Elmers Glue and FMQ Question
 

I am experimenting with using glue instead of pins during the piecing process of my quilt. It is a mellon quilt. I lightly glue the outside edge of the seam, then stick the pieces of fabric together (not gluing near the actual sewing line - only along the outside edge of the piece) It works nicely, but I have noticed that as the glue dries (even though it is only a tiny bit of glue) it makes the outside edge of the sewn together pieces hard. My question is what happens after you have prepared the quilt to be quilted. As your needle goes along and hits those hard places, is your rhythm thrown off? If so, does this lead to jurky movements and lines? I was thinking about cutting the 1/16th to 1/8th inch glued area away before FMQ but am wondering if this might compromise the seams. I am still working on sample blocks before I actually start the real quilt. Have any of you noticed any trouble with the FMQ process (as it goes over the glued seams) when it comes to actually quilting the quilt?

I've just used glue for basting for the first time and had no problem with FMQ. Okay, I'm a beginner anyway and encountered enough problems with manoeuvring a whole quilt on my DMS. My suggestion: Why don't you use a trial block, make a quilt sandwich and try it out?

I am not one to use Elmer's glue for basting but I think I read here that you dilute it with water. I would use a washable glue stick and NOT the glue to temporarily hold your melon in place.

I don't dilute my glue with water and I don't spray it on. We've had some recent discussions on this if you want to put glue basting or elmers, or some combination into the search function. Most of us use it to replace pin basting which means we drizzle it on in a grid pattern about the same distance apart that pins would go. I've done over 10 quilts this way and have never had a gummed or broken needle and the sewing machines don't have a problem, at least in my experience. You do have to let the glue dry. If there is a glob from the drizzling, as I am doing it, while it is wet, I just smush it with my finger and move on. There are several of us who have wrist, hand, carpal tunnel, etc. issues and they dilute and either paint on or spray on. that is always a possibility. The rest of us just drizzle from the bottle. Let us know how it works for you!!

You don't need to trim anything. I use Elmer's all the time, both for piecing blocks and basting the quilt sandwich. I don't dilute the glue, and it works beautifully for both.

I use a bottle with a thin tip for piecing and run a very thin line like you did, close to the edge, and then hit it with a hot iron for a couple seconds. Quick and accurate piecing!

If you should make a mistake and line up the edges crooked, just carefully pull them apart and try again.

For basting, I use a bottle that I got at Sally Beauty supply and snipped the tip off so that the hole's a little bit bigger than the one on the glue bottle, and drizzle it on.

When it's dry, the needle goes through like butter; there's no problem at all with those stiff edges or spots, and it all washes completely out when the quilt is done.

I love glue basting. The only problem I have ever had is if there is a lump of dried glue. I dilute my glue and glue all over in a random squirting pattern. When I am pressing the fabric on, I make certain any large globs of glue are pressed flat. It does get stiff but the needle goes right thru. Of course, I always wash the glue out once the quilt is done.

Thanks to each of you! That was a great idea to make a small quilt out of one sample block and then quilt it. It will give me so much more confidence.
Alice

The question was about basting seams, not about spreading glue onto batt. When I drizzle glue onto the batt, it usually beads up. I run my finger along that line to get rid of the beads and there are no big hard spots left.

I have never used glue to baste seams, but there were a few times I should have.

I won't baste any other way other then using Elmer's Washable glue. The only problem I find now and then is if a bubble of glue wasn't smoothed out and dried flat. I have glued an entire blocks together before sewing. That blocks sewed up perfectly and exactly the same size. I don't dilute unless squeezing for basting. I use a tiny amount of water for it to flow smoothly.

The only problem I can see with glue basting seams would be if you choose to press your seams open after construction. I have never had any issues sewing through any areas that have been glue basted and I have probably used glue to baste 7-8 quilts. I don't dilute, just straight from the bottle.