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New George - sandwich basting question


delores62305

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Hello, all:  I just got George set up in my house and have cut several practice sandwiches.  I would like to get input as to your preferred method of holding the sandwich together.  I thought about the spray basting, but after researching this, it appears that maybe the spray eventually gums up the needle and I don't want to do something to mess up George.  I don't like the idea of pin basting; especially when I start to quilt larger quilts.  I'm thinking it would be time consuming and would slow down the quilting process (quilt a bit, take out a pin; quilt a bit, take out a pin).  I have viewed a You Tube video of Sharon Schamber with her instructions on hand basting with boards.  That process makes sense, but didn't know how this worked on larger quilts.  

 

Any feedback from George users on your preferred method would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thank you...

 

Delores

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The pins basting is really not as bad as you would think. You have to pause to adjust your hands anyway. I prefer the pins for the sandwiches and quilts. I have used spray basting and like it also. Don't like the overstay though. Never had it gum up my needle.

Congratulations on your George. This is a great forum. Enjoy the process.

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I have had a George (now have a Lucey) and I pinned my quilts.  I used a table or wood floor, taped the backing to the surface so there were no wrinkles.  BE SURE to NOT pull the backing too tight because when you release it from the tape/holding is when it can cause puckers.  Just a soft tug to remove the fluff/folds/wrinkles and tape down.  One side at a time, alternating sides.  Then lay batting and top and pin.  When I quilted I usually quilted design instead of edge to edge, but would take out the pins only in the area that the design fit.  About 12 inch square space.  Then reposition and repeat.  One of the nice things about the pins and removal is that I could tell at a glance what still needed to be quilted or what was done because if the pins were gone that block was done. 

 

When pinning I used an cheap spoon from the kitchen set to push the pin point against and latch it closed.  It sure saved my fingers from all kinds of pokes and hurts.  I kept the spoon in the box with my open pins so everything was ready to use again the next time.

 

When you are starting to get some practice in chalk a stencil on your sandwich and follow the lines, or quilt the flowers and leaves in a floral fat quarter to get a feel of speed and movement.  I finally learned that I might want to "drive" at 60 miles an hour but I got better results at 30 or 40. 

 

George is a great machine.  Have fun.  If possible have George's table backside next to something to stop the quilt from falling off the far edge and creating drag on the area you are working on.  I used the fluff and stuff style.  I put my ironing board at the backside of his table just an inch above the George table and it stopped my big quilts from escaping over the edge.

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Delores:

 

I pin baste, as that is how I was taught.  I start in the middle and then work outward from the center.  I use two large plastic tables that I got from Home Depot.  I make sure to not place a pin near any seam that will be SID before I start my real quilting.  (I do SID on my DSM using a walking foot.)  Place the pins about the span of your four fingers with a little space between them apart from each other.  While it does take time to pin and unpin the safety pins, it does give you time to re-fluff your quilt sandwich as you work around the quilt top. 

 

A member-teacher in my guild recently taught Sharon's binding method.  It looked interesting, and I am going to try it.  Our teacher used pre-painted 1 inch deep x 4 inch wide pieces of wood from the hardware store.  You can get them at Home Depot, Lowe's or any other store that has lumber.  She had them cut to 4 foot and 6 foot lengths do deal with different size width quilt tops.  She also makes her own heavy starch, search for it on YouTube, and "glues" the layers together before basting.  Another lady in the class said she did the same thing, but used plastic/composite boards.  She said they were lighter and would not warp, which is true, though they cost more.  She got them in 6 inch width.

 

I think either method will work.  You just need to find what works best for you.  I think it would be nice to be able to sit-down while basting the quilt verses leaning over the tables.  If you do pin baste, just be sure to never play chicken with a pin.  It will always win.

 

Cagey

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  • 4 months later...

You can also purchase a diffuser from Amazon ($12-$20)  These are usually used for cooking oil, but they work great for our purpose.  Using Elmers School Glue thinned down with water to the consistancy of milk.  Use like a spray baste, but you have to iron it dry.  It will hold your quilt beautifully.  There is a video on U-Tube showing how this is done.

 

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I also had George (prior to my Millie), and I used to spray baste with no problems. I tried pin basting, but it wasn't my preferred method.  After finishing a quilt on George, I would place a cloth under my foot in order to cover the plate, and clean the needle with a lightly damp lint free cloth or alcohol wipe. I never had any issues. I think you have to find what works best for you. You will love your George, he's a great machine.

Happy Quilting,

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