chrisquilter Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 I thought this would be a good topic for discussion. When you pin baste, what kind of pins do you use and why do you like them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 These are my favorite pins for basting. I've tried many, t-pins, corsage pins and various weights ofthe flowerhead pins. These are easy to catch all 3 layers of my top without distorting but they are bendable enough to roll on the bars. I do pin them horizontally when I can but sometimes you just have to go vertical. Short of using a 50% off coupon this is the best price I've found for these. The good news is you only have to buy them once, or as often as you need to replace the ones you've lost! http://www.amazon.com/Clover-Flower-Head-Pins-Boxed/dp/B001K58PHO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360330813&sr=8-2&keywords=flower+head+pins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaC Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 I like the flower head pins, too, because they don't poke such a big hole in your quilt. I also inherited some Fons & Porter pins with directional flags on top and those work great for me too; they are slightly stronger than my flower head pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpkinpatchquilter Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 I just started long arming a few weeks ago but so far I have used the flowerhead pins too. I like them best so far because they are easy to grab quickly off of my little magnet holder. I don't use those for piecing as I find they are too thick and shift my fabric...happy they now have a use! I have a buch of those yellow headed dressmaker pins from the days way back in the day when I was making a lot of clothes and I use those too. They seem to bend out of shape more than the flower head pins though. I see a lot of people using corsage pins...I think I might like to try those for pinning to the leaders...they are nice and thick and seem like they won't bend on me. I don't know if I'd use them for basting though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 pumpkinpatchquilter reminded me to add that I like the flower head pins also because you can do ruler work around pins without the head throwing the ruler off. Sometimes I want to pin in fullness and this allows me to hold it in place while I get it stitched. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 These are my favorite pins for basting. I've tried many, t-pins, corsage pins and various weights ofthe flowerhead pins. These are easy to catch all 3 layers of my top without distorting but they are bendable enough to roll on the bars. I do pin them horizontally when I can but sometimes you just have to go vertical. Short of using a 50% off coupon this is the best price I've found for these. The good news is you only have to buy them once, or as often as you need to replace the ones you've lost! Heidi, compared to other flower head pins, would you say these are stronger/less bendable? I have flower head pins I got at JoAnns, but they are really more flimsy than I care for. I don't remember the brand, so curious what you think the strength of these are. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ffq-lar Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 The ones Heidi recommended are also favorites of several longarm instructors. The ones shone are not the same as the packages with all-yellow flowerheads. These are bendable and can be used vertically and rolled up as you advance. They're not as stiff or strong as the regular flowerheads and are pricier. But worth it if you like those characteristics. I use yellow glass-head pins. They're strong, sharp, and easy to see both on the quilt and on my carpet. I do have to remove them as I go if I'm using a ruler, but I usually pin into flat fabric, not seams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 These are my favorite pins for basting. I've tried many, t-pins, corsage pins and various weights ofthe flowerhead pins. These are easy to catch all 3 layers of my top without distorting but they are bendable enough to roll on the bars. I do pin them horizontally when I can but sometimes you just have to go vertical. Short of using a 50% off coupon this is the best price I've found for these. The good news is you only have to buy them once, or as often as you need to replace the ones you've lost! >Heidi, compared to other flower head pins, would you say these are stronger/less bendable? I have flower head pins I got at JoAnns, but they are really more flimsy than I care for. I don't remember the brand, so curious what you think the strength of these are. Thanks! Marci I'll bet you have the blue (dark and light blue) flower head pins. Those are Clover as well and much thinner. I like them for piecing but not the longarm. The ones I use are much stronger and more bendable then the others. I think it was Dawn C. that recommended the ones I have and I have used them for almost 4 years now. There are some other flowerhead pins that are too strong and thick for my liking. These are just right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 (quote from ffq-lar) I use yellow glass-head pins. They're strong, sharp, and easy to see both on the quilt and on my carpet. I do have to remove them as I go if I'm using a ruler, but I usually pin into flat fabric, not seams. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Linda, do you have one of these? It's a Dritz Magnetic Pin Wand. I have one next to my sewing machine. If I drop a pin, I don't have to rely on my eyes to find it, I just grab the wand and run it through the carpet. I love mine! I need one next to my long arm so I don't have to bend to the floor so far ... am I'm getting old! