I recently read some information on 505 basting spray. It said that it worked really well for layering your quilt. Has anybody used this and how do they like it?

What do you use to layer your quilts? Do you use safety pins, baste with thread, or use those quilt guns?

You should try the search button at the top of your screen. If you type in "spray basting" you will see several threads, some even recent, that we've had on the subject.

I have spray adhesive as opposed to spray basting. I used it for the first time a few weeks ago and had no problems the first couple of days. I'm glad I chose to pin baste as well, just not as many as without the spray, as the spray wore off in a couple days. I'm sure it was my error or using the wrong spray. When this can is gone, I'll look for the other stuff.

M

Thank-you M for the information I will check it out.

I have used all of these methods. My favorite is spray basting, although I admit I haven't done it on a large quilt yet. It was really, really fast and therefore easy on my back for the small quilts I did. The layers stayed sandwiched for a very long time; never had any problem with separation. I did not pin or baste with thread either. The biggest difficulty with the gun was creating the space required underneath the quilt sandwich because at the time I was clamping the layers to a large table (a la Harriet Hargrave, I think?).

Prior to discovering spray basting, my favorite method was the quilt gun. If you purchase one of these, be sure to buy the better quality gun that uses the finer plastic darts. I don't know if they still make them, but some of the earlier guns were cheaper, used thicker darts, and had a tendency to jam. My gun never jammed on me and never left big holes in my fabrics. (Guns may not be suitable for batiks and heavier cotton broadcloth types of fabric; these are more tightly woven than regular quilting cottons, and I have heard of guns leaving holes in this type of fabric. You would definitely want to test before using a gun on these.)

Before I had the gun, I pin-basted the quilts I intended to machine quilt and thread-basted the quilts I wanted to hand quilt. To do these quilts, I mounted them on my homemade frame. This is simply 4 2x4s to which I stapled doubled-over fabric leaders and marked measurements from the center out to each side. I used C-clamps to fasten the 4 wooden pieces to each other, propping the ends on kitchen chairs. I pinned the backing to the leaders first, matching middles, and created my sandwich from there. I actually liked this system, but it was time-consuming because of the rolling and re-pinning needed for a bed-sized quilt, and ultimately it became too much for my back. It worked best for small quilts. Twin-sized quilts had a tendency to sag in the middle.

Thanks Prism. That is what I wanted to know, how spray basting compares to other methods. I'm definitely going to have to try the spray basting.

I've used safety pins and basted with thread...never used a quilt gun but have had serious thoughts about using a gun on some of my quilts that just wouldn't cooperate and do what I wanted them to do. lol.
Maybe squirting 'em with a water pistol just to vent a little. :wink:

Hi,

I use 505 all the time for putting my layers together......works the best of any spray adhesive I've tried. It also doesn't have the odor that some do, a few give me a headache within minutes.
I put my backing down on the table or floor, then the batting on top, fold the batting back halfway, spray it, unfold back on backing and smooth.....repeat with other side. Then I put the top on top of the batting and pull it halfway back, spray the batting, and so forth.
I was taught to always spray the batting instead of the fabric.
How does everyone else do it??

I love 505 spray....don't use pins or baste anymore at all. I also don't do as heavy a spray as some.....you have to find your own style with it.

Bev

Hi,

I use 505 all the time for putting my layers together......works the best of any spray adhesive I've tried. It also doesn't have the odor that some do, a few give me a headache within minutes.
I put my backing down on the table or floor, then the batting on top, fold the batting back halfway, spray it, unfold back on backing and smooth.....repeat with other side. Then I put the top on top of the batting and pull it halfway back, spray the batting, and so forth.
I was taught to always spray the batting instead of the fabric.
How does everyone else do it??

I love 505 spray....don't use pins or baste anymore at all. I also don't do as heavy a spray as some.....you have to find your own style with it.

Bev

Whoops....hit submit twice! Was talking to my husband and didn't realize I all ready hit the button.

Sorry........

Bev

Too funny! I just finished pinning :) This is an interesting subject. I've never used the spray adhesive, but I'll have to give it a try at least once. Presently, I like the "secure" feeling of a well -pinned top. I can move it off my dining table, fold it until I'm ready for it, and know it's going to be just how I left it. Also, this might be wierd, but I enjoy the act of pinning. I devote the time involved as a celebration of the end of piecing and the true beginning of the finishing work. The yummy part, although I love all aspects of quilting.

Can you post a picture of this? I think I can picture it in my mind, but a photo would speak much louder. I'm still pinning my quilts, but crawling around on the floor kills me and I find I get sloppy just to get off my hands and knees.

I started out pinning my quilts. Oh my poor knees. The last three I have used basting spray. I will never go back. It works up faster and holds great. I love it.

I know the feeling auntluc. lol

Thank-you everyone for your advice and information. It was very helpful.

[quote=b.zangCan you post a picture of this? I think I can picture it in my mind, but a photo would speak much louder. I'm still pinning my quilts, but crawling around on the floor kills me and I find I get sloppy just to get off my hands and knees.
[/quote]

You mean a picture of my 4x4s? Actually, I'm not techie enough yet to know how to post pictures, plus I would have to find the 2x4s in our freezing garage. My setup is similar to old-time frames that quilters used, I think. There may be some resource on the web that has a picture of a similar setup; if I can find one, I will post it.

We just got the straightest 2x4s we could fine at the lumber yard. I used staples to attach doubled-over fabric to the frames -- maybe 8-10 inches of fabric doubled over to 4-5 inches extending beyond the wood. Used a Sharpie marker to mark the center of each wood piece, then marks every foot out to the ends. The markings help with both centering the backing on the cloth leaders and with clamping the 2x4s together so they're not all whacky. C-clamps are simple, inexpensive clamps you buy at the hardware store; just make sure they can handle a double thickness of 2x4s. A lot of my learning was trial and error once I had the 2x4s with leaders and the clamps.

I baste my quilt on the sewing machine using water soluble thread in the bobbin and on top. I sew a large X pattern through the whole quilt and I can smooth out any puffiness with just a spray of water and then baste each part of space in between the X as close as I want. I can then machine or hand quilt using regular thread. I don't pay any attention to the basting thread. It dissolves in water leaving the machine quilting. :D

Time to recruit my DH into making what I need. Thanks for the description of your pinning frame. Never having tried spray, and being reluctant to do so, I'm still pinning although this discussion is giving me pause for thought.

If you machine quilt, I'd try the spray basting first. Since I discovered spray basting I haven't used my frame setup at all. I haven't hand quilted anything that has been spray basted, so not sure if you might benefit from a frame setup for that.....

What a wonderful idea! How big a quilt have you basted this way? I am wondering if it works for larger quilts.

Thank-you for the info. I did not know that you could get it layered at a long quilter. I'm too cheap to pay anyone to do work on a quilt

The longarmers here won't baste quilts on their machines. :x

I'm definitely a basting spray convert. It killed my knees crawling around on the floor and pinning. I haven't tried it on a full size quilt yet, just lap/crib size, but I will next time I make one.