keeping it flat (again)

Howdy!

Most of the hand quilters I know use safety pins for basting.
The 1" pins are just fine, esp. w/ a Kwik Klip tool:
http://www.quiltbus.com/images/6679.jpg
The bigger pins are perfect for the rolled border (backing folded over
the front to cover the edges of the batting).
More basting helps have a flatter, smoother quilt sandwich.
Starting w/ a pin in the middle of the sandwich before I lay it out, I
line up the backing to the quilt top; that middle pin gives me a good
starting point.
When I pin on the table the weight of the sandwich hanging over the table
helps keep everything in place (no taping needed).
Gently & firmly smoothing the sandwich while working towards the outside
edges makes the wrinkles disappear; use a yardstick as a "trowel". ;-)

Try different techniques to see which works best for you. Practice.
Invest some time in this process. It will get easier for you.

Good luck!
R/Sandy -- wondering what happened to Batting In A Can ...

On 8/20/07 2:28 PM, in article ,
"Anne Rogers" wrote:


I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to
the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around
which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large
tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never
thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting
ones large enough to go through the three layers.

hand quilters seem to prefer thread basting so the quilt can be put
easily into a hoop, personally I wouldn't want to hand baste a quilt for
machine quilting, if there is a thread lurking around, the needle always
seems to end up going through it which makes for tricky removal.

Safety bins really need to be sharp rather than big, I have some curved
ones about an inch long which are fine, when I needed some more, I
bought small, straight ones, because you got more in a pack, they are
sharp and seem to go through and close with no problems.

I second the recommendation of taping the backing and batting to the
floor or table.

Cheers
Anne

Sandy, We must have had the same teacher! I do mine exactly like you do,
and I've never had a pleat or pucker! (I'd better go knock on wood!) I do
use the curved pins.

--
Alice in PA
http://community.webshots.com/user/twosonsatpsu
"Sandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Morag in Scotland" wrote:

Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing
flat
while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing,
batting
and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of
the
afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that
it's 100%.

So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step
*exactly*
what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using
frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them
and
are they expensive?

morag


Morag, I don't know about the frames, since I don't use one. But I
follow the directions -- generally speaking G -- that Harriet Hargrave
gives in her book. My table is too thick to be able to use the bulldog
clips most people can use, so I use those clips you can get to hold down
a picnic tablecloth so the wind won't blow it away. I use those on at
least two sides of the table, depending on how large the quilt is.

1. spread out the backing and clamp it firmly to the table. If the quilt
is too small to clamp on all sides, clamp two sides and tape (duct tape
works better for me than masking tape) the other two. The backing should
be smooth and sort of taut, but not stretched.

2. lay out the batting on top of the backing. Smooth it carefully to
avoid having tucks. I don't generally tape/clamp this, since it will
cling to the backing (that's because I use cotton batting -- a different
kind would call for different measures).

3. smooth the top onto the backing. I use a laser level square (thanks
for the idea, Kathy A!) to make sure that all of my seams are lying
straight. Smooth some more. Clamp and/or tape the top to the table.

4. pin baste. I use a Kwik Klip to try to save my fingers, and I close
the pins as I go -- I've found unclosed pins the hard way a few times,
so I don't go back to do this any longer. G

5. remove all the tape and clamps, inspect the back for accidental
boo-boos (did you get the backing under the whole back?, etc.), and
begin quilting.

HTH!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

In article ,
"Alice" wrote:

Sandy, We must have had the same teacher! I do mine exactly like you do,
and I've never had a pleat or pucker! (I'd better go knock on wood!) I do
use the curved pins.

--
Alice in PA
http://community.webshots.com/user/twosonsatpsu


Alice, I must say that I prefer the curved pins, but I have *lots* of
the straight kind and refuse to waste them. G I figure I'll replace
them with curved ones as the straight ones become blunt and need to be
discarded.

