bj riley

When using glue instead of pins, how do you do it? Do you put the glue on the batting? Both sides? A little? A lot?

tessagin

A little dab'll do ya! Some use spray glue or water soluble glue. There are videos for basting. All depends on what you're using it for quilt or binding.

tapper

I've used it on small baby quilts. I lay the backing on the floor wrong side up. I stand holding the glue bottle and bend over until I can let the glue run out in a steady stream with no lumping. The hard part for me is keeping pressure on the bottle so that I get a long thin line from top to bottom of backing. I do about 3 rows for the crib size. Then I place the batting on and smooth it out. Let dry. Then repeat for the batting laying the top onto the glued batting and smoothing it out.
I try not to get glue too close to the edges.

If you're like me, you'll definitely get glue on the floor. I have laminated flooring and the glue cleans up easily. I just use a damp mop. If it's on the floor too long, it may require getting on your knees with a bucket to get it off. I've been there too.

A quilter told me that she pins the backing to her design wall and dribbles the glue onto it. I think that would be manageable but a lot harder to do.

There are threads about this topic here on the board. Type Elmer's Glue into the search box.

Prism99

There are quite a few threads on the QB about using glue for basting the quilt sandwich. Try using the "search" feature upper right to find them.

I use glue to "pin" seams together when I want a perfect join. For this I go to the ironing board, pin straight down through the seam, add a tiny dot of glue in the seam allowance, then press with the iron to dry the glue immediately. Works great!

Neesie

I always put the batting down, first. I use Warm & Natural/White and since it's fairly firm, it doesn't shift like fabric will. Anyway, after the batting has been smoothed, I position and smooth the quilt top over the batting. After that is centered and smoothed, I fold back about half of the fabric and drizzle Elmer's School Glue over the batting. I usually do about a third of the exposed batting at a time, smoothing the fabric over the wet glue and making sure all is still straight. The amount of glue you use isn't really crucial. A little will go a long way. I usually open the orange bottle top just enough for the glue to squeeze out easily, then do a fast drizzle in a sort of zig-zag or serpentine pattern. When one half is finished, I fold the second half back to the glue line, then do the same with it. After the second half is finished, I leave it to dry (several hours or over night) OR I use a hot iron over a section at a time, to dry it.

When the first side is dry (or almost dry), I flip it over and do the same with the backing.

Let it dry completely, before quilting.

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

I'm with Neesie. I do it exactly the same way and have done up to jumbo queen size quilts.

toverly

I do the same as Neesie but I dilute my glue just a little. Somewhere between a 1/3 and a 1/4th. Ironing not only dries but it gets out lumps. Just be sure to do it on a cleanable floor or surface, not carpet. The glue does go thru. I had a friend try this and she tried to glue each and every inch of batting. She used way too much. Her quilt was ruined. You only need it enough to hold the layers together like a pinned quilt.

Painiacs

Yep do it like the above, done it in sections on a table.

Buckeye Rose

Yes, just like neesie explained...by drizzling the glue onto the batting you can see the fabric and know there will be no wrinkles....try not to make the process harder than need be....you don't need to brush it on or use special tips....I use it straight from the bottle, tip wide open....moving back and forth across the batting....if you go faster, the glue forms small beads which are perfect....it isn't an exact science, just a very simple and effective method of basting a quilt

masufa

I agree with all that has been said I would just add to make sure it is WASHABLE Elmer's glue, the non washable will be hard when it dries.