Does Anyone Pin Baste?
#11
I pin baste all my quilts. Got tired of the smell and overspray. I have a folding table and use clamps like WMUTeach showed. Once I pin the center section I unclamp and move over to the next section until all is pinned. Never have puckers or wrinkles and don't worry about things coming undone if I have to wait to get to the quilting. Also the pins make me slow down and readjust my hands and quilting area.
#12
I have hundreds of safety pins left over from my pinning phase. Now I use the 505 spray with table clamps. I have two six foot folding tables that I move around as needed, for large quilts. I still had wrinkles! so, I figured out that I was pulling bottom(backside) piece too taut when clamping. No pulling! Just smooooth. I visualize 4 sections to be sprayed. Fold back half of the batting and spray middle 1/4 section, smooth, then continue end 1/4 section--to be repeated on other half. Reposition the clamps and repeat for top layer.
Furthermore, I accidently learned a trick from my last quilt. The pixelated one. I messed up and decided to fix after quilting main section. One end needed more batting, and the other end needed more back fabric.(Learned another lesson)! So I did not spray baste the borders. I started in the middle, smoothing, smoothing, smoothing. No wrinkles. I will try this again on my next quilt-not the shortage part-LoL.
Furthermore, I accidently learned a trick from my last quilt. The pixelated one. I messed up and decided to fix after quilting main section. One end needed more batting, and the other end needed more back fabric.(Learned another lesson)! So I did not spray baste the borders. I started in the middle, smoothing, smoothing, smoothing. No wrinkles. I will try this again on my next quilt-not the shortage part-LoL.
#13
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: British Columbia
Posts: 606
I pin baste. I do mostly SID quilting and so I plan in advance where to put my pins so they don't get in the way (often). While you can get special tools to save your fingers while pinning, I have found a wooden skewer to be just as effective (and MUCH cheaper). I have used the spray baste but didn't like the smell and I don't really have a place to lay out a large quilt and not have to worry about spray getting on other stuff.
#14
I do for small quilts. One safety pin in each corner. Otherwise I thread baste. It's for hand quilting. I used to quilt for a lady who would give me the quilt all pin-basted, she got a kick out of me returning all the pins in one long chain, but that's how I kept track of them!
#16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kV4LRtqIQNA
here is some videos of PPing with folding the paper away from the stitch lines.
here is some videos of PPing with folding the paper away from the stitch lines.
#17
I use pins sometimes. I like those Clover pins. They're easy to use. Mostly though I glue baste with Elmer's school glue.
If hand quilting I like to thread baste.
I have the clamps that WMU showed you and love them! I use a large table.
If hand quilting I like to thread baste.
I have the clamps that WMU showed you and love them! I use a large table.
#18
Super Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Ballwin, MO
Posts: 4,228
I use the Sharon Schamber method of thread basting. Totally non-stressful, but you need a long or expandable table.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hWQ5-ZccE
#19
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 282
I pin baste all the time. I have the cutting table that folds up and use the clamps to hold down the quilt while pinning. I also have those pin covers and the closer tool. I love gadgets, so I have lots of them that I have bought and never actually used, but that pin cover set gets a workout.
#20
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Virginia
Posts: 231
No, I don't pin baste. I don't want the holes that pins may leave. Rather, if I'm doing FMQ I glue baste, using a basting brush and Elmer's Washable School Glue mixed 50/50 with water. Otherwise, I thread baste for hand quilting.
Having said THAT: I am really struggling right now with an antique quilt top pieced by my great-grandmother. I am hand quilting it, and so I thread basted it. I used a wool batting (for the first time ever), and regret it. The batting is so poofy and slick that only the closest thread basting will hold the sandwich secure. Not happy about this. Wish I'd used cotton batting.
Having said THAT: I am really struggling right now with an antique quilt top pieced by my great-grandmother. I am hand quilting it, and so I thread basted it. I used a wool batting (for the first time ever), and regret it. The batting is so poofy and slick that only the closest thread basting will hold the sandwich secure. Not happy about this. Wish I'd used cotton batting.