Elmer's Glue
 

FYI-I picked up several bottles of this Elmer's clear washable glue really cheap at Walmart's back to school sale. I wanted to see if I could use it in a spray bottle to baste a small lap quilt. I diluted it 3/1 but it was still to thick for a fine spray so I decided to roll it on instead. I picked up a cheap tray and roller from the $1 store and rolled the diluted glue on the batting. I smoothed out the fabric and hung the quilt out on the line to dry.
When I brought it in there were some spots that showed through on my solids but the patterned fabric was fine. The glue made the fabric feel like it was heavily starched. I was a bit worried about the quilt being soft and cuddly after quilting.
The quilting went really well and I threw it in my washer with a bit of tide and did a 6 minute wash cycle and a few minutes in the dryer. It came out just lovely, soft and cuddly and I can no longer see the bleed through glue spots on the solids. This is what I used....[ATTACH=CONFIG]531665[/ATTACH]

I am just too chicken with trying to use Elmer's washable glue to baste my quilt.

Washable glue washes out, it's not really a glue, just dries stuck to whatever it's on. I don't spend much time glue basting. I squeeze out squiggle lines on the batting and smooth the quilt top to the batting. I haven't used anything but glue for basting in over five years. I use it for applique now too, no need to fuse if I'm stitching around it. Once dry the applique isn't going to move or pucker.

That's why I tried it on a small lap quilt. I figured if I totally ruined it, the cat wouldn't mind sleeping on it. :D

That's funny! Kids eat the stuff so it's not toxic and how can it mess up a quilt?

Ha ha! Thanks so much for sharing your experience--I too have not yet tried glue basting. I love 505, but it is so costly!!!

what exactly scares you about it? You can try on a scrap square. I don't roll it on - just drizzle. It replaces pin basting for me - not spray basting. I'll never go back to spray, pins, or thread basting.

I am also a convert to glue basting! I just squeeze out a thin line in a back and forth motion, 3-4 inches apart. It doesn't have to be thick and solid. I agree it is stiff when it first dries, and sometimes it shows through some, but it really does all wash out. The stiffness is the only thing that bothers me a little. On my last quilt the backing was a stiff over-dyed black, and I made the mistake of starching the backing before applying. Wow, was that combination stiff! It washed up cuddly and soft though, and I threw the leftovers of the backing away.

I just used Elmer's washable glue on my quilt for my grandson that has large AF jets on it to hold it in place. It was stiff but washed out beautifully. n

I have been using spray glue for 20 years with no problem. As long as its washable. Before the Elmer's spray glue that I use now, I was using spray glue from the automotive department at Walmart. I haven't bought any from there in a long time, but back then it was 3.98 for the large can. I'll check the next time I go to Walmart. lol I spray glue my quilts and also use a few pin. On my embroidery work I use the washable glue sticks from Dollar Tree to hold the material in place. I have not hooped any material in years, I only hoop the sticky back window film that I use. Sylvia

Thank you for showing exactly what you used and how you did it. When you say you hung the quilt on the line to dry do you mean after you rolled it or after you quilted it? Thanks.

I haven't seen any spray adhesive that is washable other then fabric basting spray.

I glue baste my binding before sewing, but it isn't right on the stitching line. I think some people were concerned about the glue gumming up their machines?

Have been glue basting for a couple years now with no problems at all. I just drizzle it. I am quilting a baby quilt with fleece backing now, it is glue basted and the fleece is holding fine also.

The quilt sandwich will get stiff if you spread the glue all over. Nothing wrong doing
it this way when it's a small quilt but you're making a big quilt it gets tricky when
you have to quilt a large piece of "cardboard". Ask me how I know.
I prefer to apply the glue in wavy lines. That way the quilt is not so stiff and a lot
more manageable for quilting.

I agree with Stitchnripper, been using it for a few years, and will never look back.

[QUOTE=FabStripper;7326814]Thank you for showing exactly what you used and how you did it. When you say you hung the quilt on the line to dry do you mean after you rolled it or after you quilted it? Thanks.[/QUOTE I hung the glue basted quilt out on the line to dry. I had extra batt at the top and just used clothespins. It did make the sandwich kind of stiff so shoving a large glue basted quilt through the machine would be harder.

I use the KISS method when glue basting....drizzle right from the bottle full strength onto the batting....diluting and rolling are time consuming and more stuff to clean up for me.

I so love glue basting, just don't try it on a quilt you are are planning to HAND QUILT! Yikes!

I bought one of the narrow foam paint rollers for just this purpose. Glad to hear your results. Now, I gotta get busy and dig it out!!

Try making a 12" quilt sandwich from your ugliest piece of fabric. Visually divide that 12" square into four quarters and apply the glue in various ways mentioned here. Let the glue dry or iron over it with a warm iron. Quilt on it, then, throw it in the washer and dryer and see what you think.

Once you see without danger to a quilt that you have spent hours piecing, I believe you will be hooked.

Tartan, so glad you pushed on and found out how wonderful glue basting is.

The Glue bottle you show in the picture does not say Washable. I wonder if this is why you are having a problem.

