What's the secret to successful, smooth pin-basting???
 

I use spray adhesive and flatten and flatten and flatten as I go, but I cannot get the pins in without messing it up again. Help!!

I also spray baste and flatten, flatten, flatten, but I do not use pins. I spread the quilt out on my cutting table every few quilting areas and smooth, smooth, flatten, flatten to keep the puckers and wrinkles out. I also use insultion boards leaning up against my wall to layer my quilt on. I just can't crawl on the floor anymore. I use straight pins to pin the back on then spray the layers. It seems to work pretty well. Good luck.

I'm new to quilting so I don't know but I would like to. That is the most difficult part of quilting to me.

I never use pins when I bast...I can even hang my quilt for a few days before FMQ'ng...never have any issues.

How in the world do you keep all the layers smoothed out??

If I use spray adhesive, I don't generally use pins. But, if you feel that you need to add pins after using spray adhesive, I do have a couple tips that may help you. Make sure that both your backing and your quilt top are starched. Then be sure to tape the backing all around onto the table or surface that you have laid the quilt on. Also use SHARP pins that glide through the fabric easily. Start in the middle and work your way out. Practice on a "sample" sandwich until you are comfortable with the procedure. Good luck. If all fails, swear. LOL.

I smooth my quilts out on my glass topped table an clamp the backing wrong side up, put the batting on, smooth and pat, reclamp both layers, add top, smooth out, reclamp all three layers and start pining with large safety pins. Table is small, about a crib size, I have to do this in sections until all of quilt is pinned. I have made lots and lots of quilts like this.

This is the way I do it also, though my table is not glass topped. It works for me. It took some practice to get it figured out, as I do have to do it in sections, but it does work. :)