I have just spent 2 hours pinning my bow tie quilt on my kitchen floor as suggested by several board members. I have not tried to quilt it yet but it does look tighter than the first time I pinned it.

While crawling around on my knees on the tile floor, I discovered a great quilting tool. Volleyball knee pads. My knees were protesting the project mightily until I thought of using the volleyball knee pads.

Great idea. what will we come up with next To help with our quilting.

I'm sure knee pads work great. I'd still need somone to get me up off the floor though!

Those are a 'knee saver' all right. My old knees take a beating every time I do a quilt!

My kitchen floor wouldn't be big enough for most of the quilts I have done, (various bed sizes), plus I would never get back up again!!! Our church kitchen has a huge table, as does the boardroom at work, so when I get to sandwiching, that's where I go. And sometimes I find volunteers to help...makes the time go much quicker. :D

Patti

Isn't it great what our minds
can come up with, when needed!! :D
You know what they say about
necessity, it's the "Mother of
invention"!! Good for you!!
:D :D :D :D :D

I have lower back issues, so pinning on the floor is out for me. I found directions in Harriet Hargrave' s machine quilting book for using a table for basting using clamps. Using A regular table width limits the amount of reach to the middle, which reduces the chances of back pain. I add bedrisers to the legs to raise the table so I don't have to stoop.

I went from the floor to a folding table for a long time. now i use fusible batting or spray basting.

Hmmmm I am wondering about thickly "quilted" knee pads :wink: 8)

LOL @ Amma!! You just look for excuses to quilt.

That's what I want for x-mas, knee pads!My knees kill me when I make a quilt too.

Okay, here's what I'm wondering... If you take several pants hangers (the ones with the clippy things on the ends) couldn't you hang all three pieces and then pin them together??? I'm not that old and it kills me to be on the floor that long... has anyone ever tried it? I've only done it with a small wallhanging and it worked great, but have never tried it on a full size quilt...

That would be wonderful Rachel. I'm hoping someone has tried it and says it works.

I still have issues getting everything tight. I needed to tape it into a drum to make it work, but your idea sounds good for those of you with more experience.

You ladies need to buy the book "Heirloom Machine Quilting" by Harriet Hargrave (4th edition). It is an old book, but an excellent resource in general. The author describes a unique way of pin basting a large quilt on a table, doing it in sections. If you follow the directions to a "T", it is fool proof and saves you from crawling on the floor, killing your jnees & back

How is your Bow Tie coming along, Lisa?

I'm sure someone on here once said she pinned the 3 layers to the clothes line - never tried it though. :D

What a fabulous idea

I'm going to check for it on Ebay. Sounds interesting.

It is half quilted and looks much better than it did the first time around. I hope to mostly finish it Thursday, November 5 and will post pictures then. :)

I tried something similar when I lived in a small condo. I suspended a board (1" x 2" x 8' long) with heavy string and plant hooks that screw into the ceiling. Using large hinged paper clips, I attached all three layers to the board.

First thought was "Hey, this might work!" I then tried to pin the layers together. Between the swaying of the board and trying to reach behind the quilt, especially in the middle, to steady it and provide resistance as the pin point came through, I gave up.

Sounds like a good idea but.... I ended up using the set-up to hang fabric as a I ironed it. Worked great for that!

Sounds like a plan, but I don't do the bend over thing either! I use a big table at church and spray baste! When we quilt at church, we use the old rails and horses and thumbtacks, so there is no working on the floor for these old knees!

Gosh, I can't do the floor anymore either. Between the constant back pain there's not enough steadiness in getting back up. I DO use the kitchen table and clamps, but oh, goodness even that hurts. I can't give up quilting, I just can't. Surely there's someone out there with an easier way of doing things than this???

Heirloom, eh? Ok, gonna go look for that one.

:cry:
Sharon

How are you going to quilt your bow tie quilt?

I'm X-ing in the plain squares and QID on the narrow border. The piano key border is yet to be determined.

Sounds like its coming along great Lisa! I can't wait to see it! You did a great job on your Christmas one!

hi everyone my name is kat egburtson, i live in nc with my husband denny who is a 100% disabled vet and a retired new york cop to boot. I am a navy vet den is air force. we have four rescued dogs, 3 cats inside, 16 finches and 3 cockteils. those are our kids. I am very patrioctic (dont think i spelled that right) and proudly have a flag in our front yard.

[quote]The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged on the way its animals are treated - Gandhi