mom-6

How do you apply the glue (watered down by 1/2) evenly so it doesn't puddle in some places and miss others entirely?
I wasn't able to get the generic spray bottle I have to work at all. Don't know if it's a defective sprayer or if the glue was still too thick for it.
Like the concept and it worked fairly well even though I ended up spreading it like finger paint. Lol!

Prism99

Try a small paint roller and paint tray.

Buckeye Rose

Straight from the bottle.....doesn't have to have 100% coverage......thin lines every 3 to 4 inches apart.....holds very well

EasyPeezy

I use the small Elmer's glue bottle to refill and "draw" waves with it. Then I smooth the lines
with my finger. I guess you could call it finger painting. LOL. I keep a wet towel near me to
wipe my fingers and speed things up. Like anything else this method might not suit everyone.
Works for me.

maviskw

Not necessary to spray. I water it down 50-50 or even a little more water. Then it is thin enough to come out of the bottle easily. I just hold the bottle above the batt, squeeze and move quickly back and forth across the area in lines about 8 to 10 inches apart. Then I use my fingers to run over the glue just enough to smooth out the larger blobs. Smooth that section down and you're ready to go to the next section. I usually use the iron to dry it at least a little so it won't move when I move the quilt.

Monale

That's what I do, too. No diluting, it's not messy at all and it holds great! I just love glue basting!

jmoore

good to know... thanks for all of your advice. I have only used Elmer's for sewing bindings on larger quilts but have not yet got up the nerve to try glue basting a quilt yet. You guys make it sound easy enough. How does the quilt behave if you are FMQ on a DM after it has been glue basted?

citruscountyquilter

Think of gluing as an alternative to pinning or thread basting. You don't pin or thread baste everywhere so you don't have to have complete coverage with the glue. I make a wavy line every three or four inches and that is plenty. I use it straight from the bottle or if it gets too hard to squeeze the bottle I'll add a little water and shake it up. It is no where near 50/50, much less. If you hold the bottle a few inches off the batting then it will come out in a thin stream which is all you need. I always put it on the batting and not the fabric. If you put it directly on the fabric you will get some soaking through to your table surface. The batting absorbs it so no damage below.

RugosaB

I was mixing the glue with water and had problems. It wasn't holding and the sole of my iron was a mess.
Now, I use it straight from the bottle with a tip I got at Wamart, and just put very thin lines of full strength glue.
Works great, I love this method!

humbird

This is how I do it also. I might add, I did a lap size quilt a couple years ago, glue basting it as stated by Buckeye Rose. Then life got in the way. I didn't get back to it until perhaps nearly a year. The glue had turned to an almost rusty color. I damped one or two spots, and it seemed to come out ok, so I quilted the rest of the quilt, washed it, and it came out of the washer in perfect condition. I breathed a sigh of relief! I Love Elmers. Will never pin another quilt.