After several years of self taught quilting, I decided to take an official how-to-quilt-class. I like the class and the teacher is careful to stress that there are many ways to do things and that she is teaching us her favorite way.

We are at the step of machine quilting the sandwich and I find I've got some issues.

Issue 1: she suggested we pin baste and leave the pins open. I have usually spray basted and I like it a lot or used a basting gun, which I also like. I find that I'm getting a rain of safety pins everywhere since I need to mark the quilt on the floor and she suggested using soap and marking only 3 or 4 lines at a time, which makes sense since moving the quilt removes the quilting lines pretty easily. We are doing a diagonal 3 1/2" quilting. I'm wondering if the rain of safety pins is because my quilt was the last of 3 that 3 of us did and at least one of us became more enchanted with playing with free motion quilting then helping me pin mine, or whether that might be standard. Has any one else tried this method and what is your experience? Also, I pretty much am removing the pins as I go figuring that the quilting lines will hold it enough for the rest of the quilting. I am leaving what I can tho because I don't want to get tucks on the back and haven't so far. So remove pins or leave?

2nd issue: I'm using my Bernina Virtuosa 153 which has a throat of 7" and we're using walking feet. I have checked the back of my quilt and there is a visible hitch (about 1/8 th ") in most of the longest diagonal lines just where the biggest part of the quilt kind of gets caught in the throat. Any suggestions for easier feeding? I am using a Dr. Sueuss panel for backing so the hitch is visible, but I'm not sure if I want to take out the whole line of quilting for that hitch. Is it possible to rip out a couple of inches and resew (and how to do that if so) or do you think that it will be more obvious then the hitch stitch?

3rd issue: I' not very happy with getting on the floor and marking the way I am. I once bought a plum bob kit from Home Depot that has chalk and a string. My idea was that I would be able to pluck the chalk coated string against the quilt and have a nice even long line with too much if any floor sitting or crawling. Has anyone tried this idea? Is it too messy to use inside? Does it clean off the quilt ok? I think the chalk is blue and maybe yellow. I'm reluctant to open the package and try it if it's a known failure, I think I can return it...but if it works, it seems it would be a great idea!

Thanks in advance for all your help.

they have special chalk for quilting i would not use the chalk from home improvement

I think that if you read the package from the chalk line it states that it doesn't "wash" out. I certainly would try it on a scrap material before I ever use it on my projects. Some have had luck with crayola washable markers or cornstarch and colored chaulk mixed, definately try before using on anything good first. I personally use pounce pads have both the white and the blue.

Please don't use the chalk that comes with that tool.
I know some have used quilters chalk in it and that worked well for them :D:D:D

i have used my hubby's chalk line and it worked well...always test to make sure the chalk will come out of your fabric though...just because it came out of my quilt top does not mean it will come out of yours...different fabrics seem to (hold on to ) chalk differently. I use chalk alot but i have at times had some that didn't want to go away.--but for a long straight line it worked GREAT! mine is the blue chalk.
i have used safety pins for basting (once) i hated that way...seemed like such a pain in so many ways...yes remove the pins...you sure don't want to chance hitting one...when i did the class with the pins we closed ours...i think if i tried to quilt one with them open i would be stabbing my self constantly...i don't get that part...other than it is a pain to close them all and then to open them all again...but seems like the price to pay for using that technique. i really hated taking classes where they were set on you doing it Their way...only...i've found i usually have a way that's easier (for me) or makes more sense (to me) and find it to be quite frustrating when they insist you do it their way...even when you can show them a different way. probably why i really quit even checking out what classes are around.

one addition to my using the chalk line from the home depot...i never got that chalk wet! i only used a brush and brushed it away...and yes it all went away...even on the white fabrics. but i always test every time i am going to mark, no matter what i am planning to use, i have ruined great quilts using special quilters marking tools, including the water disappearing markers, the special quilters pencils, and other washable markers, so even if i just used this pencil on this quilt...when i'm marking the next quilt i test again...because this time it may not come out

The teacher did say she was personally allergic to basting spray so I think she made a choice that I don't have to make!

Please, please, please help with my hitch=-stitch issue also, folks. That is almost more annoying then the pin/chalk issue.

I have started using the frixion pens from pilot, they were talking about them on one of the yahoo groups. they work really well. just use a hot dry iron and the line completly dissappears.

In answer to whether you can rip out the "hitch" on the back.... OF COURSE you can remove just that part and maybe a little on each side of it...and resew it. Just start the new stitching in the previous ones, and hold it smooth with your hands while going down the line.

To prevent that hitch, stop with the needle down and pull the excess quilt thru the throat and then stitch the line. It's easier to do if you don't roll it and just smush it thru there.