They actually sound like something I'd like, but I agree the price is crazy! Currently I'm enjoying the results from spray basting, but it's far from a perfect system either.
LindaB/CA
P.S. That's about three yards of expensive fabric!!!! Rather have the fabric.

I rarely pin baste any more, but several years ago I broke down and bought a Kwik Klip, and it is really helpful for closing safety pins. I leave them all open until all are in place, then close them all with the Kwik Klip. It's helpful for opening them, too, especially if you have sewn too close to a pin! :)

After I bought the tool I saw a tip from someone to use a grapefruit spoon. Wish I'd seen it before I spent ten bucks on the tool!

Donna

Here is a link that might be useful: Kwik Klip

I recall researching these a few years ago and thought they were overpriced. Instead of using a stale food product (creative as it may be :-)), I'd recommend cutting up a sponge or perhaps some fleece for the tops.

My days of pin basting are over, spray basting is where I'm headed. I sprayed basted 4 tops this past Saturday and anticipate I will be quilting them within the week.

Afraid I am one of those who dislikes the pin basting process and will try anything to avoid!!!
V

Too pricey for me and I don't think I would like st. pins to baste with.. I dislike the process but us a tea spoon with a long handle to close the pins. Spray basting is useful for small quilts but difficult to keep things smooth with the larger ones for me. Still use some pins when I spray.

This post was edited by nanajayne on Wed, Jul 23, 14 at 22:40

I use bent quilting safety pins for all my basting. I quilt with a 14" lap hoop that is not on a stand, so the quilt lays out across my bed and gets moved around a lot as I hand-quilt it. So not even a gadget like this could get me to go back to straight pins. And my S-I-L has used the flower tip straight pins and the flowers break off of them pretty easy so I won't buy them either no matter how cute they look.

Best to you and yours,
Sandra

I just sandwiched another quilt with Elmer's School Glue. It is 52x60, and it's holding together incredibly well while I'm quilting it. I hate pinning. But more that that, I hate having to quilt around the pins. FMQ is enough of a trial for me without having to dodge pins too.

I can't believe they are charging $34 for a bag of what looks like watermelon-flavored licorice bits. That being said, it looks like a great idea for those who prefer to pin.

Kate, let us know how they work if you buy them.

I will not be spending that kind of money for something like that! I thought you used the pink things instead of safety pins........not in addition to the safety pins!

I mostly make baby quilts, so I don't mind the safety pin basting for the smaller size quilts. I might try the Elmer's Glue basting for the next larger quilt that I make - if I ever get started on it!

Teresa

Teresa, I think you use the pink things to cap the ends of straight pins, not on safety pins.

I agree with you all: way too costly!

(Thanks Val for the compliment on my creativity!)

I am not the fan of spray basting that some of you are. I tried it once on a queen size quilt and the results were disastrous. Hundreds of little wrinkles that I could not get out; they were literally glued in place and the more I quilted the worse they got. I can see it for a small quilt but I guess I'm happy with safety pins. Maybe I would feel different if I had a larger flat place to spread out the layers.

I liked using Elmer's glue when I basted here at DD's. I've gone the spray way and didn't care for it. No straight pins please and did the stitch witchery way, too.....that wasn't bad. For smaller quilts, I'll probably still use the curved safety pins and Elmer's glue on others. Will depend on my mood...... :-)

SharonG/FL-IN-IL-IN

Sharon, how did you use the Stitch Witchery to baste your quilt? Was it a small quilt, or a large one?

Teresa

I bought a bag of foam ear plugs at the tool store for a couple of bucks and those work just the same. But, I eventually found that the pins were just as easy and went back to my trusted safety pins. I put a quilt away sometimes and the foams can get knocked off with a lot of handling.

Teresa, I read about it here on the forum. Cutting the little pieces was time consuming so I just went at it with the rotary. Couldn't find it to give a link but this is what I saved. :-)
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Posted by crimsicle (My Page) on
Thu, Feb 13, 14 at 16:14

I don't know how old this thread is, but I thought I'd chime in. I like to take stitch witchery and cut it into bits. I mean TINY bits. I fringe it in maybe 1/8" fringe...and then cut across the tips of the fringe to make tiny little pieces. I will do this over the course of a few nights of TV watching to get a good-size jar full. Then, when I'm ready to "baste, I lay down the batting on a big table and smooth it all out. Then, I take my tiny bits of stitch witchery and just scatter it over the batting - not real heavy, but a generous amount of bits. Then I top with the backing and get it all smooth. Then iron it. The backing is now tacked to the batting. I flip them over and repeat the process with the quilt top. It takes just a few minutes and works really well. The bits of stitch witchery are so small that they can't be felt through the fabric - yet they do a pretty good job of holding.
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SharonG/FL

Here is a link that might be useful: oops - it's in the thread: Don't Call The Quilt Police

This post was edited by geezerfolks on Thu, Jul 24, 14 at 12:39

Hi Sharon,
I've used this technique with so..so results. I found the stitch witchery did not bind as well with the batting as I'd hoped. Also, I did not cut it up as fine as you described, perhaps that had something to do with it. The batting was 100% cotton as was the quilting top and back. Not bad in a pinch if I can't spray baste...and I detest pin basting. Nice to use as a backup!
V.

MistyFuse is advertising in the new 'Modern Quilting' Magazine - "stealth basting" using bits of cut up MistyFuse brand fusible scattered on the batting and ironing the quilt onto the batting - instead of using pins to baste. I would consider using this product, as it is light weight, and the fusible is made to be used in quilts.

Here is a link that might be useful: Misty Fuse

I'm intrigued with the idea of trying to use some of that info in spray basting. It seems like I might get the backing smoothed on better by putting it on top of the batting, then flipping it for the top. Might be worth a try next time.

These discussions include lots of gems.
LindaB/CA