--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

I lay out the ironed backing on the carpeted floor, I put packing tape at
each corner of the short end, then tape at long intervals in between. Then,
smoothing it out, tape the two other corners, then tape at long intervals in
between.
When I've made certain that it all looks nice and flat [don't stretch it], I
lay on the batting, smooth it out from the middle and a piece of tape just
on the four corners and one in the middle of each side. Then I lay out the
ironed top, smoothing out from the middle and taping in the corners, then
along the side with a couple.....depends on the size of the quilt. Usually
just the corners and a bit in the middle of each side holds it.
Then I use the curved 1" safety pins [straight ones do the job too, just
harder on the fingers], starting from the middle [on my bum] I work out to
the sides. Haven't had any problems even with the thick poly batting.
Cotton batting is nicer to work....behaves itself. But the poly worked this
way as well.
I think the carpet helps to keep it in place as well.
I have basted in the past but I'm too impatient and pinning is quicker.
I have at times clamped to a table using the big office paper clamps and
will have to go back to that shortly as I'm not getting any younger and the
floor gets further away!

Wendy in NSW


"Morag in Scotland" wrote in message
...
Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing
flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing,
batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent
more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not
happy that it's 100%.

So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step
*exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people
using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get
them and are they expensive?

morag

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:28:52 -0700, Anne Rogers
wrote:


I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to
the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around
which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large
tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never
thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting
ones large enough to go through the three layers.

hand quilters seem to prefer thread basting so the quilt can be put
easily into a hoop, personally I wouldn't want to hand baste a quilt for
machine quilting, if there is a thread lurking around, the needle always
seems to end up going through it which makes for tricky removal.

Safety bins really need to be sharp rather than big, I have some curved
ones about an inch long which are fine, when I needed some more, I
bought small, straight ones, because you got more in a pack, they are
sharp and seem to go through and close with no problems.

I second the recommendation of taping the backing and batting to the
floor or table.

Cheers
Anne

I have a few questions about this method.

How do you get the pins to turn upwards if you have everything taped
down tightly flat? Obviously you can't put your hand under the quilt
sandwich to manage this.

How do you keep the pins from hitting the table and just sticking into
it? That is all that happened when I tried it on three different
tables no matter how shallowly I inserted the pins. Scared table tops
is not an option.

Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Debra wrote:
On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 12:28:52 -0700, Anne Rogers
wrote:

I think where I've been going wrong is not either taping the backing to
the floor or clamping it to table. It tends to slip and slide around
which I think is causing most of my problems. I am basting using large
tacking stitches radiating out from the centre of the quilt, I had never
thought about using pins. My first thought abuot safety pins is getting
ones large enough to go through the three layers.
hand quilters seem to prefer thread basting so the quilt can be put
easily into a hoop, personally I wouldn't want to hand baste a quilt for
machine quilting, if there is a thread lurking around, the needle always
seems to end up going through it which makes for tricky removal.

Safety bins really need to be sharp rather than big, I have some curved
ones about an inch long which are fine, when I needed some more, I
bought small, straight ones, because you got more in a pack, they are
sharp and seem to go through and close with no problems.

I second the recommendation of taping the backing and batting to the
floor or table.

Cheers
Anne

I have a few questions about this method.

How do you get the pins to turn upwards if you have everything taped
down tightly flat? Obviously you can't put your hand under the quilt
sandwich to manage this.

How do you keep the pins from hitting the table and just sticking into
it? That is all that happened when I tried it on three different
tables no matter how shallowly I inserted the pins. Scared table tops
is not an option.

Debra in VA
See my quilts at
http://community.webshots.com/user/debplayshere

Debra,

I use curved pins. I don't know how one would avoid the problems you
list with straight pins, but with curved pins I never had a problem.

Mine are 1" also.

