Great, great info - thank you! I love this forum!

Does anyone have any shops they like to order from online? For stuff like mats, shears, rulers, and other general sewing/quilting notions.

I baste my quilts using the Sharon Schamber method. I have a cutting table that i baste at, and your quilts are small enough, that I probably wouldn't wrap around the 2x4s......I'm also using up all that embroidery floss from years ago when I used to do counted cross stitch. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA

I pin with the smaller curved pins too.
A word about doing it on the floor - having done that I can attest it's murder on the knees.
If your local library has a meeting room with large tables ask if they'll let you use it to sandwich your quilt.
Or your LQS or a local church that does the monthly friendly meals and thus has large tables, ditto a community center.