Quilt Basting Spray

Do any of you use quilt basting spray?  Helen of the Runquiltknitwrite blog posed the question in her post yesterday.  She was considering getting some and wondering if it works on large quilting projects.  I thought this question made a great topic for discussion.

I love spray baste.  It smells horrendous, but if you use it outside you don't notice it so much.  The smell dissipates in a minute or two and does not linger on your project.  I also have only used it on small projects--Schnibble size projects meant for a wall hanging or table topper.  There are a number of choices out there when it comes to purchasing the product.  The first one I ever tried was made by Sulky.

It comes in a wee tiny can and costs $12.95 for just over 4 ounces!  At least that was the price when I purchased it over a year ago.  It is a fine product.  The stuff is sticky, but not so much that your sewing needle gets gunked up when you do your machine quilting.  It also is not so adhesive that you cannot lift up your fabric and reposition or smooth things out.  They claim the product is odorless (it may smell less than the others I have tried) and that it is friendly to the Ozone Layer--which if true, may be a reason to purchase it over other brands.  Also, it is the only product of the three I have used which claims to be non-flammable.

The next time I purchased spray adhesive I picked up the June Tailor brand at KMart.

It was WAY cheaper than the Sulky and you get three times the amount of product.  My can doesn't have a price tag on it, so I can't tell you what I paid for it, but I think it was around $13.  This product works just fine as well.  It may be slightly less sticky than the Sulky, but not so much that it caused any problems.  No sticky sewing machine needles and you can fudge around with positioning your fabric until things are as smooth as you like.  No Ozone claims that I could see on the can.  It is also extremely flammable, and makes no claim to be odorless (it was the stinkiest of the three).

The next time I had to buy spray basting adhesive was this past Fall, when the first two cans I showed above were packed who-knows-where out in the garage.

That time I picked up 505, which was $12.95 for an amount somewhere in between the Sulky and the June Tailor--just over 6 ounces.  It worked exactly the same as the other two products.  No negative issues.  It has a warning that it is extremely flammable and claims to be odorless.  No mention of the Ozone Layer.

So, my feeling is, there doesn't seem to be much difference in terms of functionality between the three products I have tried.  They all worked to stick the three layers of the quilt sandwich together and caused no problems with my sewing machine while I was quilting.  The Sulky may have an edge over the other two products as far as being more environmentally friendly and non-flammable.  You will have to ask yourself if those plusses are negated by the high price and smaller amount of product.  Being constantly watching my pennies, I lean towards buying the cheaper products that work just as well.  If anyone has a differing experience or opinion, please weigh in so we can all be educated.

Here is how I do my spray basting.  I go outside and just use a cleanly swept patch of concrete patio or driveway.  Don't judge me.  It has worked fine--no dirty fabric or any other problems.  Just make sure the concrete is clean and not covered with dust, ants, oil drippings from your car, leaves, or other debris.  If you are appalled by this idea, go ahead and lay down a drop cloth or clean sheet and have no worries. 

I press my backing and batting and lay the backing fabric face down.  I spray the wrong side of the backing liberally with the spray adhesive and then immediately position the batting on top of it, making sure it is fairly centered on the backing.  Smooth the batting down in place.  Then I flip the piece over and smooth the heck out of the backing.

Smooth, smooth, smooth.

Flip the piece back over so the batting is on top again.  Spray the heck out of the batting and position the quilt top on it.

A word of caution.  Do not spray your shoes accidently.  You will be very sorry the next time you walk through leaves or sand, ending up with shoes that look like jungle camo, or in the case of being covered with sand, weigh 5 pounds each.  That happened to me once.  I accidently sprayed my new espadrilles with what I thought was Stain Guard, and turned out to be spray adhesive.  Then I took my kid to the park sandbox.  It wasn't pretty.  I looked like the Mob had given me cement booties and was going to toss me in the East River.

At this point, when the spraying is done, I take the project back inside to my cutting table or other large flat surface and smooth things again like mad--on both the top and the back.  If you need to lift up the top or backing to reposition things slightly, the spray adhesive is fairly forgiving.  If you really mess around with it, you may have to respray though.  This has not happened to me.  Just be vigilant to be sure there are no puckers on the backing, quilt top, and batting layer.

You can strategically place a few quilt basting pins if you want to, but it really isn't necessary with a small project.  I would stay stitch around the edges of the project to secure things around the border.  Then you are ready to quilt!

So, to address Helen's question--will this work on a large project???

Comments

[Barbara Anne]

I have no experience with spray adhesive for "basting" a quilt sandwich but had wondered what would be good to use. Thanks for this timely information!

