here is a video that may help and keep you off the floor. I tried it and it does work. I used a card table and did a queen sized quilt with no problem at all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnke_KzeTI8

Thank you everyone for some great ideas and tutes. Will try them all to find one I like.

Here's the tute I posted awhile back on basting with boards. In my tute I thread basted, but these days I almost always use 505 spray instead with the same over all method: http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...mq-t91013.html

I originally got this idea from a Sharon Schamber youtube video, but the one thing I do differently is that I have covered my boards with flannel so that the fabric kind of sticks to them and does not slide around at all. I really LIKE basting this way; hope this is what you were looking for!

Not my favorite either

I don't find the long boards to be particularly heavy, and when you use them, you are mostly just rolling them on the table top and not lifting anyway.

Totally agree!
A lady at a sewing group I went to used a little gun that puts plastic tags through the fabric (like the kind that price tickets are attached to clothing with) to baste. Anybody used one of these? Are they useful? The lady didn't like having to remove all the little tags afterwards, but I really don't like having to unpick my tacking anyway so I don't think I would find that a problem.

I dis like the sandwiching part also. I have 2 large folding tables that I set up to do the sandwiching on. use big clap(from Harbor freight or home depot) found a bag of 40 all sizes at Home depot for $5.00. anyway thats how I put mine together. can't crawl on the floor any more my knees won't allow that. To raise the height the bed risers work, not major bending over, found those at goodwill.

I am working on a quilt top now that I plan on trying something different I saw a couple of weeks. Each square is sandwiched and quilted with the quilt top and batting only. Then each square is joined with a 1/2" seam. After the entire top is done square by square, the backing is added and machine quilted using only stitch in the ditch. The top can have any type of quilting because you are only dealing with the individual squares. The back will only show the stitch in the ditch. I am trying a queen size to see how it works because I've never been able to make a large quilt because of the sandwiching and quilting problem. I can't remember where I saw this method. It was probably here on this board.

I have done it on the floor, but usually on my queen size bed. Use basting spray and pins.

suzyquilter
 

Do you belong to a quilt guild or club? I save my sandwiching for club days. We keep two to three banquet tables pushed together just for that purpose. I ask someone who pins the way I do to help me. (Some in our club use spray and for reasons I won't get into here I do not use it.) If it is over a full size, I will get two or three to help and it's done in no time and I get to visit with my friends two! http://www.quiltingboard.com/images/icons/icon11.png