best basting method
 

OK, so I'm sure this topic has been cussed and discussed to death, but I'm going to go at it again.

I live in an apartment, and don't have table space to lay out a quilt (other than a baby quilt) so I have to use the floor.

I lay out the batting on the floor, and then the backing on top. Then I use spray adhesive and smooth the backing out onto the batting. Then I turn it over and repeat the process with the quilt top.

AND I STILL GET LITTLE TUCKS IN THE BACKING!!!!!

I don't like the elmer's glue approach because I always end up with globs of it that I can't quilt through or that break the needle, and safety pins or basting stitches don't solve the problem.

Any hints/ideas? What works best for you? The recipients of my quilts love them (of course :) and may not even notice them, but it's aggrivating to me, and I'm sure I'm not the only one in this boat.

Thanks,
Gina

I can only suggest that you find somewhere that you can baste a quilt without getting on the floor. Is there a LQS, a friend, a church or a library or senior center where there would be banquet tables (dark brown ones that fold up found at office supply stores) that you could use???

I use to go to my then LQS and use the classroom when it was available. It was so enjoyable spending time in the quilt store taking breaks occasionally looking at the new fabric, samples and patterns. It made for an enjoyable day.

Have you thought of going to a longarm owner and have them baste it for you? I understand it's very cheap and would take allot of aggravation from you. Just a thought

Do you have a rectangular table with pads. If so, consider Sharon Schamber's method for hand basting. I love it and no floor! No tucks on back either.

I baste all my quilts - from baby to king - on my craft table. Granted I normally pin or thread baste - not spray/glue. But I start in the middle of the quilt, clamp down all four sides using binder clips. Get the center of the quilt basted and then shift everything as needed to get the balance of the quilt basted. It can be tedious but at least I'm not crawling around on the floor! I'd probably never be able to stand again if I basted on the floor!

You can baste a large quilt on a card table. Center each layer on the table. This is for pin or thread basting. Reach under and straighten each layer. Baste the section on the table surface. Carefully pull another section on to the table top ( either length or side!). Baste that section. Continue until entire quilt is basted. Pulling tends to help smooth the layers.

I sandwich my quilts on my bed. Okay, before you groan.... the quilt on the bed gives enough texture to hold the backing very smooth and then the batting lays nice and flat, etc. Sometimes I have to pin half and then move everything, smooth it out and pin the second half. It works for me.

But, I used to get tucks all the time no matter what method I used to sandwich things together. I discovered that it was the machine I was using. I have a $$$$ Viking embroidery machine that never gets used for quilting now. I bought a vintage Singer 15-91 at an auction for $10, cleaned it up, had to buy a new bobbin case, but I use that machine for all my FMQ now.... never a tuck. I love the machine so much that I bought a second one for my summer cabin and then I bought one for my SIL who would come to my house and quilt because she had the same problem. So, maybe it's your machine. I tried everything with that Viking but it always made tucks on the back.

I baste larger quilts on my kitchen island. It's only 3 feet wide, so this would work on a table too. I drape it over one end, use blue painters tape to get the backing part on the island smooth, drape over the batting, smooth it, then the quilt top draped on top. I don't worry about the stuff hanging off the edges. Then I pin baste the part that's smooth. Then I scooch it all over to another part of the sandwich, and go through the same steps. I rarely have had any problems on the back. If I had to baste on the floor, I wouldn't be able to do it.

I am with the others who suggest finding a large area to baste your quilt sandwich.....my suggestions would be a church classroom, LQS, maybe a library reading room, conference room at work.....as long as you explain what you are doing, there may be lots of places/people who will be willing to help....I do mine on top of our 8 ft. Pool table!....I am also one of those who glue baste-after trying glue just once I was hooked!