a few pins in it when I take it up, just because. I have no trouble quilting with the spray baste, FMQ or hand quilting.

I have a really neat crafting table that I bought from someone I met at a quilting class. It is the right height for my back, & folds up into itself so storing it isn't a problem. It folds out from both sides, so you can use it half extended, or fully extended. I can tape a smaller quilt, or clamp a larger quilt. I have toothpicks taped on the center edges so I can find the centers. I can also use it for wrapping Christmas presents. It was the best $25 I ever spent.