I don't brush on the Elmer's. I stream it out in a fine line on the batting and then place the quilt top on top, smoothing it with my hand. The glue smooths out thin. Flip it over and do the same with the backing. I keep it away from the very edges because the glue makes hand stitching the binding harder. I do add about a tablespoon of warm water to the glue if I want it to stream easier. Sometimes I press the quilt top to set the glue if I'm in a hurry. I don't baste any other way. I use my Bernina or Brother and have not had any problems with quilting through the glue. If I did I'd by a machine that didn't give me a problem, that's how much I like glue basting.