KenmoreGal2

I've never seen this mentioned online and as I was quilting just now I thought I'd snap a photo and share my method. I only do FMQ and I do it on a 1956 Kenmore. I only do a meander.

My cheat is that I meander right around my basting safety pins. I guess that means my pins are incorporated into my design!

I have a hard enough time wrestling my quilts through the throat of my machine. If I had to stop often and remove safety pins too it would take all the joy out of quilting for me.

I can't think of any reason not to quilt the way I do. Can you?

I hope this helps someone.

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mpspeedy2

Looks like your method works great. It also allows you to remove the pins after you finish quilting. It seems like a much easier and more efficient way to machine quilt. Thanks for sharing.

marilynr

Your quilt is beautiful; great colors & your meandering is great. Whatever works.

pocoellie

I think it's a great idea and also looks great. Personally, I hate pin basting, so I thread baste, although I'd rather spray baste, I don't very often.

lynnie

since I can't meander, i'll have to try your method. thanks.

Pennyhal

A creative solution to your problem!

Sharonquilts

What a clever idea. Never thought about doing this. I may just have to give this a try ... although, I've recently starting spray basting and found I really like that method.

Barbara Kantola

What a great idea for those who pin baste. I used to do that, but now use Elmer's Washable Glue to baste my quilts. That idea came from this wonderful board!

ManiacQuilter2

Clever idea. Probably keeps you from crossing the lines.

Bree123

I always believe that every quilter should use whatever works for him/her. But since you asked... I do leave some pins in if I don't need to remove them to quilt where I want to quilt, but not all of them. I took a class with Cindy Seitz-Krug & she talked about the importance of SITD before beginning FMQ. I really couldn't see why that would matter -- or how I could get it to look nice without leaving invisible (synthetic) thread in my quilt -- but lo & behold, switching to a wash-away thread to SITD before I began my FMQ truly does make for a nicer, more uniform quilt & the seams lay nice and flat.

The other thing is that I try to pin every 4" or so (width of my fist) because otherwise I get puckers and bunching in the back. But that's on my machines (1975 Singer Genie & my new Bernina 350). You might be fine pinning farther apart (and I'm only assuming you are basting every 8 inches based on what looks to be 4" blocks).

Either way, those are nit-picky details & the most important thing in quilts that aren't being made for sale or for competition is that we enjoy the process of making them. I definitely have cheated when making family quilts & you can see the results of those cheats if you are within a foot of the quilt, but they are beautiful quilts and my family members love them no less.