Thank you for all of the advice - I appreciate it! The project I'm thinking of using this on is one that I would like to possibly enter into a show and it will be something that we keep indefinitely.
Maybe fabric glue would be safer? Just Elmer's is so darn inexpensive and we always have it around with three small children!
Originally Posted by
gramajo
I think anytime glue is used for a quilt/wallhanging it should be washed to get the glue out of the fabric. Besides, when I use glue the project ends up stiff where the glue was applied. That said, using glue for sandwiching and binding has made my life so much easier.
So far I've used glue as sparingly as I can to still achieve the desired effect, and I've not had much stiffness. I've read of people using Elmer's white glue and I could see where you'd get that because it dries hard...but the glue stick is more like a soft paste.
Originally Posted by
TanyaL
I would definitely wash it out of my wall hangings. I would just use a different washing method, probably just soak them until the glue was dissolved, and then a couple of rinses, no agitation and lay flat to dry - or I would make the wall hangings able to withstand a regular washing. Heavy starch is not good for fabric over several years no matter where the fabric is. If these are seasonal wall hangings that you plan on discarding after a few seasons, don't worry. If they are something to keep then you need to get the starch/glue out of them.
I took an applique class with a simply amazing lady who uses the heavy starch method. I noticed a good number of her quilts had yellowing - and this woman put HOURS upon hours into her quilts...she even recorded the times she put into them. At the time I was pretty new to quilting - I went home and tried her method only to burn my fingers fingers (resulting in lots of swearing, stomping, and yelling) and stiff jagged appliques. Never again!!! Lol*
I think you're right, for heirloom pieces I think I'm going to soak them. Thank you!