Onebyone

Glue is a staple in my quilting room. I've been using school glue for years since I had a class with Sharon Schamber. Elmers school glue is not a glue, it is a heavy starch. It's safe for fabric ( even kid's stomachs) it is easy to dilute. I buy it by the gallon. I use a carpenter's glue roller. I baste my quilts before putting them on the frame. I don't have to do all that tedious loading and measuring. Basting with the glue takes me no time at all. Once the glue is dry from basting I press the quilt front and back with steam to make the the quilt soft. If I'm in a hurry I press it dry no steam. I glue baste my binding in place after sewing it to one side using a small art paint brush.

Julienm1

Pool noodles and Elmer's school are staples in my sewing room.

SusieQOH

I love glue basting! It's also good for blocks when you need to get seams to line up. Just a dot and the iron and you're all set.

Stitchnripper

I have been using Elmer's washable school glue to baste quilts for years. I tried the watered down brush thing but found it cumbersome and not necessary. I read somewhere that glue basting replaces pin basting, not spray basting so it doesn't have to be on every inch of the quilt. I have done as big as queen size. I don't understand why it doesn't work for some people. Maybe not smoothing it out enough? It is positionable for a while so I just keep smoothing out. I just don't have any problems with it. It has always washed out for me. I don't use it for bindings because I don't need to. I am pretty good at bindings.

magicmoonmusings

I'm in the middle of quilting my glue basted quilt. Currently taking a break. I used the drizzle method - and boy do I REGRET IT. Next time I'll use a brush to laminate instead of drizzling. There's puckering and bubbling. And yes, I did smooth it out very well and even ironed it afterwards. I drizzled the lines very close together and overlapped them and I'm still having problems. At least this is just a utility quilt.

For anyone who wants to try glue basting, please try @Lena1952 's method instead.

Onebyone

I like to glue every inch of the quilt sandwich so I know nothing is going to move one smidge. I want it to be like quilting on paper. I never have the slightest pucker or puffness. I don't dilute it. It works great for me so until something else works better it will be glue basting for me.

Stitchnripper

maybe you are using too much glue. I don't understand why some of us have problems and some don't. I am only relatively proficient at any of it. Sometimes when the sandwich is drying it looks puckered but when quilting it isn't.

loisf

FYI, Elmer’s Washable School Glue comes in a gallon size. Much cheaper than buying small bottles. I think I bought mine at Office Max or Staples.

Onebyone

After drying, steam press the basted quilt. It will soften the glue and spread it out more and get rid of the puckering, bubbles, and wrinkles.

Lena1952

I've been using glue for binding for several years. I bought a bottle of Roxanne Glue baste with the metal tip just for this purpose. I press the binding where I want it to go, then run a thin line of glue on the seam part of the binding (away from the binding edge), pull binding into place and press to dry. I use a pin to place corners the way I want them, press, then glue and press again to dry. I machine sew 99% of my bindings and haven't use clips in years. Once the binding is glued, you are able to machine sew the binding without stopping to remove clips or pins. Although I don't think it saves time, I do find it easier. I have also used glue to hand bind my quilts. Please don't subscribe to the " More is Better idea. "A thin line of glue in the seam and away from the binding edge is necessary or you will have a difficult time getting your needle through the fabric.