This is the system I use to spray baste all of my quilts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPaIzuoY6Bg

It's much easier than getting down on the floor and has come out perfectly for me every time and I'm not that experienced with sandwiching quilts. It could easily be adapted to glue basting.

I would recommend standing the glue bottle in a mug with hot water before applying--this will make it flow easily. Then just try to control the amount that comes out--you won't need to use practically any pressure at all. Also, diluting the glue works better for 100% cotton, but if you're using poly batting, I wouldn't dilute it; the poly batting doesn't stick as well. I use glue basting for practically everything except for pieces that I don't want to launder, like art quilts, since I always want to wash the glue out when I'm done quilting. It's changed my life--I can glue baste a queen size quilt in about an hour. It's great!

I pour glue into a container with a nozzle like they have for katsup and mustard. and when I am done I clean the cap with water and put saran wrap over the bottle. I hold the bottle up about 12 inches and drizzile on fabric or batting. My hand does not get tired and I do not water it down.

I dilute mine and then I put it into a condiment squeeze bottle (like the ones at restaurants) You buy a package of four for under ten dollars on Amazon. Just make sure you don't get the glue too thin. Also you barely have to squeeze the bottle.

Sorry, I didn't read all the replies through. I see sewingsuz uses the same bottles.

I'm a true believer in the Elmer's Glue method of basting. I can't see me ever going back to sprays or pins. Yes, there is a knack to applying it and I have become better over time and getting it just right. My hands aren't the best but no carpal tunnel (not any more at least). Give it a bit more time and maybe even consider getting help from a friend or family member.

Doesn't glue basting gum up the needle?

No. The glue should be dry when you quilt. The only thing to avoid are blobs of glue that might break your needle, so just wipe away or spread out any blobs.

as stated above it does not as long as the glue is dry. I’m over 20 quilts in. If you get a glob just smooth it with your finger. If it gummed up needles those of us who use it exclusively wouldn’t.

I saw a glue roller product listed on this site a year or so ago and ordered one from Amazon. This is a different listing but looks identical to mine, so should be the same.

https://smile.amazon.com/DCT-Wood-Ro...7D2LPKNT&psc=1

It's a game changer - so easy to avoid globs. I dilute the glue a tiny bit - like maybe a TBSP or so to a bottle, and I refill from a gallon jug of Elmer's washable school glue. Give it a try - squeezes easy and spreads well.

I have glue basted more than 80 quilts using Elmer’s Washable School Glue. I tried other methods, but like the glue basting best because I never get any puckers on the front or back of my quilts. Using this method, the quilts never come out stiff and there is no chemical smell or overspray to deal with.

1. Roll the quilt top on a pool noodle (right side up). This will make it easer to put the top on the batting later.

2. Fill a carpenter’s glue roller bottle with undiluted Elmer's Washable School Glue. Do not dilute the glue because you want it come out of the bottle slowly.

3. Starting at one end, gently squeeze the glue bottle to feed a small amount onto the batting in an X pattern, making sure there are no glue globs that would make the quilt stiff. Aim for a thin line of glue, not a wide strip, about the width of a line drawn with a fine tip marker. If it looks like there's more glue than I want on the batting, I stop squeezing the bottle and just use the roller to "spread" it.

4. I usually apply the glue in a 10” -12” high row across the batting, then begin unrolling the quilt top onto the glued batting a “row” at a time.

5. Remove any wrinkles as you go by smoothing the glued top from the center to the edges with your hands, similar to the way you’d smooth wallpaper on a wall.

6. After the glued top has dried a few hours, flip the sandwich and glue the backing to the batting following steps 1 through 5 above.

7. Let the glued backing dry overnight.


I wash the roller thoroughly with warm water immediately after using it to glue. The roller can be easily popped out and I just rub it down with my fingers under warm water to remove the glue and any accumulated fuzz/threads. The roller is a made from a hard rubber. As long as you clean the glue after every use, the bottle and roller should last for years. There really is nothing to wear out.

This is the easiest way I have found to glue baste my quilts. The glue is cheap at $10-$15 per gallon and will glue numerous quilts. Quick and easy to do, no chemical smell or overspray, and no puckers in the finished quilt. Hope these tips help.

Carpenters’ glue roller bottles are available on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ref_=pd_gw_unk

And if you have a time crunch and don't want to iron it, blow a fan on it. It will dry in about an hour.

this is what I did, poured it into a little bowl & diluted enough to spread with a brush, worked well, just give it plenty of time to dry.