Well if you are getting beat up by pins you must be using regular sewing pins. I have needle basted with long running stitches (works well for hand quilting) Pin basted using safety pins not the brass ones but the ones one size up from the smallest nickel ones (that's the size I like best) Spray basting is my newest favorite since I can use my bed to lay it out on and then fold in halves thirds or quarters to spray. (Yes it works best with two people doing it but I get DD or DGD to help me.) Really big quilts I take to church and use the tables there by pushing 3 or 4 tables together to do it. So depending what you are layering there is a technique to use.