Glue basting and marking a quilt
 

I've just started marking a quilt with a water-soluble pen. I tested it on the fabric I'm using and it rinses out completely. I decided to mark it before basting since it's kind of a tricky pattern and easier to mark before basting. I'm pretty sure I haven't marked a quilt before I discovered both spray basting and Elmer's glue basting, and it just occurred to me that the damp spray or glue might wipe out or at least smudge the markings. Has anyone had any experience with this?

I don't know if this will help you, because I haven't marked a quilt and then glue basted, but I do glue baste all the time and find that you don't need a heavy dose of glue. It replaces pin basting, not spray basting. I drizzle mine on in a thin line in a kind of grid. I don't dilute and spray because it holds great just doing what I do. I guess you might test the process on a scrap and see how it goes? And please let us know how it all turns out!

I would do a couple test blocks first. Glue first then mark and vice versa on another. See which you like best.

Thanks, Stitchnripper. I prefer glue basting, too, and I just drizzle it on. I'll test a scrap with the glue after marking it. I'm pretty sure I'm not going to like the result, but I'm not going back to pin basting! So if it doesn't work, I'll glue baste it then mark it.

By the way, we're both former Baton Rougeans! I moved to Florida a couple of years ago and I know from your posts that you haven't been in Georgia very long.

If you do glue baste, DO NOT use the iron or heat to hurry the drying along. It might make the marks permanent. I drizzle the glue with a thin line onto the batting, then put the top/bottom on the batting and smooth. It is such a small amount of glue that I have not noticed it coming through onto the top of the fabric. Since using a thin line, it dries quickly on it's own.

That's the way I do it, too, yngldy. I tested it on a scrap. The marks were gone almost entirely. Sure glad I started thinking about it before I went too far. I'll glue first, let it dry, then do the marking.

thanks for asking this question, I wanted to know the answer also. Just love blue basting.

I love this question and the specific replies from people with experience glue basting. It's something I haven't tried. Basting stitches get hung on my presser foot, spray glue is a nightmare to use, and pins leave holes in my top. Drizzling glue sounds civilized.