Recommendations on Curved Safety Pins

[Liz M.]

When I first got into quilting I purchased a lot of very cheap curved safety pins and they have given me a lot of grief. Dull or not sharp at all and varied in quality. Time to replace.

What brand would you recommend?

[Rita C.]

I have a mountain of those curved safety pins but I don't use them because they are too hard to close and open. I find the EZ Basting Brights much lighter, easier to open and close, easier to see on most quilts. But mostly I spray baste or stitch baste these days. Have you ever tried one of those pumice strawberries to sharpen your pins? Harriet Hargrave recommended one at a workshop I attended. You can get one hanging off the side of those cheap tomato pin cushions. That's my tuppence worth.

[Rita C.]

I do have a strawberry. It's worth a shot.
Thanks!

[Rita C.]

I use the curved safety pins, two sizes. I highly recommend the Pin Grip Covers and a Kwik Klip tool to open and close the pins (some people say a spoon works as well). The covers definitely help save my fingers from getting sore and makes them easier to see - especially when they fall on the floor.

[Rita C.]

I've used curved safety pins for my large quilts, unfortunately I have no idea of the brand. 1 do not close them as you place them in in case you need to move them and 2 using a spoon really helps when it comes to having to close them.

Great new picture

[Rita C.]

Thank you all very much for your help. Gave me lots to think about. I also ordered a few Clover Flower pins too.

[Lois B.]

I use a crochet hook to close the pins. Works great. Must check out those covers.

[Judith A.]

I have the curved safety pins and Kwik Klip too, but about 10 years ago I started using Microtach to baste my quilts, for everything from small to queen-sized quilts. I saw it advertised in a magazine and researched it on the internet. I found one quilt shop in North Carolina that sold it.. I called them and asked if it could be used for quilting. They said 'Yes, they use it for quilting all the time,' so I ordered it and tried it out and have been using it ever since. It has a fine needle and fine nylon fasteners. I buy refills at ACMoore in their sewing section. (This is not the big basting gun sold at JoAnn's that has big plastic fasteners that leave big holes in the quilt. )
I slide a plastic grid underneath the quilt as I baste.
This method is much easier for me to use than safety pins. It makes a large quilt much lighter to handle than a quilt weighed down with safety pins. One big advantage to me is that I don't have to remove or maneuver around safety pins as I machine quilt - especially with free motion quilting. I try not to sew over the little nylon thingys, as that can make it a little trickier to remove them later, but it is no big deal if I do sew over them. In over 10 years of using them, I only broke one needle. Not sure why I broke that needle. Can't necessarily blame it on the little nylon fastener.

[Janet K.]

Judith, microtach sounds great. I will google and see if I can learn more. Janet

[Betty D.]

I'm going to look into it, too. Years ago I had the one from JA's and found it to be terrible! Thanks for the info.

Betty D

[Betty D.]

Thanks Judith!
Is Microtach affiliated with Avery?
Barb

[Betty D.]

This one looked real interesting too. It's even got shorter plastic bits to keep fabric from sliding and moving.

http://www.quiltak.com

[Judith A.]

Yes, Barb. Avery-Dennison makes the Microtach.

[Judith A.]

Thank you Clara. The shorter, finer tacs of the Quiltac sound good to me.
I just read some reviews of the Quiltac. Most seem to love it. It appears the ones who don't like it had problems due to how they were using it. I would not lay the quilt on a hard surface and point the basting gun straight down - you could break the needle. Some reviewers who like theirs said they point the basting gun at a slant. I have been using a plastic grid under my quilts with my Microtach. . It lifts the quilt up a little. I aim the tacs in the open spaces of the grid. One reviewer who loves hers said she got a plastic ceiling grid from Home Depot.
I do Not recommend the Dritz or Collins basting guns; they leave big holes.