Hanne in London

OK!
1. Make sure your top is smooth and flat to begin with, and tidy uploose
threads sticking out. Press. Make sure the backing is also pressed without
creases.
2. I use an old dining table. Center the backing wrong side up, centering in
both directions and making sure the grain lines are square with the
table.(You don't want an oval table!) Clamp or masking tape (I only do the
ends) to the table. This is the most important step! The backing needs to be
perfectly smooth without any stretching. If you stretch it, it will snap
back as soon as the tension is released and end up smaller than the top, so
puckers are almost guaranteed.
3. Center the batting and smooth into place.
4. Ditto with the top. Double check to make sure your backing and batting
extend beyond the top all the way around.
5. Then pin, using about twice as many pins as you thought you would need.
There should be a pin or preferably 2 wherever you put your fist down.
6. Assuming the quilt is larger than the table top, you pin the center bit
first. Pin only to within about 4" of the edge. (The edge of the table
distorts everything.) Then slide the sandwich to one side, re-tape the
backing, and proceed as above until all sections are pinned.
Roberta in D

"Morag in Scotland" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing
flat while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing,
batting and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent
more of the afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not
happy that it's 100%.

So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step
*exactly* what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people
using frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get
them and are they expensive?

morag

Speaking of pins...which brand do you use????. There is one brand that I
dislike ...dull as a hoe ! I'd like to buy some that I can use with those
plastic
gizmos --Eleanor Burns uses them ---but make a little 'handle' for grasping
the safety pins. I just do not want to keep buying pins that are useless...
TIA...
Mary in VT




"Alice" wrote in message
...
Sandy, We must have had the same teacher! I do mine exactly like you do,
and I've never had a pleat or pucker! (I'd better go knock on wood!) I do
use the curved pins.

--
Alice in PA
http://community.webshots.com/user/twosonsatpsu
"Sandy" wrote in message
...
In article ,
"Morag in Scotland" wrote:

Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing
flat
while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing,
batting
and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of
the
afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy
that
it's 100%.

So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step
*exactly*
what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using
frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them
and
are they expensive?

morag


Morag, I don't know about the frames, since I don't use one. But I
follow the directions -- generally speaking G -- that Harriet Hargrave
gives in her book. My table is too thick to be able to use the bulldog
clips most people can use, so I use those clips you can get to hold down
a picnic tablecloth so the wind won't blow it away. I use those on at
least two sides of the table, depending on how large the quilt is.

1. spread out the backing and clamp it firmly to the table. If the quilt
is too small to clamp on all sides, clamp two sides and tape (duct tape
works better for me than masking tape) the other two. The backing should
be smooth and sort of taut, but not stretched.

2. lay out the batting on top of the backing. Smooth it carefully to
avoid having tucks. I don't generally tape/clamp this, since it will
cling to the backing (that's because I use cotton batting -- a different
kind would call for different measures).

3. smooth the top onto the backing. I use a laser level square (thanks
for the idea, Kathy A!) to make sure that all of my seams are lying
straight. Smooth some more. Clamp and/or tape the top to the table.

4. pin baste. I use a Kwik Klip to try to save my fingers, and I close
the pins as I go -- I've found unclosed pins the hard way a few times,
so I don't go back to do this any longer. G

5. remove all the tape and clamps, inspect the back for accidental
boo-boos (did you get the backing under the whole back?, etc.), and
begin quilting.

HTH!
--
Sandy in Henderson, near Las Vegas
sfoster 1 (at) earthlink (dot) net (remove/change the obvious)
http://www.sandymike.net

On Mon, 20 Aug 2007 10:21:07 -0500, Morag in Scotland wrote
(in article ):

Please help me!! my main quilting problem is keeping the stupid thing flat
while I baste it. I seem to be completely unable to get the backing, batting
and top all nice and smooth and wrinkle free. I have just spent more of the
afternoon basting and re-basting a lap quilt and I'm still not happy that
it's 100%.

So tips. Experienced quilters please walk me through step by step *exactly*
what you do and how you keep evetything smooth. I've seen people using
frames, bit mystified by them. How do they work, where do you get them and
are they expensive?

morag


I use masking tape to tape the edges of the backing taut to my table. Then
layer the batting and smooth it out. clip it to the edge of the table with
the biggest binder clips I can find. Layer the top and reclip to table with
the batting after that is smooth. If I'm basting on the floor, I use tape on
all the layers instead of the clips.

Maureen