denveremerson

RavenLunaStitch---thank you! I've never tried the Elmer's glue basting method, but you've given me the courage to try it.

BCM

Thank you Jan for your question and presentation of your question--your teaching techniques shining thru. You prompted replies with suggestions that will be very helpful to me.

2blackcats

Have been using spray for basting. Hate the 'Original Spray Basting' in the pink can (if you have to reposition the sticky glue gets all over my nails). Love the 505 Basting Spray. But now that I know to thin the glue and use a paint brush I'll save money. Thanks for all of the info!

Christine-

Thank you for the information, I can't wait to try this method!

cathyvv

The important thing to know about spray basting is that you cannot spray it near your machine. "Near" means in the same room as your machine. The spray vapor will penetrate any openings on your sewing machine. That's the nature of vapor.

I use spray, like it, and my machine has not gummed up at all in the last 3 years. But I spray outside on a nice day with no/low wind. I did get gumming once when I used an iron on adhesive, though, so stopped using that immediately.

DH just cleaned my HQ16 after 2.5 years of use - probably about 20 quilts, most lap size, most spray basted. The interior of the machine was almost immaculate and showed no sign of gumming up from spray basting. The needle area was clean, the bobbin area had a little dust, but again, no sign of gumming in either area.

RavenLunaStitch

I'm so glad my detailed post seems to be helping! I will add that I do dilute the glue to make it "squirtable" from it's own bottle without a special tip but no more than 50/50, usually less (more glue than water). The reason I want to restate this is because I've noticed that some folks do not dilute the glue at all and use dots. This also works but with my impatient wild slinging of glue everywhere I would probably have a hard time quilting through full strength glue dots because they can get very hard. I do have "blobs" but I can quilt through them without problems, probably because my glue is diluted at least a little bit.

I'm working on a quilt right now that is pieced on both front and back. I did not want either side to even THINK about moving on me when I started quilting it. I have a small DSM with a 6.5" throat and hate wrestling with the quilting part. So I was already going to use fusible batting (Foo-si-boo cotton/bamboo that I got on clearance) and thought, hmmm...adding a little Elmer's on top of the fusible would really keep it clamped together.

Yes, I really did use glue AND fusible batting and am quilting it now. Not a flinch. No puckers, no movement whatsoever and it's staying together even through all the wrestling around with my small machine. I did put a heavier-duty needle in first which I don't know if it is making any difference or not but I'm having no problems. I am running over some blobs but again, it feels like going over a thick seam and nothing more. I was really concerned about the piecing of both sides and getting it quilted but so far it's working great! I'm doing straight line criss-cross quilting because SITD would look good on one side and stupid on the other so I did something that would work on both sides.

It will still take some time to get this one done, but...I'm also doing another experiment with this particular quilt that I will report on when I get this out of the dryer after washing it and have the final results. I'll start a new thread when I have the answer to that one so stay tuned! I like to push the envelope and I'm glad that you all can benefit from my experimentation!

misseva

Haven't read all the posts but I glue like example A then do it again in the opposite direction. I did have to thin my glue a little so it would flow easier. Love it.

Teeler

Thinking some more on this topic...

If you (general "you") might get more puckers with pins than spray...and gluing using DOTS and not SMEARED is much like pins...

Would it be accurate to suppose that (with glue) one could get more puckers with DOTS or even lines and NOT smeared?

I like the idea of a wet paintbrush, btw.

Buckeye Rose

I've seen the posts using the paintbrush and a thinned glue, but I do not like any more work than absolutely necessary. I use the glue, full strength, right from the bottle with the tip wide open. I use two hands and squeeze and moving the bottle back and forth to form a grid of thin lines (at least that is the plan, not always neat and straight) of glue onto the batting. No brush, no diluting, less cleanup if any and the fabrics in my sandwiches DO NOT MOVE. I did a 96x96 sandwich this morning and have already stitched the diagonal lines edge to edge as well as the outside edge staystitching. Now it is ready for my to draw in my pattern for fmq. I am always looking for ways to cut down on work, and this method is the best I've found.

tate_elliott

I mainly make charity quilts and I use Layout A. I open the glue bottle tip a little less than fully open, plus I hold the bottle about 12 to 18 inches above the batting and move fairly quickly from side to side. These two things keep the glue from being applied too heavily.

No offense to those who want to paint the glue on, but that just sounds like too much trouble.

One thing for sure, I'll never go back to using pins.

Tate