Basting the Colorado Star

The Colorado Star quilt top is draped across on my 4'x8' work table for starching and ironing (more on my work table here and here). Having enough space to work is essential for me to get a straight bed quilt.

I am using Sharon Schamber's technique for basting my. She says that she can thread baste as fast as she can baste with safety pins. I think it takes quite a bit longer but gives far superior results. She has a free video on the process here.

A little rainbow appeared on the quilt this morning as I was basting. Not sure where it came from. It was there just long enough for me to take a photo and then it was gone! It is going to be a good day.

Hand basting versus safety pins

My mom sent me birthday money (no matter how old I am birthday money is always appreciated!!) and I purchased a subscription to the Sharon Schamber Network. I'm trying out Sharon's method of hand basting a quilt. I have not always had perfect success basting with safety pins; mostly pleats in the backing fabric and the holes remain where the safety pins were holding the layers together.

This is not a large quilt so this is not a total test of her method. My test project is only 24"x24". Being that I batiked the fabric, it is a little stiff from the wax. I startched the backing fabric several times so that front and back would be of similar weight and stiffness. Black basting thread "should" help me remember to remove the basting before quilting an area.