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Good question, Chris. I've been wanting to change my pins. The corsage pins I've been using are tending to poke batting through on occasion and that's not good!! Heidi, thanks for the link to the flower head pins you like. Marci, I bet we are using the same pins! I got mine from Joann's and bought the cheaper ones. I thought they were okay but I may have to try Heidi's choice. Every once in a while Joann's has their notions at 60% off and with Joann's 10% nonprofit program discount, that's 70% off! I hope they have that sale soon. In the meantime, I'm going to try some of my glass head pins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Bonnie, we probably did! The one thing about the ones I have is that even when I missed one and accidently sewed over it the machine needle stitched right on through that flower head like it was lint in the way - I didn't even realize it until I was removing it from the frame. The problem then became how the heck to remove the stitched through pin head without cutting or breaking the quilting stitches..... I did so by carefully cutting the plastic flower head away bit by bit until it was loose! Gheesh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busy Quilting Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 My pin drawer!!!! I have all of the above pins. The Clover 54mm x 0.7mm live on the machine, but I have had some of the heads pull off those of late. my second favourite would be the Bohin Extra Long Quilt Pins 48mm x 0.8mm they have glass heads so are not affected by steam. I'd love a compnay to make a 60mm x 0.7mm pin with a small glass head. That would be my ideal pin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pumpkinpatchquilter Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 Ooh that pin wand looks handy - I keep my pins on those magnets and am always dropping the whole darn magnet on the floor...I can pick up most of the pins with the magnet but there's always one or two strays that when the magnet is full it won't pick up. LOL* Oh the great lengths one will go NOT to have to pick up a pin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 The pins that I've "recommended" for many years are indeed from Clover, but not the "super fine" blue pin pack.The blue ones are definitely are too flimsy. The reason I like these particular pins over other flower head varieties is that I turn nearly every quilt (I know, that's a whole different discussion topic:). Back in the stone age when we didn't have a great forum to share with each other, we had to try and come up stuff on our own. The only way I could figure out how to do the side borders in one shot was to take the quilt off and remount it to the frame. But I also wanted the quilt edges to be held securely. I didn't want to monkey around with having to put the pins in one way so they'd stay flat against the roller, but then try to reposition them to repin the quilt to the frame when I was ready to attach it. I wanted to put the pins into the quilt edges perpendicular to the rollers, not parallel to them. The pins look like long basting stitches along the edge of the quilt. This meant that the pins had to be sturdy enough to pin through all the layers of the quilt and the canvas, but not so beefy that they would stay bent. The way I pin the sides as I go, the pins literally wrap around the roller itself as the quilt collects on the pickup roller. I have used these pins going on 20 years now:). A lot depends on who taught you and how you learned as to what pins you like. some like corsage pins, some like T-pins, yellow head pins, silk pins, even safety pins. Haven't heard of anyone using bobby pins, but we do have a guy using Velcro. Here's a picture of the pins I use: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitepinesquilter Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Makes sense why I have issues, then. The ones I used do have blue heads. I ordered these other ones Heidi and Dawn have suggested, and I hope they work better for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisquilter Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Great discussion! Thanks for all your opinions, suggestions and sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Yes great discussion, I have been using the yellow flower pins as they are sharp and flat and yes I did sew through several once with a backing that was way too small and I used it anyway. I do notice that some of them seem to stay bent so think I'll also try those that seem a little more beefy...thanks for the info! You all are great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnCavanaugh Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Hi Vicki, If you're talking about trying the Clover pins I suggest instead of your yellow ones, I just want to clarify something if you open the package and are surprised. They actually are LESS beefy than the yellow ones, which is why they don't retain their bend around the rollers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judy Ingram Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Thanks for starting this thread Chris! I am pin-poor from trying so many different types. I'll try the Clover pins Dawn suggested on the next quilt. Heidi are the pins in your thumbnail the same diameter and length as Dawn's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisquilter Posted February 10, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2013 Thanks for starting this thread Chris! I am pin-poor from trying so many different types. I'll try the Clover pins Dawn suggested on the next quilt. Heidi are the pins in your thumbnail the same diameter and length as Dawn's?Lol, I love that phrase "pin-poor" Oh mercy, does that mean I am fabric-poor, thread-poor, pattern-poor, I could go on and on. Yes, it looks like Clover stock just went up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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