Thank You Tartan, I've use Elmer's school glue and love it. Also with all the back to school sales I to stocked up on my glue sticks and bottles. I never thought about a roller and tray before. This sounds great. I just picked up the backing for a new 3 panel design wall (I up-cycle a lot of stuff and I was given the panels and told I could have more any time, the panels are light weight and they come with great hanging holes in the top of each panel), I will be able to fold and put up and take down as I want without having to get help (right now I have plans for this to hang in my sewing area in the corner with two panels next to each other and the third panel on the other side of the corner - I'm making one panel with chalk board fabric on the back side, so I can have my client due dates listed along with shopping list for items needed to finish my client items as well as my own). This will also make full time RV'ing with my design wall easy. But I was having trouble with how I was going to get all of my batting glued down (so your roll idea came along at the right time). Thanks again

I picked up 3 large Elmer's glue sticks at Walmart during their before school sales but was not careful enough. Realized later that the glue is purple. I know it dries clear but was wondering about the effects of the colored glue on fabric. Has anyone used the purple glue sticks?

Thank you for this idea to use for applique (on my bucket list to do an applique project).

The washable glue can be thinned with water and applied with a soft paintbrush. I used it for the seamlines on the pieced back of a quilt. Worked fine. I kept it barely moist so it would not bleed through to the front side.

Tartan,your idea is genius! Thanks for sharing. I don't use glue to baste, but this might be worth a go!

Purple glue sticks fade to clear..at least the ones used when I was teaching. So there shouldn't be a problem.

I use the 505 or another spray glue from Joann's for all my quilts. I may try the Elmer's on a small one in the future. I will also look in Walmart for the glue mentioned by ThreadHead! No more all over pin basting for me!

Glue basting is the only thing I use. I don't spread it over the whole surface. I just squizzle a thin stream in a zig zag motion on the quilt bat and then lay the backing over it and smooth it down. Let it dry and then flip it over and do the same for the front. Never had any problems.
You don't need to think of glue basting as an alternative to spray but rather it is an alternative to pin basting or thread basting. You don't pin or sew everywhere and it works so you don't need to glue everywhere.

The only thing I do not like about glue basting is cleaning off my cutting table, so I have the whole table clear to spread my quilt!

That's how I consider it too, not as an alternative to spray basting. I think one of our posters (maybe you, citruscountyquilter?) noted that distinction a while back.

the glue doesn't have to cover every inch as spray basting would. Just enough to hold the sandwich together.

Once dry it has never gummed up one of my needles and it seems very easy to machine sew through. And for me has always washed out.

I wonder what "scares" people when it is easy enough to glue a practice square together to test, and then wash out.

I, too, am going to challenge you to "try it, you'll like it"! I honestly think once you try it yourself, you will get over your fears.

I have used Elmers glue on a couple of quilts to try it out & I love this method. I squeeze thin lines about 4 to 5 inches apart and then use a damp sponge brush to spread the glue. I also have diluted the glue and used a sponge brush I like diluting the glue method better.

If you haven't tried glue basting yet, give it a shot! It's so super easy. I used to dread basting quilts because I have back problems; taping my quilt to the floor and then pinning was my old way and it was painful and very slow because I had to take frequent breaks. Now I work on a table at a comfortable height and I'm done in just a few minutes. Then I go have a nice glass of wine and relax while it dries, as I congratulate myself on being one step closer to a completed quilt. :)

I have used Elmers glue for basting for several years and love it. At first I just drizzled in thin lines but once in a while would end up with a few stiff spots. I have found if I dilute it and spray it on, then take my hand and just smooth over the whole part that I have sprayed it distributes it evenly. After I have sprayed both sides I go over it with the iron lightly to just help dry it. It's the way to go for me!

Most of the time I do my spray basting on the bed. There's just enough give that it is so easy to get it smooth.

Thank you everyone for all of your tips on using Elmers. The spray basting is so expensive & the price has recently went up even more. I have tons of Elmers I bought a few years ago at Walmart school sale & I'll be using it from now on.

My DD dipped large fabric cut outs of animals, most life size, dipped them in Elmer's School glue and pasted them to my grands play room. They stayed perfectly and had a protective coating. When she wanted to remove them when she was selling her house, she sprayed water on the fabric and it came right off. Wiped down the walls and there was no sign left the cut outs were ever there.

[QUOTE=Tartan;7326889]Either thin the glue with water even more or don't try to get every inch covered. Remember when pin or thread basting, you don't get every little bit, just here and there to hold it still while you quilt.

When drizzling the glue, just make sure you are not leaving any glue blobs. If you get a blob, just smooth out with a finger. And again, not every square inch needs glue.

Just make sure you are using Elmer's WASHABLE School Glue, they do make different types.

I have used the glue on test pieces. I started from the center and squiggled to the edge. I used a plastic paint edger to spread it a little. Then took it to my drying rack and turned the fan on it. Laid it across a couple bars so it wouldn't be so weighty. I try everything out on my uglier pieces then donate to animal rescue shelters. That way the pieces aren't wasted.
Good way to practice FMQing.