If you pin close enough together, that stabilizes the quilt for free motion quilting. I've been doing that for years with no shifting problems. The method of basting is really a personal choice, like most things in quilting. You have to try a bunch of things and do what's best for you. And what's best for you isn't necessarily what's best for someone else.

Nancy

Even if you don't want to baste with water soluble thread, at least stabilize the quilt with it after basting. It helps prevent shifting of the fabric during the process of quilting.

Pat

Hi Lois - I spray baste small quilts. I just take the project outside with an old sheet and spray baste on top of the sheet, then throw the sheet in the washer. Works well with no mess. But I've never spray basted a large quilt. I feel more comfortable pin basting those. So far, I'm still too cheap to baste with the water soluable thread, but I find myself thinking about it more and more.

Nancy

I have been pin basting my quilts and then I use my dual feed system on my Janome Horizon to baste the quilt with water soluable thread in both the bobbing and top thread. Prior to this I have pin basted only. I love being able to FMQ without having to worry about the pins. I have done some spray basting in the past, but no matter what, I find I have over-spray and I don't like dealing with the clean-up. I love machine basting with water soluable thread.

ritzy wrote:
Hi Ritzy, yes I put it in both bobbin and top. i only run a line of stitching about every 10 to 12 inches, very long stitch length. So it doesn't use up a lot of thread!

Kathy

Well I usually 505 baste but I wondered about how these ladies do it.

I find that I can hand baste as fast as I can pin baste -- and my fingers don't get as sore!

So here is a question, when you are doing your machine basting with soluble thread--are you putting it on the top and in the bobbin?

Fascinating, I am learning so much on this forum. I'll look out for it at the next big show I go to.

twiglet wrote:
Hi Wendy, basting a quilt with water soluble thread holds it together while you're quilting it. when you're finished quilting it, (and binding it), then the water soluble thread washes out so you don't have to pick out any basting stitches. If you have a longarmer do it, I guess they just load it on the machine and baste away! It probably doesn't take them too long to do that.

When I have a quilt that I can't ditch stitch, like because the seams are pressed open, I first pin it like I usually do, then run some lines of stitching vertically and horizontally with water soluble thread. This stabilizes the quilt like stitching in the ditch would, so it doesn't distort when doing the FMQ.

Try it, it will wash out when you're finished so no harm done!

Kathy

Why would you want the stitches to wash out? especially if you've paid a long arm quilter

I'm trying to quilt a baby quilt at present and doing baby feet in the blocks but I think I'll follow your advice and put some quilting in the ditch now before going on to experiment with dragonflies, owls and things. Thanks.

I've pinned which is easy enough with a small quilt. My bad experience with 505 must have been due to overspraying. Since hearing what you've said I may try it again.

I pin basted one quilt and spray basted another. Both methods are work (I had to spray baste on the floor as my darling sons are taking up my garage with baseball stuff, and I hoping to get a basting wall there after a clean up this summer).

However, I liked handling the quilt at the sewing machine better with the spray basted quilt. I think the batting choice has alot to do with how your quilt "drapes" rather than the spray baste spray. The 505 washes right out. Those with stiff quilts (allegedly from spray basting), I'd be interested in hearing what batting choices you made in those quilts - as those choices probably have more to do with the resultant drape than the basting spray. You shouldn't have a "stiff" quilt after washing the quilt because the 505 does wash out.

There are no fumes that I can detect with 505. Those with very sensitive systems or asthma will differ. Just be sure to ventilate normally and you'll be fine.

Pat

Here are links to Sharon's basing videos:

part one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

part two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_EjBGz5vGQ&feature=related

Cathy,
Like many others I spray baste, but mostly smaller pieces - place mats or wall hangings. It is a great method for sandwich size pieces to practice machine quilting on. For larger pieces I like Sharon Schamber's method. You can google "Sharon Schamber You Tube" and see all her free videos. The hand basting video is in two parts and each is about 8 minutes. I guess it is all about trying many ways and picking what works for you.

Good luck!
Barbara