Making the Sandwich
 

I need some tips from you experienced quilters on the best way to sandwich. I don't have a lot of room and getting down on the floor is an issue. I can get down but getting up from the floor can be difficult. I read "somewhere" that you can smooth the sandwich then pin or baste all around the outer edges and then pin or baste the rest of the quilt. Dose that make any sense? Any suggestions will be appreciated. By the way, I hand quilt.

Because it is so difficult for me to get up and down I want to accomplish as much as I can is as little time as possible. So I have gone to basting with Elmer's Washable School Glue I get a nice and smooth finish every time. There are several YouTube videos available on this technique. I can baste a full to Queen in less than 1 hour this way and it is so much easier on the body.

I use Sharon Schamber's method with 2 1x4 white primed boards and 2 pool noodles taped together for the batting. There is a video. I use one or two tables to support it. You only need the width of the quilt. My last one was 72x90, so I needed a space 78 by by at least 30. 36 is better. SS has a video, plus there are some pool noodle videos. I like the weight of the boards to hold the unrolled section in place while I pin.

Thanks, I'll check this out

Our queen sized bed is my best spot for layout, which makes king sized tops a bit of a challenge. I have large rolls of heavy brown kraft paper I put down over the bed to protect it.

I typically spray baste, still intend to try glue when people stop giving me half-filled bottles of spray baste. For pinning, you might want to slide your cutting mat under the top, but I find a couple layers of the craft paper to offer a nice surface. I roll back up the paper and store it on the roll, and replace it maybe once a year or so when it gets flimsy, ripped, or too much spray residue.

In my highly desired strange quilting items, I'd really like (a) more space! and (b) one of those folding ping pong tables. They are a grand size and a nice height and fold in half when you don't want them such as in a garage, you just back out the car and pull out the table and instant large layout.

This is how I've been doing it for over 5 years on my dining room table although you can do it on a long enough counter too. It is to replace pin basting so it is easy enough to drizzle it onto the batting and smooth the fabric over it. Make sure it is the Washable School Glue.

I use the big tables at our church to sandwich my quilts together. FYI I'm also employed there - so its extra easy for me.
But if you are a member - or know someone who is a member - you could contact the church office and ask to use their Fellowship Hall for an hour or so. Nothing leaves the building - it's usually well lit and comfortable. =) I just bring everything I need with me, and leave it just as I found it. =)

Good Luck!
Donna Mc

I have a long arm...so that is how I do it now.....but if I had to pin bast a quilt now.....I have two of those 6 foot by 2 foot folding plastic tables....they were not too bad to buy, and I also bought two sets of plastic bed risers....so I would put up the two tables...for a small quilt...they could be side by side....for a larger quilt...they would be end to end....I would find the middle of the backing, batting, and top....then spread them out on the tables with the center marks of each layer lining up....I would them pin along that line....and keep pinning until I reached the edge of the table....then I would reposition and work my way down the sides....maybe not perfect....but would be the best I could do as my knees will not tolerate kneeling on them anymore.

I used a wall..put the backing up with tacks, spray basted, added batting, then spray basted again and added the top..goes very fast and no wrinkles.