can I please be to told now? On Topic

I know exactly how you feel!!! I got one of those nice folding tables on wheels when JoAnn's had a sale. Now I center my backing on that table and let all the edges hang over. Then I layer on my batting, smooth it out, and let it hang over the backing. Last, I center my top and smooth all the part that's on the table, making sure there are no wrinkles, and checking to be sure there's batting and backing under all the top, even the parts hanging over the edge.

Then I carefully pin just the part that's on the table. After that's done, I gently slide the whole three layers until I get to a section that isn't pinned. I smooth and straighten again and pin. I keep doing that until the whole thing is pinned. I've done three large quilts by this method now and it has worked very well!

It sure beats the "crawl>Let's discuss various ways to lay out three layers for a large quilt - OTHER

Carole D. - Retired and loving it in the foothills of NW Georgia

My quilts, crafts, QIs, and more -

That is exactly how I do it, also. The weight of the fabric hanging over the edges seems to help keep the layers on the tabletop smooth.

Elizabeth in Spring, Texas "Carole-Retired and Loving It" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

Ditto. I put mine on my sewing table (machine lowered) and let the sides hang down. However, on occasion, I do go to work early and line up the tables in the classroom at work. Ask your local quilt store. They may be happy to accomodate your request, depending on schedules, etc.

joan

in

I use the top of my cutting table- it's 3X5 ft. I use the same process as everyone else but I clip the backing to the table top with those big black binder clips so that it's nice and snug but not stretched. I find my backing loosens, no matter how much smoothing I do, if I don't clamp it down. After I pin a section, I shift the whole mess over, re-clip the backing, smooth everything and continue pinning. I find there's very little shifting with Warm & Natural or White- that's the only batting I use. Best of luck and your knees are thanking you for asking!

Leslie & The Furbabies > Let's discuss various ways to lay out three layers for a large quilt - OTHER

Many years ago I organized a quilting group at our former church. We met once a month to make quilts for the missionaries supported by the church. One perk of being a part of the group was that the group would help you pin large quilts. We pushed three tables together which would easily hold a queen size quilt. One member was very tall so she did the centers while the rest of us did the mid-sections and borders. Working together we could pin a queen size quilt in 30 minutes. Only rule was you had to call me before the meeting so we wouldn't have too many personal quilts to pin at any one meeting. When someone was desperate we would hold special pinning sessions. This pinning perk proved to be a real attraction for membership. Some gals who didn't attend the church were faithful members of the group. I would like to think that it was my good leadership that brought them but in truth I think it was the pinning help.

I made extension legs from PVC pipe which raised the tables to a better working height. I bought a length of 1 1/2" pipe at the hardware store and paid them $.50 per cut to cut four 11" lengths for each table. On one end of each piece I glued a PVC cap. The open end of the pipe was simply slipped over the leg of the table. The cross bar on the pair of legs stopped the pipes. You won't believe they are stable until you try it. The pipes were light weight and easy to carry back and forth to meetings.

As for my pers>Let's discuss various ways to lay out three layers for a large quilt - OTHER

I ask the LQS when I can borrow their tables for a basting session. They usually let me know a good time, and I usually buy stuff while I'm there. Sometimes they even help me.

-georg

I do mine this way too, except my old dining table is long enough with both ends pulled out that I can usually get most of the length on. So I tape the backing to the table ends. (Some people use stationery clamps.) If you need to center the top on the backing, you can also tape a toothpick to the center spots on the table edges -just feel where the center is. The important thing is not to stretch the backing. Roberta in D

"Carole-Retired and Loving It" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com...

On Fri, 22 Dec 2006 08:36:45 -0600, Karen, Queen of Squishies wrote (in article ):

Hi Karen, You can always drive over to Springfield. I'm pretty sure my large sewing table would work for this. (Don't know from experience since its been awhile since I last pieced a big quilt top) But we'd have to find some big strong men to move it away from the wall.

Now that I think about it, when I basted the monster, I took it to work and my friend and I pushed the large folding tables in the training room together and pin basted on those.

Michelle has also been know to use a conference table at work, too, to baste over the lunch hour.

Maureen

I have bad knees and haven't been able to crawl on the floor for quite some time now. I'm sure there are people who would say what I'm doing is wrong but it works for me. I use a large table and smooth the backing first then lay the batt. All the time smoothing and then finally add the quilt top and smooth it too. When I start pin basting I slide the entire quilt so that it is centered on the table and pin from the center out. The quilt hangs down from the edges of the table but usually slides with no difficulty. I used this method for quilts up to queen size.

