One thing to watch for when using a walking foot is to see that the walking parts on the foot match up perfectly with the feed dogs on your machine. This is a common problem when trying to find a walking foot that works well with old machines, since the feed dogs on modern machines are usually a much different shape and configuration than the feed dogs on the old machines. Since I don't have any newer machines, I can't speak to yours, but do take a close look to see if the walking foot is a good fit with your feed dogs.

Pat in Rockport, TX

Since this is my first attempt I'm using the walking foot. I redid everything one more time and still ended up with a small pucker in one area. I have a 440 QE but I honestly think it's my pin basting and not the foot.

I've got a ton more quilts to practice on, so I am going to just keep at it. I've got a bit more than half of the quilting done on this first one. It's really exciting to me. I was so scared to even try and now I feel really good about what I've done even with the mistakes on this first one. I'm trying to cut myself some slack but yet do the best I can.

I really appreciate all the tips. I'm going to check out the spray basting for the next quilt, but since I don't have room to lay it out here at home I don't know how long I have to leave it sit after spraying. I do the basting at work and I can't leave it overnight.

Teresa -- Are you using a walking foot OR are you free hand quilting? As a matter of interest, when I use a walking foot on my Bernina 1230, My quilting is perfect. Same Quilt... Moved to the Bernina 180 using the walking foot will produce puckered folds on the wrong side of the fabric. This is something several of my friends have also experienced. The reason????? who knows, but I am happy to have the 1230.
Del

I did the Joe Cunningham frame and used it to pin baste the last quilt I made. Worked great.

Debra

The 505 is the best spray. The secret to not gumming the needle is to lightly spray in short bursts. I do my spraying on a ping pong table in the basement with all the doors open. I let it rest 24 hours and then I'm good to go. It does make for strange ping pong games as I have left some residue on the surface after spraying numerous projects.

In one of the first couple of shows, Joe Cunningham showed a frame that he built and used for basting his quilts. You can use it to pin or baste with thread. I have gone out and bought the wood and clamps needed, but I haven't finished any quilts since then and have yet to try it out.
Has anyone out there used his frame method and how did it work? Thanks.

I use the 505. It is suppose to have less fumes. I use it all the time. I have some difficult with breathing, and I suffer from migraines, but have not notice a problem from this spray as long as I let it settle before I put my face near it. ritzy

I spray baste ALOT just because as a "bizzy" mother of three its hard to find time and space to lay out my quilt and baste. That said I have NEVER had a problem with a gummy needle, although I have heard from some who have.

What I use is the stuff you buy at Wal Mart (just because it is convinent, if my LQS was less than a mile away I would buy thiers) It is June Tailors and seems to work very well. There was another brand that came in a yellow bottle that seemed to be a stronger bond, but this works fine and has less fumes than the other.
Anyway, I lay mine out on my diningroom table, open the windows and put fans in blowing out, and baste my quilt in sections starting at the top and working down. The fans help with the fumes. I would do it outside be we always seem to have blowing fluff or dust and I don't want that stuck in the layers of my quilt. IF you can baste outside though I would recommend it. The fumes are my only complaint.
As for pinning I remember that SQ episode too, but I also remember something else. Everyone's hand width is different. If you have wide palms (Like me ) you should try three or four fingers width instead. Also look at the size of pin you are using. You should be using size 00 or 0, 1 at the absolute largest. Larger sizes take too big a bite and allow shifting within the pin itself.

Good luck and happy basting
Mandy - running off to work on her DWR for the first time in a week

I like OESD's 505 spray. Bernina recommended.

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

What kind of basting spray do you use? The first and only time I tried it (2 yrs ago), it kept gumming up my needle (I mean quickly) and caused problems with stitches, so I tossed the can. Don't remember brand or where I bought it.

Louisa
SE OK

teresa,
it's also important that your batting is smooth and not stretched. I will toss mine into the dryer on the touch-up cycle for a few minutes, and let it relax even more when i place it on the backing.

my experience with spray...I have to let the project sit for 24 hours before quilting, or I will get a migraine.

Thank you for all your suggestions. I'm going to make some further comments in no particular order.

I haven't used the spraybasting method because I was not sure how well it would work and I was a little concerned about the residue and fumes.

Is there any problems at all with residue? And what about fumes? I had a feeling it wasn't very environmental friendly, but I confess I never actually looked at the stuff.

I'll have to rewatch Ricky's video to see his thread basting. I watched it awhile ago and I vaguely remember that.

I did tape the bottom layer down and I am pinning about a hands width apart. I may not be stretching the back correctly or it may be some other things. I did notice that just from transport in my car the back wrinkled just a bit on the folds. I wonder now if that might have been part of my problem this last time. It looked very flat when I'd taped it. But is there a chance those few wrinkles caused the problem?

I really did hate doing all the pins (I'm definately going to look into the kwik clip thing), so any alternative that works well I would be happy to try.

Thanks again everyone!

I stopped pin basting my quilts as well, and spray baste. It's awesome. Not only does it work much better, the lack of weight and bulk from the hundreds of pins makes it so much easier!

The Wandering Quilter's Life in a Box!

I used pins once and they almost cured me of the quilting bug. I spray baste all my quilts and have never had trouble with this method.