I've always used saftey pins, but I don't like them--they leave too big a hole and I hate fussing with opening them when it's time for them to come out.

Years ago, for one of the Christmas secret Santa gifts, I received a little box of long pins. I wondered what the heck they were for. Too long to hold a corners when sewing... :roll:

BUT! I just used them to hold some layers together to prepare to quilt. I tried it before and stuck myself WAY too many times, so this time I tucked the tip back through. I'm sure I'll still get pricked, but it should be easier to pull out when I get to it.

Am I on the right track? Suggestions? Hints? Help me.

I always use the long pins. Got a big box of them...yellow balls on them, makes it easier to find them in most fabrics. I ahve tried the safety pins and just do not like them. Have regular ones and the curved ones, don't like either one of them
I pin with the long ones and I do stick or at least TRY to stick the end back in a little bit. I have stuck myself numerous times, but I"m used to it by now, that I don't feel it much.

Thanks Terri! You are always there when I need you. :D Mine have yellow balls on the end too--so we can think of each other when we use them, or get sticked. :lol:

I can't believe I did something right!! Excuse me while I go do a happy dance. :lol:

Karla,

I use the safety pins that are curved made special for quilt basting. I use them for hand and machine quilting. I used to hand bast with thread and a millerners needle. Getting all of the basting thread out was a pain. I try to place them about 4 inches apart all over the quilt. I open a bunch of them at a time and put them in the sandwhich and then open another batch. I have used straight pins but I am on blood thinners and bleed profusely if i stick myself.
There are spray adhesives that work fairly well. Just be sure to use them in a well ventelated area. I have used them on smaller projects.

mpspeedy

Manchester, MD

I've tried the safety pins, but have a hard time closing them. Tried leaving them open as suggested to me by a friend, but stuck myself and they hurt worse then the regular pins!
So now I just use the long straight pins and pin and pin and pin...all over the quilt.

I use the curved safety pins and the ergonomic thingy to close them with but you can use a crochet hook.

After you pin with the dreaded safety pins, stitch in the ditch in a grid pattern if your quilt top pattern has such a pattern to secure the layers. Then, remove the pins and quilt free-motion as you like. If your top doesn't have a grid pattern, use wash-away thread to do the grid pattern and when you are done with your quilting just wash that grid away. You still have to use safety pins but just for a short time.

Pins with the yellow heads too!!! I use safety pins sometimes especially if its a bigger quilt. But I'm with everyone else, I hate to pin and unpin them. My fingers get sore. And I usually will bury the end of the yellow head pin too. I find less distortion with them too.

I quilt on a frame and I use the long pins with a flat yellow flower on them, they do not get in my way, and I do stick myself from time to time but I am not a free bleeder to I dont get anything on my project. There is another reason I use the flat one, I quilt on a frame and they roll a lot better when I have my layers loaded on the rails.