Originally Posted by feline fanatic

I don't float my quilt tops. I prefer to load my top on the roller intended for it. I feel it helps keep the quilt more square as you progress. But that is JMHO. That said, it does present problems if you are starting out with an out of square top or one with wavy borders. Loading or floating is a personal preference.

When you do this method (and this applies to floaters or loaders) your first pass of quilting needs to stabilize the entire quilt such as all the ditch work or at the very least an overall basting of the quilt. My friend who is an award winning national show winner does both!

In this case my first pass was all the ditch work and basting my edges which stabilized the entire quilt. When I got to the bottom, I unpinned the backing from the backing roller and repinned to the roller for my top. This is essential for the following reasons:
1. I have seen a LA Quilter not do this step and leave the entire sandwich on the backing roller. She managed to get batting tangled up in her hook assembly. Not once but twice with two different quilts. It took her hours to clean that mess out of her bobbin/hook area
2. by utilizing your quilt top roller (as opposed to your backing roller) when you re-roll the quilt, the top is rolled up inside and you are not leaning against it while working on it and inadvertently removing chalk marks and subjecting the top to soiling. The backing is on the outside of the roll. If you leave it all on the backing bar the top is on the outside and you are constantly brushing against it as you quilt.
3. And I feel this is the most important reason...The backing bar works as a tension bar, further stabilizing the entire sandwich and helping to eliminate any pleats or puckers that may happen. I unroll my leader so the quilt sandwich is passing against the metal of the roller and not creating any drag.

I have done quilts both ways, changing threads as I roll and doing first all one color and then another and so on. It all depends on the size of the quilt I am doing and how many color changes. I find doing all one color than another appeals to my frugality but it really tests my patience because I always want to see what it will look like when all the colors are down.