Need an ingenious idea to sandwich a quilt
 

Yesterday, I was achy all over - felt like I got hit by a Mack truck. I don’t normally have aches and pains so this was all new to me. Trying to think of what I did the day before then it dawned on me. I was crawling on all fours for several hours sandwiching a quilt. I definelty need an ingenious idea to do this part of the quilt on either my small and narrow dining room table or on top of the 2 person hot tub outside. Any ideas? Thanks

This is one of the reasons I got a longarm! Actually, many long arm quilters do offer a sandwiching service. They use a really long basting stitch. My machine came with one built in specifically for this purpose.
Other than that Sharon Shamber's board basting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwNylePFAA
and patsy Thompson's wall basting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UoUzK19Vww

I use my cutting table to sandwich my quilts. I start in the center, clamp everything down, 1 layer at a time and then either pin or thread baste that whole section. Move the quilt all over the table until the entire quilt in sandwiched. It's tedious moving it around bit by bit but it certainly beats crawling around on the floor! I've done everything from baby to king quilts with this method. My cutting table is the type sold by JAF with the drop leaves on the sides and about a 12" center section.

I have a large island in my kitchen (5 feet x 5 feet) and I use that!

I use the JAF cutting table also...somewhere I read to tape a quarter in the very center of the table...that way you can easily find your center for your backing and top by feeling for the quarter. That eliminates pretty much any guess-work in using the table. Since I spray-baste, I do this process outside and the table stays outside under an eave in a fairly protected area and comes in handy for other things but it does live out-side.. I know its not meant for that but seems to work out ok. Many years ago, I made use of our kids' trampoline!! that was pretty great..but still awkward. Large table tops work best..larger the better.

great tip, thanks

I use the long tables put together in our apartment's lounge. before moving here, i've used the tables at the library.

yup use my Joann's cutting table...clamp, pin from center out and up and unclamp and move to one side at a time reclamp and pin...works great...

I'm planning to combine board basting and glue basting for a queen quilt (DH's wolf quilt.) I was planning to take it over to his church and use the tables there, and complaining that I'd either have to babysit it while a section dried or run back and forth every hour or so. He said "Why can't you just add more tables? Unroll the first section, glue it down, move in another set of tables, unroll more, glue *that* down, and so on?" The man is a genius! (Or else the spirit of my late father was whispering in his ear! :D )

I also use the JAF table with the drop leaves, however, my problem is opposite of too big a quilt. I do lots of throws and wall hangings which aren't as big as the table. I can only clamp 2 sides, then have to tape the other two, and always end up with a wrinkled backing. Any suggestions as to big table/small quilt?

My handy DH made my basting frame which sits on top of my kitchen table chairs. It's 8ft x 8ft and breaks down into 5 8ft 1"x2" boards which I store in a corner of my sewing room. The sewing room is to small to baste in so I do that in the kitchen.
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The 5 boards are held together with wing nuts and it is at a good height for comfort. I can pin the entire quilt except for about 12" square right in the middle. That last 12" I baste after I have released one side of the quilt then I stand inside the frame area to reach.
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