I swore I'd never thread baste, but I'm partly through basting a queen-sized quilt with safety pins and ran out of pins. It's not convenient to go out right now, and I'm wondering if it's a good time to try thread basting. Do any of you thread baste for machine quilting (as opposed to hand quilting)? Do I need basting thread, or can I use any thread - will it be too difficult to remove once I machine quilt over it? Any other tips or a good instructional webpage you know of? I have googled and looked at a few pages, but nothing that seems specifically designed for machine quilting. thanks!
I have hand-basted for hand-quilting, but not for machine quilting. I always used regular sewing thread -- often stuff I wanted to get rid of. I don't think thread basting keeps layers from shifting as well as pin basting, so you may have a bit more trouble with shifting layers, especially if you are not using cotton batting. You have to be careful so the basting threads don't get caught on your presser foot, and removing the basting threads can be difficult, especially if your needle happened to stitch through the basting thread.
Julia > I swore I'd never thread baste, but I'm partly through basting a
Any old thread. I generally use the ones in those colors that make me say "why did I buy that !?!"
Here's how I was taught and it always works for me; no puckers, pleats or shifting.
Roll the thread across the quilt and let it hang over each side of the quilt by a few inches. Cut it.
Thread up one side on a big old needle - it's basting, why suffer with the needle threading.
Start in the center of the quilt and stitch across to one side. You want your stitches to snuggle into the quilt and not just float on top (this is the biggest problem I see when people tell me thread basting doesn't work well, loose, floaty stitches) and end with a back stitch.
Now, thread up the other side of that long thread and starting on the other side of center stitch across the quilt, snug up those stitches and end with a backstitch.
If a basting thread happens to catch on a playful cat or shirt button or the like you can easily go to the nearest edge and pull at the backstitch until your basting thread is again nice and snug, then pull on the thread tail to snug up the backstitch. Knots won't do that for you, this is why you want the backstitch on either end.
I've never had troubles with the thread getting caught on either a walking or free motion foot - but not having loose stitches is key here.
Usually the yucky basting thread of choice is old Coats & Clark cotton/poly stuff and even when it's sewn over seems to snap when I pull out the basting. I've never had any trouble removing the threads. Now, I have forgotten to remove a row of thread now and then but if I use a tacky clashing color then they generally jump out from the quilt and don't get left behind.
Been there done that. Still do sometimes, but not so often. I would recomend smallish stitches in the top and bigger stitches on the bottom, that way your foot doesn't take a notion to snag a stitch and run with it, thereby crumpling things up. So far as thread, I prefer basting with heavier thread than standard all purpose, but you don't need to. Do not give in to the temptation to use big long bights, it doesn't hold so well. I use the highest contrast thread I can find. If you use thread that contrasts with the backing it is usually easier to maintain that contrast over the whole back. Makes it easier to see to take out. Of course you could use soluble thread, and that way you just wash it after you are done quilting and there you go.
If you started pin basteing in the middle, I would suggest going in palm width zigzags around the area you have done and just work your way to the edge. If you were working end to end and have a sizable area left, make a big V from the center of the finished area to the corners and baste out from those lines. Starting from scratch I usually do the standard big X across the whole quilt and do the rest in the quarters from the center out.
Wouldn't dream of doing anything but pin baste for either hand or machine quilting. But I can understand the urge to finish! The sky will (probably) not fall if you combine pins and thread. And for the threads you stitch through, just snip them right next to the machine stitching and pull out the other side. And be careful when you're free-motioning backwards so you don't get tangled. Roberta in D
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Cheryl mentioned, the other day, (can't remember where, as I'm trying to catch up!) that instead of doing running stitches for thread basting, she used tailor tacks. Now this would be great, because you could follow the positioning of your safety pins; and you wouldn't have the trouble of sewing over them with the quilting - just pull them out when you get to them, as you would with a pin. I think it's the best idea I've heard since my micro-tacking gadget! . In message , quilter writes
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