Basting spray for quilting?

[oneslybookworm]

I'm in the middle of quilting my table runner for Christmas, and of course the darn thing started puckering on the back. A friend of mine suggested basting spray...have any of you used something like this?? Do you have recommendations for a specific brand, or conversely, how to keep my quilt backing taut while I try to pin it?

[Redpoppy]

Most people I know use 505. I'm not a fan of spray but also haven't used it. I think it can be messy and smells.

I'm don't baste in the usual way. I see everyone tapping backings down to make the quilt sandwich, but my knees suck. I tend to just lay the backing down on a table or bed, get it flat, smooth the batting onto it (I often iron batting), then smooth the top onto that and pin. A table runner/mini quilt I usually wouldn't pin unless I had a small margin of error. I re-smooth as needed when quilting


Are you starting from the middle with quilting? Alternating directions? Using an extended table? That can all help too.

[schrodinger]

I don't care for spray basting, mainly because I don't want to deal with overspray and the smells. I lay the backing out on the floor/table and tape the edges down with painters tape (start at top, pull taut from bottom, tape bottom, repeat with L/R sides). Pins go in facing random directions, don't put them all in facing the same way.

I have problems with puckering if I stitch in the ditch and then try and go back and fill in the area.

[oneslybookworm]

Thanks ladies!! Ok, I think I need to tape down the backing...that sounds much easier than spray basting. Putting the pins in opposite ways is something I never thought of, so good ideas there!

Redpoppy, I just quilt on an old desk I own. I don't start at the middle, I just started at one end of the table runner and go to the end...I'm just quilting simple lines. I will try the alternating directions idea...hopefully that helps!

[CloudBee]

If you use it, push down really firmly to get a good adhesion.