In her post about it, RST describes board basting as a "game-changer." I have to agree. It was never my favorite part of quilting--trying to find an open space large enough to work, not wanting to be on the floor hunched over and uncomfortable in more ways than one ... Board Basting is so much easier and quicker! And it can be done on a table-top.
Here are some pics from the most recent quilt I board basted on our dining room table (not on the floor -- yeah!). I did have to add the 2 leaves to the table as the quilt was a twin size :
Winding on the quilt top face up (backwards on the board).
On the board, you see the wrong-side (seam side) up/out. That's what we want.
Wind it on until the whole quilt top is wound around the board.
Set aside.
Using painter's tape to secure the leading edge onto the basting board.
A good start helps keep the fabric winding on straight.
Winding the quilt backing onto the basting board - wrong-side up -- which means, right-side shows on the wound board. I like to use the wide quilt backings so I don't have to piece backings to be large enough to fit. These work very well!
Turn the boards around to UNwind them. Here the backing unwinds with wrong-side up.
I fluff the batting in the dryer after I take it out of the package. This helps to release the wrinkles and smooth it out. Layer the batting on top of the backing and let it free float over the backing and the backing board -- after smoothing it out. The excess batting flows over the edge of the table onto a couple of dining room chairs. I use Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 Batting. It "sticks" to the fabrics, which helps keep things in place until I pin baste. Then start unwinding the top - again, smoothing everything as you go.
Here the quilt top board is unwound until it meets the backing board underneath the batting where they kind of nest together for the duration ...
After the backing, batting, and quilt top are layered and smoothed, it's time to start basting the layers together. I prefer to use safety pins for this step.
Pin Basting.
Move the pin-basted section to the edge of the table. You can roll it up, or let it hang over the edge. Then flip the batting up and out of the way so that you can unwind a new section of backing. The boards will help make sure things stay flat and straight--that's assuming your boards are straight to begin with.
Smooth the free-floating batting over the newly opened backing. This batting "sticks" to the fabric, which I've always found very helpful.
Unwind a new section of the quilt top to correspond with the "opened" batting and backing. Smooth things out as you go. The boards make this remarkably hassle-free!
Here's the last little bit of the quilt top. I cut it close with the batting. Ideally, I should have a little more batting to hang over the edges. But you see how nice and straight things stay with the basting boards. It's so nice!
Here you can see the already pin-basted sectioned rolled up on the upper left side of this picture.
Sandwiched, basted and reasonably stable.
Ta-dah!
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That's what I finally decided to do -- giant, block-sized spirals with stars in the cornerstones. I have it all mapped out on DoodlePro. The spiral is a symbol of creativity, that will serve as a talisman for this young man, who is creative in his own right.
Now I just need to be brave enough to start it ... Do you get that inertia at the start of a new quilt?
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