Using Elmers School Glue Instead of Pins
 

I work pt at a fabric store & a customer told me about using Elmers School Glue (has to be the school glue) instead of pinning. When she initially tried it (she was skeptical of this), she immediately liked this method better than pinning. She said it made it so easy to be perfectly accurate.

She bought a special tip that goes on the glue bottle to ensure a thin line. Runs the line of glue inside of the 1/4" seam allowance towards the raw edge of fabric, then goes over it with her iron to hold it. She said the school has cornstarch in it and it completely water soluble so if you want to remove the glue, just wet it a little bit. She said there is absolutely no shifting of fabric and her seams match perfectly.

Has/does anyone done this? I am going to try it out next time I am working on a quilt.

I would like to know what everybody has to say because that would be interesting.

Sounds interesting - but in my hands potentially messy! I am eager to see what others say.

I always use school glue now to hold binding for hand sewing and to hold pieces in place for applique. It works great and it does wash out.

Here are the links to Sharon Schambers (Master Quilter) how-to binding videos (there are 3 parts) using Elmer's glue.

While I'm sure she wasn't the first to use it, she did introduce many to the technique.
You can see how she uses/applies the glue.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PE0Yq9iGlc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3vHI7rgZpw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W--xgi4nux8

Also, you can Google "piecelique" for info on how she incorporates the glue for piecing and applique.
And the "mess" is really minimal, especially with the tips - which can be found at Michaels or from Nancy's Notions.

I didn't have the tip for my first few glue bindings and it still worked applying the glue straight from the Elmer's container.

I then used the Roxanne glue bottle (comes with a great tip) and just refilled it with the Elmer's glue.

That is, until the bottle and my iron came in contact.
Now THAT was a mess!!

I use the glue stick for bindings all the time, but haven't tried it for anything else yet. Using a glue stick, it will take me about 15 minutes to glue down the binding, but I can go directly to the sewing machine and stitch it down in a snap! No stopping to pull pins. It does wash out great, even when I get a bit messy and get the glue where I don't want it. I haven't pinned a binding since using glue sticks!

I use a glue stick for foundation piecing and I love it. I have also used the glue with the tip for applique and it is really easy to use. My only problem was keeping the tip cleaned out.

I have used it, but not on my seams. BUT I did a test and used lots of glue on fabric and it washed out completly

Every since I watched the Sham Shamber video, I use it all the time. It makes everything sew much easier. Right now I only use it for my bindings, but I can see that there could be many uses for it. It washes out completely and no one ever knows you glued anything if you don't tell them.

So which works better, the liquid glue or the glue stick?

I use the glue when making Prairie Points - holds everything in place and, if it's slightly out of line, can easily pull loose and reposition.

I also love gluing down my bindings instead of pinning. That way, I can take the quilt and hand-sew the binding on a long trip and/or while watching TV, without sticking my finger with pins.

If you're trying to piece fabric and match the pattern together glue is the way to go. Just fold over about 1" of the edge of the piece, press it to crease and then, when you match the pattern perfectly, glue it together - flip over and sew along the crease. Perfect matching.

In my opinion, the liquid glue works better for the binding, and the glue stick works better for piecing and applique. I use both. Fons & Porter make a skinny glue stick, which makes it easy to use for small pieces and tight spaces.

Here's a thread with info about how I do it. http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...t-t180790.html

It's quick and easy. I've been doing it for years

I use Elmer's washable school glue (the liquid) to match seams when it's really important to be accurate. Works great! I put a pin straight through both seam allowances to get the seam matched well, then put a small dot of glue inside the seam near the pin and iron to set. It holds the seams together well, with no pins to remove while I sew.

I don't think the glue stick would work as well for this particular use since it would be hard to get the glue right up to the pin for accuracy. A glue stick might work well for binding; haven't tried it, though.

I have never used the liquid glue, just glue sticks. I can tell you that while glue sticks aren't as accurate and you may get some where you don't exactly need it, they are very easy to use and relatively cheap. And you never have to worry about tips for the bottles of liquid. I can get a pack of 5 at Walmart for less than $2. Don't use the Elmer's spray adhesive, as it is designed to be a permanent bond and will not wash out like school glue. JMHO

But someone posted it has cornstarch--food, bugs, or does that not matter?

I was pinning extra wide rick-rack to a little summer dress I'm making for my grandbaby this morning, and was thinking that if I had a really thin tip and some school glue I could probably spot glue it before sewing instead of all the stinking pinning......I'm going to have find some of those tips and will try if for sewing as well as binding on quilts. Hope it works!!!

I try to post every time this comes up. YOU DO NOT NEED THE TIPS. I just barely open the twist top and use it that way. I DO have the tips but do not use them. They are a carryover from my tole painting days but why use them if it's not necessary. glenda

I used a glue stick at the seams. It worked great till I went to longarm it and the thread shredded about every minute...now if you could soak/wash the glue out before the quilting process it might work better.

I have used it quite a bit and it does work well. I am finding the school glue stick works almost as well, if not as well and it easier for me to use.

You wash it out when the quilt is finished.

interesting, but what if you don't finish this top/quilt for a year or so?

Michael's no longer carries the tips - at least the one near me.

I'll let you know what happens if I ever sew a set of placemats. They have been glued for almost 18 months and it's still holding. Now, will it still wash out?, your guess is as good as mine. Maybe I should finish them. glenda

School glue has been used in quilting for decades. The first quilt magazine I bought years ago had an article about using washable glue to baste before stitching. Also Elmer's School Glue is not a glue it's a very heavy starch and washes out completely.

has anyone tried to make their own Starch paste?

the tips are getting harder to find..Hobby Lobby no longer has them here either!

I have done my bindings for years with washable Elmer's glue using the Sharon Shambers method. Most times I machine sew on the bindings after glueing. I have the tips but don't use them. I found I had to squeeze to hard to get the glue to go thru the little hole. I just use the tip that comes with the glue. I just barely squeeze the bottle and get along fine.

I have done this and she is right. No shifting, no removing pins and the seam stays together when pressed after sewing.

I will have to try this.

ME-ME-ME *WAVING MY HAND*... LOVE IT....LOVE IT.

I just squeeze some out into a small dish and apply it with a chop stick - and gently smooth it out with the tip. Dry set it with a hot iron. It's a *snap*!!

When I first started making the "10 Min Block" a person (who had made several) suggested that I curve my diamond sides by tacking them down with Elmer's Washable kiddie glue. I was not sure about this, but I tried it. It makes for SWEET top stitching, and it DOES wash out. I'm 100% sold. If it gets real stiff you're using too much glue. Just a very fine line.

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Instead of buying expensive tips, get a cheap mechanical pencil. Unscrew the tip from the pencil, take the orange tip off the school glue bottle. With a pair of non-fabric scissors, snip the tip off the school glue bottle. Start with just a little snip, see if the mechanical pencil tip fits. If it is too big, cut a bit more off the bottle. Keep snipping until it fits fairly well. You may get some leakage around the edge, but don't worry, the glue will self-seal the crack.

wonerdful info thank you so much

Have not tried it, but I'm going to! Thank you so much for sharing.

I never wash my quilts once they are finished.(I usually only make wall hanging sized quilts, not bed quilts and fabric is pre-washed). What happens when you leave the glue in?Will it rot the fabric? Stain it? Aside from the suggestions to wash the finished quilt, any other ideas on this? Thanks.

The glue method is what i use for binding...no clips or pins in my way when i hand sew it down. I don'thave the nice thin tip so i put a glob of glue on a scrap of paper and draw a pin through the puddle picking up just enough glue to sit on the end of the pin.....drop on the quilt then iron.
The amout I use is really tiny but it holds.

I use Elmers School Glue and heat set it with an iron when I have bias edges to sew together. Works for me. Love it.

I use the Elmers School Glue when the grandchildren are going to sew.
It holds the pieces in place and no pins to hurt the little fingers.

I have done it on one binding, it does take time and practice not to make a mess, but it definately makes a very crisp finish on the binding.

I use it for bindings. It works great.

yes but it's also washable and washes out so there is no problem. there are several threads on this board about using washable glue. i use it and it works great.