My tabletop quilt basting technique

Today I have my table top version of how I baste my quilts. For those of you that are out there suffering from chronic  pain conditions and find it difficult to crawl around on the floor to baste a quilt this is the perfect solution. This is also a great quilt basting technique if you are also limited to space especially on those large quilts we all love to make.

I use a large plastic table but you can use any table that you have or any size table this works for. You will only need a few supplies. you will need 4 bamboo skewers (I cut the sharp point end off mine), Masking tape, and between 4 and 10 large clamps.  depending on the size of your table. ( I use these plastic type from the $2 shop.

To start with you want to find the centre point of your table. I have mine permanently marked as you can see in the photo above  but you could also mark out the middle point of your table each time with some masking tape or washi tape. Then once you have your middle point you want to use your 4 bamboo skewers to make a cross out from that middle point and tape it down with masking tape.

Then I fold my backing fabric in quarters and with an iron I mark the middle point of the backing fabric and unfold it. You then want to lay your backing fabric on the table matching up the centre
 point of you fabric to the centre  point of the cross marked on your table and pull it out nice and straight and clamp it to your table with your clamps. Then you follow that same procedure with your batting. You want to make sure you have clamps on all 4 sides of your table holding it nice and firm. On my long table I use 2 clamps per shorter side and 3 clamps per long side

Next I do the same with my quilt back by marking the middle point of my top by folding it in quarters and marking it with the iron. then lay that on top matching that middle line of the quilt top with the middle point of the bamboo skewers and smooth out and clamp to the table pulling nice and tight as I go. I have each layer clamped to the table smooth out the next layer and remove the clamps and reclamp that next layer. On this layer it doesn't matter if your  top doesn't reach the ends just so long as your sides are clamped but still leave the other layers of the ends clamped. Then start pin basting starting from the centre and working your way out and smoothing our your quilt top as you go if needed.

Once you have pin basted your middle section that is covering the table unclamp your quilt and move it to one of the sides straighten and smooth it back out and reclamp your layers for that side and continue. Then you do the same for the other side and your ends if needed.

Then you are finished and ready for some happy quilting.