For those of you that use glue to baste your quilts together, do you heat set as well?

Not normally for me because I'm not usually in a hurry. I've done it once or twice to see what happens. Dries faster

I'm assuming then that you wash it before you give it away, right?

I always wash my quilts before I give them away or use them.

I am giving a demo on glue basting to my quilt guild this week. It's all I ever do anymore. Love it for the bindings too as no pins to stick me or catch on my thread as I'm hand stitching the binding to the back. I use the glue straight from the bottle in a fine stream and zig zag pattern to sandwich. For my bindings I use the end of an orange stick (like you use for manicures) to dab a little glue on the edge before I roll the binding to the back. I heat set my bindings so they stick right away. For the sandwich I just let it dry. I saw washable glue at Dollar General 2 bottles for $1 their brand and Elmers for $1 bottle. Can't beat how economical it is either.

I am curious...how do you apply the glue? On top of the batting, or what? Do you smooth it out (spread glue with fingers) after putting the top onto the sandwich, or let it dry as is?
I bought a bottle of Elmer's school glue that said washable. It is clear, not white. Hope it is the right kind.

I heat set them just because I want to be able to smooth out all the potential puckers, and it dries faster. I love using Glue to baste. I was unhappy with the quilts I pin based because I would end up with puckers and the top and backing would slip around. Now, the quilts don't move and they turn out perfect. I hand quilt my quilts and the glue doesn't make it anymore difficult.

If you do ever decide to try it, make sure you use the Elmer's SCHOOL glue. It'll wash right out, whereas the regular white glue will not. :)

I wouldn't use regular Elmer's white glue either--it doesn't wash out. We are all talking about Elmer's WASHABLE SCHOOL GLUE. It doesn't matter if it's white, clear, blue, or whatever color. Just as long as it is washable school glue. In fact, I use a non-Elmer's brand of washable school glue I get for 34 cents per bottle at a big box retailer. Works just like Elmers. I wouldn't baste a quilt with anything else.

I start by drizzling it on about the top 1/4 of the batting. I hold the glue bottle about 2 feet above the batting and move quickly across the fabric first in one direction, then perpendicular to the first. If there are any glue clumps, not thin lines, I spread them out with my finger. I then place the backing on the glue and rub the fabric to make it flat. Once I'm convinced the fabric is flat, I'll run a dry hot iron over the fabric starting in the center and working out to the edges to set the glue. I set the glue because as I move the fabric around, I don't want anything slipping. I then continue to glue down the backing. I repeat the process for the top the same way. When I'm finished, the quilt is securely sandwiched together and I can start hand quilting it.