Grubbing around on the floor
I can’t put it off any longer.
What? (you may well ask!)
The worst job in making a quilt. Basting it all together. I really truly hate it. I get cricks in my back and my neck, my knees hurt and almost invariably, by the time I get through and turn the package over there will be some horrible little puckers somewhere. Usually right in the very middle. Urgh.
I hate it, but there is absolutely no getting away from it.
I’ve never felt happy with pinning and this quilt is far to big to spray baste (can you imagine the pickle I’d get myself in if I tried to do that š ), so there’s nothing for it but to grovel around on the floor with my tacking thread.
I tend to do twenty minutes or so and then have a break to stretch out the back-ache.
Slowly, but surely I will get there. If not today, then hopefully tomorrow.
And then I get to do the real fun stuff! I LOVE machine quilting. Yum!
Have a great day! (Here it is so dark and grotty you wouldn’t believe it – hence the very dark photo!!)
Helen
November 28th, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Basting. Ick! Hope you survive sanity intact.
November 28th, 2012 at 4:14 pm
It’s awful isn’t it? I generally pin, but still end up with backache and sore knees, plus I need to wash the floor before I get started!
November 28th, 2012 at 4:32 pm
I’m ignoring thoughts of basting and just staring happily at the photo. This is such a lovely quilt and it will be even better when it’s finished!
November 28th, 2012 at 4:36 pm
I agree with you about the worst step in making a quilt. I pin my quilts on the floor and absolutely dread getting to that stage. One of my “wants” is a table large enough to lay a big quilt flat for pinning, but if I get that table, then I’ll need a room big enough for the table.
Just love how your quilt has turned out. I just finished up a Xmas quilt, made a new cover for my ironing board, made a set of oven mitts (for me) and am now working on a baby quilt (not for me).
November 28th, 2012 at 4:37 pm
It is a surprisingly good work out, isn’t it? If one were twenty years younger! I hate basting too!
November 28th, 2012 at 4:41 pm
I’ve never basted a quilt with thread before, always pinned. Recently I tried spray basting and it worked well, admittedly only a lap size quilt. I’ve never basted on the floor though, always on a large table. I clip the quilt to the table edge using bulldogs clips or those small plastic hardware clamps, or use tape to tape it to the table top. This saves my knees and back so much pain and is actually the way I was taught. I’ve found spray basting to be the best method for not getting puckers though. And I also think that the loft of the batting makes a difference. Flatter batting like cotton or bamboo seem to cause less puckering in the quilting process for me.
November 28th, 2012 at 5:41 pm
Wonderful quilt! I can’t wait to see how you quilt it. You do have lots of open spaces in the setting triangles and border for the quilting to really show. Basting… UGGHH! Back when I did basting I took it to the church and shoved a couple of large tables together, taped the backing down, then layered it. It was still tough on the back and neck, but at least my knees and hips managed better. It is even more wonderful if you can con (make that CONVINCE) a couple of your quilty friends to help baste. Happy quilting, Helen! It is going to be gorgeous!
November 28th, 2012 at 7:03 pm
basting, yuck! I do spray baste everything and don’t get a pucker. The largest was 90×84. It’s worth it to me because with pin basting I always got puckers and I’ve never tried thread basting.
November 28th, 2012 at 10:16 pm
I really don’t like basting or quilting…but I love piecing! I haven’t tried spray basting but would like to. Bon courage!
November 28th, 2012 at 11:40 pm
Oh you are good/mad!
Spray basting is the only way to go – you just work in 12″ strips from the top down, honestly a lot easier than anything and all done in about 15 minutes!
November 29th, 2012 at 12:34 am
Not my favourite part either, I have to say! But it is going to be SO beautiful!
By the way, we are due to have snow every day except Saturday. It would be nice to have the sun shining on it too though!
November 30th, 2012 at 1:11 am
Oh I spray baste all the way, even 20 minutes in a nasty spray mask is better than all that time crawling around! Good luck!