I have heard and read about making your quilt "sandwich" by taping the backing to the floor, or pinning to the carpet, and then layering the batting and top to that. I wondered if someone can explain how this is done. If I am working on a full sized quilt, how do I reach the middle in order to baste from the middle out? I just can't seem to understand it enough and I sure would like to try it. I have always basted my quilts in sections, laying them on the table and moving them as I went. Not a very effective method for me, it seems to take forever and there is always that one spot that has to be redone.
Thanks, Pam

If you tape / pin to the floor, then make the rest of the sandwich, I then kneel on the middle of the whole thing and crawl backwards from the middle to the edge. I get on top of it with my knees.

To save the knees, I use cheap volleyball kneepads. Available at Wal-mart and any sports store.

Our senior center lets us use their tables for basting our quilts on quilting day. You tape your back to the table then pile on your batting and finally your top. It is much easier to do if you're not on the floor. Well, that's unless you're young and limber which I am not. Good luck with your project.

I use tables at my church and I spray baste, saving my poor knees all together.

I thought this was common. Is it not??? From what I have read on the board the basting spray speeds the process but I use quilting pins and I have the same experience you do.

someone once suggested taping the backing to the wall and layering and basting that way....I tried it and the backing was flatter and even(er) than I have ever been able to achieve on the floor! Try that!

I use basting spray and work from the center out.

A lady on one of my quilting groups used her dining room table and pushed up the chairs to help hold the sandwich together while she pinned. She ran an in-home daycare so couldn't use the basting spray.

I have taped small baby quilts to the floor and I've put them on my frame and tied them. I think it was easier on my back to crawl around on the floor than bend over the frame.

I saw this in a video. My only problem is my quilts are too big for the wall.I did one on the floor today, with 505...took about 15 minutes once I got it laid out.I have two more to do and will have to piece batting for one of them.....fun fun fun!;)

Ditter

nice thread on making the quilt sandwich!

I do it on the floor too, but I pin then baste. I need to get the knee pads though, its a killer!

Thank you for all the information. I think I may have to reconsider and use the 505 spray.
My next quest is to learn to spell sandwich.

I have never had very good luck doing it on the floor. Years ago I taped a quilt to hard wood floor and then pin basted it, much to my horror when I picked up the quilt I had damaged the floor. You could see little gouges from the pins, cost $400 to fix the floor they had to sand the whole floor and then re-seal it. Hubby wasn't too pleased. Then I thread basted another quilt to the carpet, so now I use my cutting table and plastic clamps from the hardware store. I have a stool that I can sit on since my back is bad.

I am very lucky that we have a quilting group in our church. They have several large tables that we push together. Then they even get together and help so that I do not have to do it all by myself.

If the world were perfect we would all be out of luck.
:lol: Didn't slow me down from enjoying your post! :thumbup: