Elmer's glue basting - stiff as board
 

I did a sample using leftover blocks, batting and backing from the quilt I am going to do next. I followed the instructions on the Board, using fresh Elmer's School glue, did the wavy S curves about 3" apart, criss crossed into a grid. Smooshed, smoothed and dried overnight. The fabric where glued is stiff as a board and hard as a rock.

I didn't thin it because I didn't want it to soak through the cloth to the outside of the sandwich. Instead I think it smooshed into the Quilters Dream Request-weight poly.

Do you all thin it?

My next act is to try quilting it, if possible. I have samples with Dritz and samples with JT adhesive sprays. Both are nice and soft. then I am going to wash them all and see if they come out soft, gummy, or stiff.

Appreciate your comments - thanks!

I don't thin mine and use the thinnest drizzle of glue and it hasn't been stiff like that. My basic mechanical machine sews right through it and it doesn't gum the needle. I wonder if your wavy curves had too much glue? Will await more answers.

did you use a bottle with a small tip? I don't sandwich with the glue, but do use it on bindings without any issues. If you use a small amount it's not too bad. I don't know what it would be like to quilt through it like that. I love the 505 spray baste and will continue to use that.

Elmers has school glue AND washable school glue. Make sure yours is the washable kind.

I hold the bottle of glue up high and the glue stream is very thin. I make squiggle lines. My quilt is never stiff.

I did NOT use one of the special metal tips like with that Roxanne's glue (or whoever she is I forgot the name). Just squeezed it on the way it come out of the container, which is not a narrow tip. It came out like frosting from the small round tip.

Well, I've got plenty of stuff to work with so I guess I'll try again - maybe try one with narrow tip, one diluted. Maybe one with the glue stick (even a klutz like me ought to be able to use a glue stick LOL)

And I held the bottle right at the batting so I could kind of smear it a little.

Thanks

This is what I do too, with same non stiff results

I have created hard spots in mine by getting glue blobs. My sewing machine still quilted in just fine. I went more slowly through the blobs. When washed all the hard blob spots were gone.

I'm now more careful to keep my lines thinner and have no problems. All in all, I think I like spray basting better for ease of use, but it stinks and costs too much. I'll stick with Elmer!

I had this problem with the elmers glue. I washed the project and all the glue washed out and I went back to my 505 spray. But I am going o try again.

You could try wetting the sandwich you already made to spread the glue out. Get it nice and wet and then press it; that might spread the glue enough that you could sew over it easily. Press straight down, don't sweep the iron over the fabric, so you don't mess up your alignment. Probably good idea to put a towel over & under it to pick up excess water.

Then again, I've FMQ'd through some pretty big blobs and my machine didn't seem to notice. You might want to just give it a shot as-is. :)