Fusible batting! You can iron small sections one side at a time in a small space. I usually follow up with a few pins just to be safe. LOVE IT!

Melissa in NJ

Karen, Queen of Squishies wrote:

Every time I try that I find when I get to the edges that either there isn't enough batting or the backing has shifted and I have to unpin the whole thing and re-do.

Mom and I use my Great Grandma's quilting frame. It is simply four long boards with holes drilled through them at 2 inch intervals, and four really big nails. We lay out the boards in a big square and put the nails through the holes at the corners. This four board piece can be hung from a ceiling with eye bolts and string or it can be propped up on chair backs. We center the backing over it, and use thumb tacks to hold the fabric to the boards. Next comes the batting , then the top. After that we can either thread baste or gun baste the quilt then remove it from the frame for lap or machine quilting.

This frame was used differently in the old days. Back then the quilt was sandwiched on the frame and hand quilted by a quilting bee of family members and close friends without ever basting the quilt. They started quilting at the outer edges and worked their way to the middle, rolling the quilt on the boards whenever the stitching progressed too far inwards for a comfortable stitching distance. Debra in VA See my quilts at

Karen, Queen of Squishies wrote:

Oh Sheesh -- I do it different than everyone else! Just like my binding -- LOLOL! I use my kitchen table which is about 40" wide x 60" long. I don't bother with the leaf 'cuz that means I have to pester DH to get it out of the closet......... I make sure I have cut my backing 6" to 8" bigger all around than the quilt top and the batting 5" to 7" bigger. I DO NOT start at the middle, I start at one corner. I will line up top and side edge of the the backing with the edges of the table (so I know it is square on the table), then evenly pull it down to hang over the table by about 3" on both edges. I use the stationery clips and clip the backing to the table -- just 2 clips on BOTH short ends and

4 on BOTH long sides so that the backing doesn't shift when I lay out the batting. I lay the batting on top of the backing so that it hangs over the table a little bit less than the backing. I reclip the batting -- on all four sides -- making sure it is nice and smooth on top of the table. Then I lay the quilt top out. I line it up straight and even with the short side and the long side that I used first for the backing. I will reclip the short end adding more clips and then will go to the opposite short end and make sure that the top is firmly but gently laid out over top of the table and I clip that edge of the quilt sandwich to the table. Remember to keep the other edge of the quit top straight and even with the edge of the table. Next I reclip the edge of the quilt to the long edge of the table, adding more clips as I go. Then I go to the other long edge of the table and make sure the quilt is again firmly but gently laid out and I reclip that edge adding clips as I go. Now I can start to pin baste. I ALWAYS sit in one of the kitchen chairs because my back, knees and hips won't allow me to stand and bend over to do this. I just move around the table until I have everything on top of the table pin basted. Then I unclip the whole quilt and move it around as needed to finish the process. The biggest quilt I have done in this manner was 80" wide and 96" long. That took intermediary steps of moving and reclipping the quilt but most times I can get most of one short and one long edge pin basted. I'll usually move the quilt down so that the starting long edge is the one I keep working on. Usually, I can move it down and get the opposite corner of the quilt (sharing the same long edge as the starting corner) lined up with the opposite corner of the quilt. Of course, you have to be careful that you keep the backing, batting and top all smooth but this isn't too difficult. Doing it this way, I can get most quilts pin basted by just moving the quilt three times. I know -- sounds clear as mud but it really is easy and works great. It might use a bit extra backing and batting but it's worth the expense to save on what I would spend going to the Dr. if I tried to do this on the floor!!!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

If you have a ping-pong (table tennis) table available to you, it is almost the perfect size for a queen-size quilt - a bit hare to reach to the middle, though

Cathy > Let's discuss various ways to lay out three layers for a large quilt - OTHER

When I get to the part where I have to baste and quilt, and it's large, I just start another and the first becomes a wip : )

Small ones I do on my cutting table.

Denny

I use this procedure, slightly modified. Once the backing, batting and quilt are laid down, I place a length of wood about the length of the table on either side of the table and clamp with big C-clamps. Pin, and then unclamp and move to another section. It means I can pin without too much leaning over, so both back and knees are not in pain.

Martha

I have just read this thread with great interest and have got some good pointers for when I put my quilt together in January.

I shall have to use the dining table it is 2 metres by 1.1/4 metres but is oval. I will probably get my friend to help me with it she is taller than my 5 feet nothing. LOL Shirley

In message , Martha writes