G'ma Kay

The banquet tables at church. They are a better height for me and when I stay late on Sunday, I almost always have an interested helper!

MargeD

Before we moved to an apt. I used my DR table with all the leaves in it, and I would center the quilt on the table, then I would smooth all 3 layers and pin baste, but rolling the quilt up as I pin basted. Now that we have "downsized", space is at a premium, and sometimes I get together with my girl friend and we use the dining tables in the basement of my church where we can spread out and I can sit and do the pin basting. My bad back and arthritic knees do not allow me to stand for any length of time. I'm thinking of asking "Santa" for the folding table in JoAnn's, as it would fold up into a small space.

junegerbracht

I don't anyone who considers sandwiching/pinning a large quilt fun. I try to do mine at a community quilt class where we are fortunate to have large tables. When someone is pinning a quilt together I usually offer to help - as do others - it is not such an onerous task when done together. I am fortunate to also be able to use large tables at my church.

carolynjo

I use am ironing board with a 4 x 6' piece of plywood on it. (The plywood is covered with a vinyl tablecloth.) I then center the backing, spread out the batting, add the top as others have suggested. Clamp the quilt all around. Then start in the center and pin, baste, or spray baste the portion on the board. Move right or left and continue. I can walk around all sides and I do not have to bend over. Works for me.

mapleie

I too go to my church and use the tables, one advantage of belonging to a very small church.

csharp

This is what I do, sometimes I pull the sandwich towards me so I don't have to lean so far in, I always pin the edges too. batting down first, spray, smooth the back on.. flip and spray the top of the batting and lay on the top. mark a center on sides of all pieces to match up, and it's usually good to go. You can peal back and re-smooth out if necessary.

charlottemarie

I use tables in the garage, end to end until I have most of the quilt supported. I use my grandmothers old quilting frame boards, I roll the backing up on one, the batting up on one and then the top. Her frame has four boards. I place them at one end and roll out each part while spray basting it together. It works much like a grace frame that way. I then pin it in strategic places and roll it up til I can quilt it.

qltrwannab

I like her tute on utube..and i did try this.. the only problem i was having, is keep the fabric taut..or tight enough aound the boards.. is there a trick to this ? I would love for someone to tell me ..! Thanks..

thepolyparrot

I have a makeshift table that *barely* fits in my living room with room to get around all four sides. If I had to, I could clear out part of the garage and make it easier.

It's made with two 34" tall sawhorses, five 8' long 2x4"s and two sheets of 5/8" OSB plywood split in half lengthwise, to make them easier to handle.

The first picture is from upstairs, looking down on top of the 8' square table with a quilt on it, the second picture is taken from the side, showing the sawhorses and the third is a sketch showing how to layer the 2x4"s first perpendicular to the sawhorses, then the second layer perpendicular to the first, and then the four half-sheets of OSB.

The OSB is great because it's rough enough to hold the backing taut without taping, but I do use binder clamps along one side if I'm working on a quilt which doesn't cover then entire table.

The table is high enough that I don't have to bend or lean - I pin or tag-baste along one edge, as far as a foot and a half or two feet in toward the center. Then I fold the basted part and pull the whole quilt toward me and baste another 18" or so, fold, etc.

Setting the table up is a bit of a pain, so I try to have a batch of tops, batts and backings prepared to do all at once.

earthwalker

Depending on size....dining room table...top of the deep freeze (chest type) or for biggies....our bed.