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.

I use the yellow pins also!! I must be doing the right thing. I have tons of quiting safety pins but I don't like them. I use the spray for smaller projects, and I do like that.

I havent got as far as sandwiching yet - but have very nearly finished my first quilt top so should be attempting to sandwich later this week

I have bought both long straight pins with big white blobs on the top
and the curved special quilting pins

so I have found this thread fascinating - I have no doubt I will be letting you all know at some point how I have got on :)

I also use the ones with the yellow balls. I really like them.

I use the curved safety pins, too. I don't always close the safety pins. I like to use them on projects that I know are going to take me a while. I can close them and know one of the kids won't get poked (or take them out!) while they're (the project--not the kids! LOL!) sitting around waiting to be finished.

Well I use the yellow ones too. But as I am learning on my third quilt, I didn't use enough, I do have some puckers....OMG
But, I am finishing it and am awaiting Christmas and will ask santa for a long arm machine. I have been quilting the bloody thing for a week and it is stillnot finished.
I should have used more pins. I did get a walking foot which really really helped with the "in the ditch", but so many little squares...ugh.
I love piecing.

I think the pins are a preference to each different person. I have a friend that DOES NOT use pins. She bastes it all together, then ties or quilts it. She says that is the way she was taught. I guess we do what we are used to, huh? :)

MPspeedy--I'm so glad to hear you use pins for hand quilting too! I just HATE that whole basting process! I've never tried pinning for hand quilting, but I'll try it on my next project--guess I just needed permission!

I knew a quilter once that had the neetest gadget for closing her safety pins. It was a small piece of a dowel with a screw in the end of it. She used this little gadget toclose all her pins when basting.
I use basting spray and a few pins only hand baste with thread as a last resort.

I use the curved safety pins with the grooved thingamajig to close the pins. So quick and easy. They really secure a large quilt as you fluff and stuff it through a domestic machine.

I use curved safety pins, but I also use Quilters Delight pin covers and a Kwik Klip tool. You can pin for hours without getting sore fingers. Also, with the covers on the pins, they no longer get tangled together. Does anyone else use them? You can check them out at -

http://www.patchworks.com/fingertips.htm

I just use plain ol' #1 safety pins. I tried straight pins, but aside from tearing up my hands, they also tore up the quilt top. I am sure they would work for small projects, but how do they work when you have to roll up parts of the quilt?

I hand baste for hand quilting.

Dont ever try the "Amram" basting gun, its a pain the butt. I have one and can tell you, I am not happy with it at all. I used it all of two times and just hated it. I dont mind using a ton of pins after my altercations with the gun.

Hi, Wonder if this could be the answer to all your probs. Someone at the stitching club I go to bought this little gizzmo its call a Basting Gun. Basically it has a special ball-point needle that pushes threads aside and tacks the layers for machine or hand quilting and you get the special tacks with the gun. You can leave them in your quilt because they are invisible or cut them out. I have been hand basting my quilts but when I saw this I thought fab take the hard work out.
You can get them from Cotton Patch UK, think I should be on a commission :lol:
Let me know what you think

Hi there, the one I just told you about is called the Purple basting gun and it has on it GP.FF, can only say it works for us. Just looked its made in China. Elle

That is also what I use, got my cover thingies at JoAnns with my 50% coupon a while back.

Can I us the flat head pins for basting my quilt together :?: I tried safety pins an hated that. So I thought I'd try hand basting (yuk).

It seems we all use what works for us,,,,so if you like the flat head pins, then I say use them if it works for you.