Baste Your Quilt on the Wall in 20 Minutes
Save Time, Effort and Get Better Results!
Basting the layers together for machine quilting is a critical step in the success of the finished quilt. That’s especially true with free motion quilting.
You don’t want the layers to move while quilting, and it upsets your rhythm to stop every little bit to remove pins. Patsy Thompson has solved the problem beautifully with her basting wall system.
Essentially, she spray bastes on her wall. She has a wall set up just for this purpose, lined with ceiling tiles to pin into and with newspaper over them to catch over-spray.
If you don’t have that much wall space to dedicate, you could set up something similar with a large sheet of something that will accept pins, like foam core. Prop it against the wall for basting and store it under the bed when not in use (don’t forget protective newspaper on top, and possibly on the wall behind it) .
Not only does her method create quilt layers that won’t move, it’s very easy on your knees and back. Plus, spray basting eliminates pins and minimize the risk of puckers on the backside of the quilt.
And, Patsy says she can spray baste a queen size top in about 20 minutes.
The following video outlines her wall system. This is the first video in a series of four tutorials about beginning free-motion quilting.
Forward to 5:45 to learn how she bastes on the wall. Or, skip to the next video if you’re in a hurry.
Click here to watch the video if it doesn’t play on your device.
Patsy goes on to discuss her basting system in more detail in the following video. She thoroughly explains every aspect of her basting system. While she recommends this for free motion quilting, it will work beautifully for walking foot quilting as well.
In the video she addresses questions and concerns that many quilters have about spray basting and with her wall system. It’s well worth your time to watch.
Click here to watch the video if it doesn’t play on your device.
The right basting spray is important to your success with this system. Patsy prefers 505 Basting Spray and explains why in the video above.
She also demonstrates how to wall-baste quilts of all sizes.
Click the links below for more of Patsy’s great tips for free-motion quilting in the remaining two videos in her beginning free-motion series.