So far, for the few small quilts I've machine quilted, I've used a fusible batting that I had on hand and cut it into pieces for the sizes I've needed. I have a friend that used a queen fusible batting for a queen quilt. She laid it all out on her living room carpet and was pleased with how it worked. I have not heard about any problems with the quilt over the past 15 or so years.

We have rain!!! Thanks be to God!

Hugs!

[CarlaHR]

I've used the 505 successfully on a small wall hanging - haven't tried it on anything larger yet so will be interesting in following other comments.
Thanks for the demo on your cute little quilt.

[Suzan]

I have done as large as a twin bed sized quilt using spray basting. The only reason I have not used it on anything larger is that I long arm big quilts. I spray in thirds. I lay the bottom layer flat and place the batting on top. Then I fold back the batting about a third of the way down, spray the backing and lay the batting back down and smooth. The next section I go from the opposite direction and pull the batting back 2/3 of the way, spray about half of that, drop batting and smooth and then do the last section. I do mine on a drop cloth on the floor and spray carefully. I have not pin basted in at least 7 years.

[Diane]

I've only used spray adhesive a few times, and felt like the quilt sandwich was more stiff as I quilted - I didn't care for it as much as pinning. There are times though when it is exactly what you need.I currently have the 505 spray and it seems fine.

Thanks for the hint about spraying my shoes...

[Ferne]

I almost always use 505. It was recommended to me for the first quilt I quilted and it helped a lot. I spray it lightly through the middle and I also pin about every 4-6 inches. I do my spraying in the house, on the carpet, but like I said I mostly do the middle so I've never had a problem with over spraying onto the carpet. I like to spray as my extra insurance. I also baste with wash away thread from corner to corner and across the middle side to side and top to bottom. I sound paranoid, but it works for me.

[Denise in PA]

I have used spray basting on large projects with no problem! I've used both the Sullivan's and 505 with great success.

[MichelleB]

I have to say - you had me giggling like mad over the spray adhesive on the shoes!

I've used spray adhesive on larger projects and have had no problems. It's really hard to go back to pins once you've used spray adhesive.

[Annette]

I've used 505 and the June Taylor on twin to queen size projects and haven't noticed a huge difference, except perhaps June was stronger smelling.
I usually fold my(ironed) top into quarters when I'm ready to position it, and spray 1/4 of the batting at a time, as I unfold it. I don't use any pins for baby quilts, but I pin about every 12" for lap size or larger.
If you must spray indoors, for heaven's sake, put down a few sheets to catch the overspray! It's much easier to toss a few sheets into the wash than clean adhesive off of wood floors or carpet! Don't ask me how I know :)

[Susan Ramey Cleveland]

I have used the 505 a lot and love it. I recently bought a can of the June Tailor but haven't used it yet.

[Mary on Lake Pulaski]

Tossed in the East River...heh heh. I have used the same two less expensive brands as you on small quilts with good results. I had the can out a few times for this king size that I'm hand quilting, but put it back. No where outside in MN in April to use it and I'm not about to spray it in the basement next to the furnace. Will be interested in others comments.

[Annette]

P.S. the spray baste has never gunked up my machine, and I haven't noticed any difference between a thread basted quilt or a spray basted quilt since I always wash my quilts when I am done with them. They are a little stiffer when quilting, but I appreciate that, and it all washes out.
You do need to spray only when you are ready to quilt. I have spray basted a quilt and then had to set it aside for many weeks, and the baste didn't seem to hold as well. Hope this helps!

[Candace]

I too use a cheaper brand (pink and white can the size of a Niagra Spray starch can - can't remember name) and have tried them all. I think they all work just fine and I've had good luck on larger quilts!
Cheers!

[JoAnne McPherson]

I use the pink and white can, which is Sullivans. I really like it, although I don't like to spray on too much. I also spray baste in my garage. First I sweep and then I mop the floor. Here's a hint: If you want to get some really weird looks from your neighbors, let them see you mopping your garage!!!! I have had success with any size project that I have used it on, however, I don't quilt quilts larger than a "throw size" myself, so I can't give any opinion on that except that I don't see why it should be a problem. I learned a great tip from Rachel at Stitched in Color. She lays out the backing and then takes the batting and hangs it on the clothesline to spray it, then she lays it "sticky side down" on her backing, and then repeats with the quilt flimsy on the line, spraying the back of it. What I like is that there isn't any danger of spraying your shoes! I just don't advise trying this technique if it is windy.

