Joyce DeBacco

Well, I guess I'm not the only one who has trouble getting down on the floor to pin layers together. So many ideas.

I've tried my dining room table but still got puckers on the back. And I've heard of the spray adhesive, but I didn't think it would work too well on a bed size quilt. I might try it on something smaller though. Someone also said it doesn't work too well if you don't get to it right away. Since I like to alternate working on my quilting projects with work on my book projects so I don't get burned out on either, I'm afraid the adhesive wouldn't stick long enough for me to get it quilted.

I will have to look into this Schamber method though. You've got me curious now.

Thanks for the ideas.

sewmary

Search on YouTube for Sharon Schamber and you will be able to find her basting method using boards (which I finally tried and works well - I use spray instead of hand-basting). There is also a good one of hers for using glue to put your binding on.

kathbug

I do mine on the floor in my living room carpet and use masking tape. It works really well for me but again it is on the floor and that is the only place I have.

Janie67

I go to the local library and put several tables together and spray baste. I have also gone to my church and done the same thing. I do not like to use spray basting in my home. I use my "big board" ironing board or the floor for smaller projects.

Kris P

I use pins to mark the middle of each layer, taping thethe middle of my backing tothe middle of my 6 foot banquet/craft table. Then I align all the layers, doing my best to get the centers to match in both directions.. Once it's all lined up, I run a line of sewing pins along the edge of the table holding them in place. Then flip back the top and batting, spray baste, smooth the batting down, spray baste, and then smooth on the quilt top. Then I move the entire quilt down, tack it with tape again and repeat until I've finished one half. Then I reallign the pinned edge to the table, and work on the other half from the other side of the table. If it's a big quilt, I usually enlist my husband to help hold up the extra layers while I spray and smooth them.
Once I'm done spray basting, I like to either stitch in the ditch or use a basting stitch to make quadrants on the quilt, so the layers are less likely to shift or wrinkle. A quick trip around the very edge of the quilt is also helpful, It holds the edges together and makes quilting the borders so much easier.

azwendyg

Ditto for me (But I got my tables at Sam's Club). They are 2 x 4 feet each and I have 3 of them can place them end to end for larger quilts. They have telescoping legs so I can set them at counter height, and each one folds down to 2 x 2 feet for easy storage.

And here's a tute I posted awhile back that shows the process. I almost always spray-baste now with 505 instead of thread-baste, but the process is the same. http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...mq-t91013.html

Debbie C

sometimes I go to a neighbor's house - she has a ping pong table that's HUGE!!! Or l will go to our local elementary school after hours. The janitors let me push two cafeteria tables together to pin/baste my quilts. I bring them cake or cookies as bribery!! lol!!

QM

When I was learning to quilt, we used the banquet tables in our local senior center, putting as many together as we needed, fastening the backing down with masking tape. Now that I am less mobil and making smaller quilts (lap sized), I drape them over my own folding table, working from one end to the other, smoothing a lot as I go. Gravity keeps things together as I drape the sandwich off the edge of the table then gradually move the parts towards me. Yes, when I was younger, I did garment layouts on the floor, but now I'd need a crane to get back up.

Aurora

I do mine at the County Extension Office, lots of tables and room. Our County Agent is always happy to help.

Tudey

I am lucky enough to have access to the room in our church that our quilting group uses weekly...so I go there on a non-quilting day to pin baste