I know your feelings, Tartan! I hate basting on the floor. My house is small and with children running around, it's nearly impossible to do it. I'm either going to borrow a folding table for my next quilt and try that method of basting, or I'm going to try QAYG. I would love a LA, but the cost is no where near our budget! In my dreams only...

I like the Sharon Schambers basting method with the boards and there's a video on pin basting a large quilt on a small table. If you're going to glue baste and heat set with an iron, might I suggest an old piece of fabric/pressing cloth. No glue should stick to the iron.

Sorry to hear of your problems Tartan. You began so happy and now you seem deflated. This too shall pass! I always read the labels on broadcloth to stay away from the polyester but did not realize glueing it was also an issue. Good to know.

The fold in half 6 x 4 tables are great. Easy to store and to tote, there is a handle on the side. If you are by yourself, open the table on it's side and then take one end and flip it right side up. I tried basting on the floor one time and knew I'd never do that again.

Oh no............we have all been there with at least one quilt. Feel your pain !

All I can think of if and when I do get on the floor is the ad, "Help, I've fallen and I can't get up." The lady in the ad wears some kind of medical alert pendant.

There's no way I can work on the floor with my knees. I do my Elmer's school glue basting on a tabletop. I first iron my backing and quilt top so I'm not starting with wrinkles. I lay out half the batting on the table, letting the rest hang. I position the backing on that half and let the rest hang. Then I roll the backing down to near the edge of the table, dot the batting with the glue, and smooth the backing up over the batting. I iron it lightly to help set the glue, but keep the heat low enough that it can't hurt the tabletop for the brief time I'm ironing. Then I flip everything around and do the other half, working from the center of the quilt on the edge of the table, putting glue on the batting and smoothing the backing up over it to the tope edge. Flip it over and repeat it all with the quilt top. I usually let it then set to make sure the glue is completely dry before folding it or starting to quilt. All this is actually a fairly quick process, and easier for me than trying to get it all smooth on the floor.

I've also used this method for when I use fleece as the backing, and omit the batting. Using the iron to dry the glue, I've not had issues with it adhering to the fleect.

I sometime have some glue dots on my iron, but it has a non-stick plating and I wipe it right off. I don't use so much glue that a lot of it soaks heavily through the fabric.

I do the table-top basting method too, best "innovation" I've ever found in quilting. I'm not all that old (41) but already have had a hip replaced and have had arthritis in my lower back since I was a teenager, so crawling around on the floor has NEVER been something that worked out well for me!

I think I get the best results with that method, too. The weight of the hanging fabrics puts just the right amount of "tension" on things - when I DID baste on the floor I think I would over-stretch things and sometimes end up with puckers. Now everything is flat and naturally relaxed and it all goes together wonderfully.

I just basted a quilt with that abominable (But effective) spray glue yesterday. I hate glue. I think spray glue is awful, but it sure holds my quilt together well. Now the worst is over and I am on a downhill slide toward the finish line. I sympathize with your woes, but, as they say, no guts, no glory.

I have never gotten glue on my iron when elmering (as my friend calls it). I use a diluted glue--maybe 1/3 water to 2/3 glue. But it wasn't even a problem when I used all glue--diluting it just makes it flow easier. Does your glue go through the fabric? Maybe you're using too much glue?
When my iron plate does get gooey I clean it easily by rubbing it on a dryer sheet when the iron is hot.