GailG

I know I'm a bit of the old school, but I pin and then hand baste.

ckcowl

often I thread baste- no *over spray-mess* from spraying; goes much faster (for me) than pinning & easier to remove than pins too...although at times I do just grab some bent safety pins for a small project- or for around the edges if I used a fusible batt (which is a second choice over thread basting) but most often I thread baste

ArtsyOne

Once I discovered spray basting (I use the June Tailor brand from JoAnn's) it eliminated all the wrinkles and tucks I had on my backings. I used to hand-baste every four inches all across and down and diagonally and it was a real pain. I don't find that the spray has much odor at all, and I spray on my wood laminate floor. Once the over-spray dries it is easily wiped off with orange oil cleaner.

Lovequilting22

And the spray basting doesn't gum the needle? I use it for my machine embroidery and that doesn't gum up the needle, but it's only a small area. This is much larger so I am just checking. I may try a combination, but will definitely look into those curved pins and eraser type things to start with. So appreciate your honest feedback! Thanks!

BellaBoo

I use straight pins to baste big quilts. I use Pinmoors with the pins and never get stuck. I have tried all the make do items to use but nothing works better for me then the actual Pinmoor. The fine pins slip right in and stay until I take them out. I now use a Pinmoor with every straight pin I use. I use long fine pins for basting. If you have to push the pin through the layers the pin is too dull. I have started using Elmer's washable school glue. It's fast and easy for a bigger quilt. The basting spray is too messy for me.

Stitchnripper

I am a convert to Elmer's Washable School Glue. I used it on about 6 quilts so far, 2 baby, and working on another baby quilt which I will use it on. so far for me it has washed completely out and has not gummed the needle or interfered with the quilting. I have tried spray basting, which I hate. Hard to control overspray. For years I pin basted or thread basted. This is so much easier and solves the wrinkly back problem for me.

michelleoc

I use Elmer's school glue. I've spray basted a couple of times, but the overspray and fumes really got to me.

Neesie

I'm another Elmer's School Glue convert. I used to use the pins and it took forever, to get the layers perfectly smooth. With the School Glue, sandwiching the quilt has turned into an actual pleasure! I always wash my quilts, before gifting them, and the Elmer's School Glue washes out completely. I also use it, for binding.

I use the Warm & Natural/White cotton batting; not sure if it'd work well with poly batting.

QuilterMomma

Ditto Woody here! Yep that is the best basting spray on the market in my opinion and I have tried several. This is the easiest and fastest way to do your quilt and the spray washes out in the first wash with no residue.

If you really dont want to do the spray, and to avoid all the pins and pricks and safetypins, you can always do the old fashinioned way of basting with needle and thread. A friend of mine still does hers this way all the time. She does rows, then cross from corner to corner. I don't have the patience for that, but she has beautiful results.

Prism99

I have used almost all of the possible methods to baste, and spray basting with 505 won for me hands down! That is what I would recommend to a newbie. It is worth every penny. (1) It is fast. (2) It is easy. (3) If you make a mistake, it is easy to re-position. (4) It holds all layers in continuous contact with each other -- unlike pins, which make contact only every 4 inches or so -- and this pretty much ensures the layers won't shift on you while machine quilting. (5) It is removed in the first wash, which again saves time.

When I pin-basted with safety pins (small brass pins are the best; brass won't rust if your quilt happens to stay pinned for a decade or so in the forgotten UFO pile), a pin I didn't see got caught on my very expensive Bernina walking foot and ruined the spring in it. That's when I decided to finally try spray basting.

If you decide to spray baste, definitely read some of the old threads about it. Using a good technique and using the best basting spray you can find (for me that is 505 for a variety of reasons) makes the process almost magical. Without good technique, you learn everything the hard way (as in ending up with batting fluff stuck all over you ).

Edit: Elmer's school glue basting is newer than spray basting. If I couldn't spray baste, I would definitely try the Elmer's glue basting method.