SavedByGrace

The hardest part of quilting for me is sandwiching the 3 layers together. I've tried taping the layers down, using curved safety pins, and spray adhesive and I still can't do a good job. I'm wondering if I need to try some type of large frame or something. Any suggestions for frames or anything similar?

JustAbitCrazy

Yes, any of the frames that have three rails which roll can be used to baste your quilt, like the Grace E-Z frame (think that's what it is called.) Alternately, you can have a longarmmer baste your quilt for you, something I have done for a friend a couple of times. The advantage there is the longarmmer knows how to keep the quilt square while on the frame, or make it more square where it is out of square. That is something you wouldn't be able to do while rolling it on a home three rail frame.

117becca

i baste my quilts first. My smaller quilts i can do at home, anything larger than a queen, I will take to church and do there.

Bree123

Have you tried the Sharon Schamber method?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ

bjchad

I made a frame of 1x 3 inch boards. You can bolt together or buy clamps so you can adjust size. I use large push pins to attach the layers and then thread or pin baste. You can get pieces at Home Despot or Lowes and cost is about $30 for two 8 foot lengths and two 10 foot lengths. Can be taken apart to store.
Works pretty well for me. I actually use it outside as no place large enough to use conveniently inside.

Genden

I have a Z44 Grace pole frame and i can load the quilt sandwich myself and baste it easily. If you have room for this kind of frame, it makes the sandwiching so much easier. A floor frame works too, but it takes two people to put the quilt on the frame. If you have someone to help you and have room to put it up, the floor frame is cheaper and stores easily.

Watson

Was that a Freudian slip? I often feel like they have a monopoly on what I want.

Watson - easily amused

elizajo

I began using Harriette Hargrave's method of basting a large quilt on a table that is smaller than the quilt. I found a video that is similar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnke_KzeTI8. You have to find the center point of the top, back and batting by pressing creases, then line them up on the table. You can create bumps on the table by taping toothpicks or skewers, which I did for awhile, but now I use my old cardboard folding cutting board with grid lines. I can easily clamp with binder clips on it rather than a table top.

I have tried both safety pins and thread basting. I found that prefer Sharon Schamber's herringbone stitching referenced in the previous posts, but with this method, I pin off the quadrant lines before I begin basting.

ManiacQuilter2

Do you think what ever problems you have with pinning a quilt will disappear with a frame?? It takes some getting use to how to mount a quilt on a frame. Maybe if you tell us what your problem is, many of us may have suggestions to help you.

bjchad

No, I've
been calling them that for a while now.

BJ