[Kathy R]

I have tried all three but prefer the 505, hands down. I have used it on small and large quilts and as it takes me a while to finish quilting a project (ahem!), I like that it is still all stuck together when I finally get back to it! I have never had an issue with gunking up my machine or my needle either. I bought mine through sewforless.com and got a very good price buying by the case.
That's my two cents! :-)

[Pam]

Yep love the 505. It is a much "safer" product I believe. I don't need fumes. My poor little brain needs every cell! Thanks for sharing your tips!

[Kim West]

When I used the spray, I would put down a king or queen sized flat sheet first and then if I over-sprayed, the sheet would go in the wash and no sticky would end up anywhere I didn't want it to go....

[Dianne Mitzel]

Someone had a tutorial on spray basting on your design wall. I plan to try that, it will be much easier on the back and legs than bending over. She suggested the 505 and putting newspaper around your wall to catch the overspray. This is sooo much easier than pinning. I have sprayed smaller quilts and had great success with the spray,

[Janie]

I've spray basted a lot of quilts. Currently lap quilting a 78 x 78 quilt that gets dragged around a lot. I have had no problems. I use June Tailor spray. I use two fold out cardboard pattern cutting boards overlapped slightly that I put on my extended dining room table to spray baste on. I put the batting down first. I smooth the quilt back on top of that and then fold it back one-half and spray baste half the backing, then fold it back over batting and smooth it out and then fold back the other half and spray baste and then smooth it out. I then turn it over and do the same thing with the quilt top. Smooth quilt top over the batting, lay back half and spray underside of quilt top and smooth over batting and then do the other half. "Fumes" do not seem to be a problem... you could use a fan or open a window if handy if you think it is a problem.

[Betty]

I use much of the same process but I like to tape a very smooth quilt back to my kitchen floor with painter's tape. I spray and smooth each layer and also pin some after that. I like to use foot wide shelf vinyal laid all around to catch the drift. When I am done, I immediately mop my floor. I ususally don't use it on larger than twin size quilts since I can not manage them under my machine and send those to a quilter.

[cindy]

I've used the spray adhesive on larger lap quilts and use Aqua Net hair spray on smaller quilts. The hair spray doesn't hold as long as the spray adhesives, but it works fine if I'm going to machine quilt soon after sandwiching the quilt.

[Betty]

I use the same method Janie described with the cardboard cutting boards and working with half the quilt at a time. Holding a piece of cardboard along the edge while spraying will help prevent over-spray problems. I usually do baby or lap size, but putting in just a few pins would make me more comfortable doing a larger quilt. I just emptied a can of June Tailor which worked fine. I have used another brand, but can't recall the name, that worked equally well. I usually buy when I have a good coupon for Jo-Ann or Hobby Lobby.

[Mary]

Before my long arm I used spray baste for small quilts...though needed to quilt within days or it loses the stick. I'm certainly a fan of them. I also use a lot for embroidery work on the machine. Too funny about your shoes!

[Chris]

Very timely post...my sister had called to ask me about spray basting just a few days ago! :) I use the Blue can..Taylor brand. I ususally get it from Joanne's with my 40 to 50% coupon, great buy! Anyway, I haven't had any problem using it. It is WAY easier and faster to get my quilt ready for quilting. I love it that I don't have to watch out for pins as I am quilting. I have used it on table runners and baby quilts and larger sizes, say 60 x60 without any problems of shifting . I do put a sheet down on the floor under the piece I am spraying. (that sheet is permanetly sticky now...even though I have washed it numerous times the spray is STILL on it.)
BTW, I had emailed you several months ago about the Blue Berry Crumb Cake table topper. I did get mine done, soooo cute. I meant to send you a photo but life has been busy and I'm not that good at all that downloading pictures etc /computer stuff. :) Thanks for the encouragement and the info about fabric!!! You are very inspiring!

[Sandy Brown]

I used to pin-pin-pin but now I use the 505 and love it. I have arthritis in my hands and pinning was a chore. I watched a Patsy Thompson video where she used her design wall to spray baste smaller quilts and I tried that and it works great. For larger quilts, I spray baste in the basement on the carpet, layering a sheet underneath for overspray (our basement is well-ventilated). And on the plus side - I don't have any pins to worry about when I'm quilting on my machine.

[Nan]

I took a class from Libby Lehman last year in which we used basting spray. She advised us to always use it outside, not because of the fumes, but because it is adhesive and you don't want to coat your lungs with glue. She told about a woman who ended up with permanent lung problems after using it inside on a regular basis. I had not even thought of that possibility. (I don't mean to be alarmist, but it's worth considering!)