Three firsts and a question
 

First I want to thank everyone who recommended the Brother CS-6000i. It truly is a workhorse and has so many extra features.

For the first time I used the Elmer's glue method on a table topper. Wasn't sure just how to go about it. Bought some foam brushes and thinned down the glue somewhat. Must have still been too thick as it dried hard but Brother went right through it. Hand stitching the binding on was another story. I was wondering if anyone has mentioned or ever tried thinning it down enough to put in a spray bottle or suggestion on how to keep it from being spread too thick all over.

Was going to pick up some basting spray at JAs but read the large cancer warning on the back so decided against it. Too many people in my family have already lost to cancer and have a sister, granddaughter and son who are still battling it.

My third first was that I did FMQ on the Brother also and it turned out to my satisfaction which wasn't very high for the first try. Thank you all for your many suggestions that have helped me along my quilting journey. Blessings Sharon

I still pin baste because I don't want to damage my older Bernina. I still don't mine pin basting especially since mostly I am making smaller quilts due to my disability. I do hope you find an answer to your question. It is so important that you stick with what ever method works best for you. Happy quilting.

Thank you ManiacQuilter2! I had read so many raves about the ease of using glue that I thought I must try it. Didn't like how long I had to soak the topper to get the glue out. Seemed like more work than pinning.

You're using the washable school glue, right? There are two types, make sure you're getting the one marked Washable.

I don't usually dilute and it dries sort of "crispy" rather than "hard", I'd say. It definitely gets stiff, it won't really stay flexible if that's what you were imagining would happen. If it's too hard, try using even less - you can just make little dots instead of brushing it on; think of each dot as a pin. Or hold the glue bottle really high so you get a super thin line drizzling out and lay down very thin lines that way - a little water in the bottle will help with that method too. Honestly though, no matter how thin or thick I've left the glue, I've never had trouble sewing through it.

I machine-wash my quilts as soon as I complete them, so I don't have any trouble getting the glue out. One trip through the washer and it's all gone!

I have no suggestions on using glue - I haven't tried it yet! I did however recently try a can of Sulky KK 2000 and really liked it. It is not an aresal spray, provides a directional spray and has very little smell. It is advertised as 'non-toxic' so you might want to check the label more closely to see if it would work for you. It's a small can but it is deceptive as there is actually quite a lot in the can. The best part was the adhesive had a firm hold but remained soft and easy to work with.

Your quilt sandwich will be a lot softer if you don't paint/brush/spray but use thin lines...
in grid or waves. I just use the small container of glue with the nozzle and spread any
excess with my finger so that there are no hard spots that could break the needle.
I dilute the glue 50/50. A little goes a long way.

Straight from the bottle for me....I hold the bottle about 12 inches up from the batting and squeeze the glue into lines going back and forth....lines about 3" apart.....it holds very well and never have a hard time sewing through the glue.....I use a warm wash and regular detergent and it all washes out great. If you painted it on, it may need to soak to get rid of the glue.

Sewnoma I did use the washable glue. Because it was just a small table topper and I have a front load washer I decided to just put small amount of detergent in it and squeezed and soaked it. I will try it again because I want to do more quilting of small items on my little Brother and the pins just got in the way of rolling the topper.

Thanks Cactrus stitchin and all of you quilters for your advice. I will look into the Sulky KK 2000 spray and see how that works. I think I am at the point where I want to do more quilting on small projects. gramma Sharon

I don't brush on the Elmer's. I stream it out in a fine line on the batting and then place the quilt top on top, smoothing it with my hand. The glue smooths out thin. Flip it over and do the same with the backing. I keep it away from the very edges because the glue makes hand stitching the binding harder. I do add about a tablespoon of warm water to the glue if I want it to stream easier. Sometimes I press the quilt top to set the glue if I'm in a hurry. I don't baste any other way. I use my Bernina or Brother and have not had any problems with quilting through the glue. If I did I'd by a machine that didn't give me a problem, that's how much I like glue basting.