Quilt Tips From Quilters Around The World

Basting

An alternative to hand basting: A great way to stabilize a quilt while doing decorative quilting is to first use water soluble thread to sew straight basting lines across the quilt surface. Use the water soluble thread for the top thread and in the bobbin. Then, once all the real quilting is done, all you need to do is wash the quilt and the stabilizing lines come out!" - Annie in North Carolina

To get your backing and batting smooth when you are using a spray baste roll your batting onto a dowel (about 1.5" in diameter). Then tape your backing down to a flat surface (I use the floor) spray the backing lightly on the end and place the end of the batting on the backing and spray and roll it onto the backing. No wrinkles to fight with and try and smooth out. - Donna in Scappoose

I've just learned this and wanted to share. I think it is my favorite tip ever. When basting your quilt, leave thread attached to spool after threading your needle, thus eliminating all that cutting and threading. Can't wait to try it myself. - Peggy in Illinois

I had a large quilt to pin baste and after getting all the pins in, started to pin them. Ouch! Never invested the money in one of those nifty tools! It was snowing like crazy and I just didn't want to go out so I tried a crochet hook. Worked like a charm! - Sue in Michigan

It seems really commonsensical as a practice but, here goes... When I'm basting my quilt "sandwich" together, I always make sure to use thread in a contrasting colour so that I can be sure to get all of the basting threads out later. - Nikki in Cyprus

When I'm attempting to pin or baste a very large quilt I will go to my husband's work shop and borrow his saw horses and set them up in my shop. I then use my cardboard cutting boards and lay across these sawhorses and I have a nice flat and large enough table to properly lay out my quilt for basting or pins. When I am finished I return these items back to his work shop and I now have my space back. These sawhorses are cheap enough to buy at your locate hardware store and they are adjustable to almost any height, so it makes it a little easier on your back. I hope this idea helps other who have space problems when attempting to pin or baste that quilt they have so pains taking stitched together. - Brenda in North Carolina

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