does anyone use a basting gun and if so, do you find that it is tight enough? I find that my quilts still shift a bit even though I use a ton of the plastic do-hickey things...am I using it right?

I use to use one. If you use a tag about every 2 inches it will stop the shifting. I did find some very short tags one time and those were much better. I quit using it because I always clipped the quilt at least once! removing the tags.

I had one too, but the plastic tags were too long to really secure the quilt and I thought it punched too big of hole in the fabric. Removing them is tricky too, very easy to clip your fabric. Have you tried basting spray? :P

never heard of it, can you imagine that ?!

I have seen them, but never used one.

I have never used one, but I love basting spray. Give it a try.

I don't love them. I found that it actually "broke" the threads of my fabric as it pierced through. If you are going to use it, instead of "shooting" front to back, it works better to "stitch" the needle front to back to front and then shoot the basting tag.

I'm not fond of the basting gun either:< Another gadget I'd rather have not bought.

There are different qualities of basting guns. The ones that work best use the smallest tacks. With the bigger tacks, you can try the needle in-and-out that someone else mentioned; basically both ends of the tag are on top so it's like pinning -- no opportunity for shifting.

Once I discovered spray basting, I quit using my basting gun.

I bought one w/coupon at Joanns and absolutely hated it. It broke the threads of the fabric and didn't keep the fabric from shifting. I thought maybe I had goofed it up somehow but after reading they above posts, it "wasn't me".
Take care everyone.
Until they all have home,
Wendy B