thank you. i've been emailing pics to the girl who commissioned it and she's so excited.

every week she asks for more pics.

i had to explain to her that once i start quilting the top i don't provide pics any longer - that it will ruin the surprise if i show her any more progress pics.

Aaabsloutely brillent Thanks for all the help.

The tool, I believe, is called a Kwick Klip. I use it all the time with the curved safety pins. The marble is also a great idea!

As for taping down all the layers, I'd love to do that except I have no floor space! Even if I did, I'd have multiple cats all over it (not a bad thing, per se). What I use instead, for twin size or less, is my ironing "table." Its actually a 20" x 48" folding table that I covered with tin foil, batting, then cotton to create an ironing board (I also raised it's height using those bed risers).

When pinning time comes, I place one or more cutting mats on the ironing table (enough to cover most of it). Now find the center of the backing fabric, place it face down on the table with the sides draping over the side, then do the same with the batting and top. I tried to draw a picture of this; hope it makes sone sense.

After all the layers are down, I start in the middle and start pinning, radiating out from the center. Once that flat section is pinned, I carefully slide the quilt away from me until an unpinned section is flat on the table. Pin this section, again starting at the center. Usually I continue shifting the quilt until that one side is done. Then I carefully slide the pinned half of the quilt towards me until an unpinned section is again flat on the table. I find that the weight of the three layers hanging off the table keeps things fairly stable, especially if I take a moment to spread the layers gently from center to side(s) to remove any wrinkles.

Not an ideal method but it works. The trick is to work from the center and pin out to the edges. Has anyone else tried this?

Yes, and I've had success, too.

I tried this long time ago and forgot all about it. Thanks for the reminder. Presently my hubby helps me lay out all 3 layers on our queen bed. Then carefully and taking time, we smooth and roll the layers together until there is a big roll. Then we move this to my sewing table to tie. When I start to tie, I pop in a DVD on my little TV and listen to the movie as I work. I keep reminding hubby I need 2 large plywood pieces on sawhorses in our basement for spreading quilts on. Maybe in 2010 I'll finally get my work table.