I machine quilt large quilts on an old featherweight which has a small harp. I use spray basting as well as hand basting about 2 to 3 inches apart. It is absolutely critical to use a thin batting, like cotton. Warm & Natural or Hobbs are good. Poly batts tend to be fluffier, particularly the high loft battings. High loft is a nightmare to quilt by hand or machine. If you have chosen this and want to stick with it, I'd suggest tying the quilt.
I always start in the center and work in the lower right quadrant. You may wish to also baste sections with wash out basting thread before you begin your quilting. Good luck!

Yes, definitely thinner batting. I have Warm and Natural in it. I did the center block and a couple around it. Slow and steady. I now feel confident it will get done.

Go to Sharon Schambers web site and check out her quilting. I love how she does her basting. I pland to do this same thing on the next large quilt I do. Currently working on a baby quilt needed by 2-19. Just cut it out last night and was out of town today. Really working on it aren't I. lol. Congrats on your new DIL and good luck on the quilt. You can do it, I have done all of my quilts on my reg. Bernina 930 - No long arm and no access to one. I just can't bring myself to send one out, all who do long arms in my area are at least 80-100 miles away.

Good luck, I am sure it will turn out beautifully and will be much appreciated and loved.

I'm reading too! I'm in the same bind with the same size quilt and the same machine!! The only difference is that I intend on keeping mine :)

Go for it! You can do it. You'll somehow manage to get it all finished and it will be beautiful.

Prism 99 has the answer! Also, my teachers use" band-aids" to reattach the batting. These are strips of pellon that can be ironed onto batting and you don't have to zig-zag or sew the batting. They cut 20 or 30 "band-aids" and put them in a small bowl and reattach the batting every 4 or 5 inches.Very easy!

I am waiting with bated breath to hear how you get on, I have no doubt that you can do it but I want to hear how well you got on seeing all the fabulous tips and encouragement you have had,

I no longer use safety pins or quilt 'guns' with the plastic barbs for quilts I plan to machine quilt. The safety pins get in the way and could scratch your machine. The barbs, being as I stupidly bought the clear ones, are too hard to see; sewing over them will either break your thread or needle, or cause major thread bunching.

Both of these items are excellent for hand quilting, though.

I only ever use 505 spray since I found it, I just use a few safety pins on the corner and sides to hold it for storing as I have sometimes found that I have to reposition as I get nearer the edges, I have never found a need for any other basting.

At my class on Friday one of our members twice got her micro tacks stuck in her machine and she said they are a nightmare to take out, so I won't be going down that road :roll: