I always use safety pins to sandwich and when using straight pins, pull them out as I sew. I'm more concerned about pins in the carpet as I'm usually without footwear. @:(

SharonG/FL

Good question and I also wonder. Recently I left a closed safety pin that I quilted all around in the edge of a border. Thankfully my machine did not hit it. I used it to mark the center of the quilt. My rotary cutter found it when I trimmed that side while squaring the quilt. Ruined the new blade; I had to cut the pin out and go back and trim the border making it smaller than I had planned. I now mark my centers in looped bright pink thread to avoid this happening again.
I also left a straight pin in a quilt that I entered into our local show. I found it when I removed the sleeve in December.
It does make me wonder how to avoid this.

Don't think this has every happened to me! For one thing, after I get the quilt sandwiched with safety pins, I don't think a straight pin ever goes in it again. I use hair clamps to hold the binding in place when sewing it on by hand. From start to finish, I put a small safety pin in the upper left corner of the quilt or the block in that upper left corner to keep myself oriented as to what is the top of the quilt.

Teresa

I only use straight pins when piecing and not often even then. Sandwiching is only 'beer-belly' safety pins.

I have only had it happen one time when I was making a raggedy for my sister! I was showing it to my niece and her little girl grabbed it to snuggle and she said, 'what's that pin doing in my grandma's quilt?'.

Of course the 4 yo would be the one to find it lol!!!!!

The very last thing I do is press a block so I don't have that problem while making the block. And as Sharon, I take out the pins as I sew.

I also press the top when I am getting ready to sandwich it. I use safety and straight pins to baste it but they are big enough to see and I take them out as I go. I was dissappointed in the quality of the quilting straight pins I purchased BUT they have big yellow heads that are easy to see.

The kidddies quilts I do scrunch and I look them over after they are washed. Pins stand out much more on the wet quilt.

It must be a common problem 'cause Quilts For Kids warns you to check for pins before sending the quit!
Rosa

I don't seem to have that problem. I only use straight pins in piecing and then not often. I do use small pins in my applique. I never leave them in but they do end up on the floor/carpet sometimes. I have a magnet I run around the floor now and then. I don't live with pets or small children and hubby is pretty tolerant, thank goodness.

I, too, only ever use straight pins, and rarely, for piecing. I never found them useful for pin-basting - they're too flimsy.

I always pin-basted with safety pins.

To err is quite human, and that's happened to me several times. I never use plain straight pins. I use only longer, large-headed quilting pins, with the heads in very bright paint, so they're more visible and tactile. When one presses over them, they see and feel a lump. Since I started quilting, I also use them when sewing garments.

I had laundered, and put the latest baby quilt I'd made on the line, and noticed something sparkling. It was a straight pin, sewn AND quilted inside. I'd checked it several times for pins, too. I'm so glad I saw it, and it hadn't made its way to the recipient yet. Yes, it was right in the middle of the quilt, and necessitated my releasing one of the seams to remove it and then carefully repairing that seam by hand. Had it been a small straight pen, I might have been able to open the weave of the cloth to clear the head. But, I'm glad it wasn't or I'd never noticed it. One can keep a large, strong magnet by the machine and run it over a quilt at the final inspection. I suspect you'd feel the drag when it passed over the pin.

I think what helps me most now is doing a seam inspection on each and every seam I finish, right after I finish them. It not only helps me find things like pins, it has also caught a few seams where the fabric was mis-aligned just a tad and the seam was at risk for failing. Definitely worth the little extra effort.