MDF-Medium Density Fiberboard, Not a dumb question!!

If I remember SILs explanation, MDF is tha composite stuff that's like plywood only cheaper (and not as smooth).

I use a ping pong table. Bought especially for my quilts. Occassionally it has been too small for some of my biggest quilts, but then I just pin it in 2 sections. Beats crawling over the floor - besides, I dont think I would be able to get up!

I use 4 2x4s, lay them out like a picture frame, hold the overlapped corners together with C-clamps (screw types). To keep them square (90 degree angles) line them up with the floor tiles in my kitchen. Then I raise them at an angle to the wall because most walls are 8ft. tall. It is a little cumbersome, but I can do it alone, but with help it is easier. The quilt layers get stretched separately and fastened with push pins or safety pins into the backing. 2x4s come in different lengths from 8 ft to 'do it in the garage'. Then pin or baste away.

MDF is much smoother than plywood unless you get furniture grade and that is way too expensive.

This is a good topic! I've used my floor, but it kills my back...I love the wall suggestion and I will be trying that in the future!!

I use any table. center and Drape the backing, batting and top over the table. Smooth out and bast the area on the top of the table. Grab one side and pull to expose another area of the quilt. do this at top and bottom and then each side. The draping on the sides and pulling helps to keep it smooth. Can do a kind size on a card table.

you can also take your quilt to a longarmer and have it basted-very small fee for this-I do that a lot for the hand quilters...

When I took classes from Harriet Hargrave she taught us a way to lay out the quilt for basting without a large table. In fact works better to not have a large table (easier on your back). Find the center of all sides of the quilt (and backing and batting too) and put a pin in those places or iron to create fold lines. Then find the centers of all 4 sides of your table and tape a toothpick in those places. You can then place the centers of your quilts (backing first then batting) on the table by matching up your pins or fold lines with the toothpicks. Toothpicks are used because you can feel them under the quilt and you won't have to lift up your quilt to see where the centers of the table are. The quilt and batting will hang over the edges of the table helping keep the quilt top flat. You will start this same process with the quilt backing centered then clamped down all the way around, then the batting then finally the quilt top. Once you have all this area basted you can undo the clamps and move the quilt from side to side to finish up the basting. Harriet's book "Heirloom Machine Quilting" is an incredible reference. Money well spent.

As a young quilter, I used the floor to baste, but that was many years ago. I could get down to baste but if I did that now, I can't get back up again!

Sooooooooo, when I was about 50, I started going to the library or the quilt shop. They were happy to let me baste. In fact, the librarian was so interested that she asked me to come on saturday when there would be a lot of people there, and she pulled quilt books and put them on the table next to me. Smart cookie, that librarian.

Now I baste on my longarm. If you have a friend with a midarm or longarm, bribe her to let you baste with her machine!