I always use warm and natural batting and it works very well with spray basting...especially for small projects. When I am doing a quilt, lap size or larger I use safety pins... a lot of them....then I machine baste starting at the center and going out to edge...another words split the quilt into quarters...this helps to hold and you can remove some of the pins but you just remove pins as you FMQ....for small things like placemats....a little starch between warm and natural and your fabric works fine.