Using basting spray and fabric glue
This post is going to be a bit different than the other Learn to Quilt or Tutorial blogs. This time I am going to show you how I tested a while ago for the first time basting spray and fabric glue on different stages of a quilt project and! how you can also apply some when sewing garments. Let's start!
Basting spray
If you are not a quilter and don't know what basting spray is, let me show you first a picture of the one I've got.
Basting spray glues the layers of a quilt together temporarily until you can quilt them permanently with your sewing machine. It's supposed to be the fastest and easiest way to baste (instead of using thread or safety pins) but it has some cons.
On one hand, you need to do it outside or in a place with a good airstream, something not always easy if you don't have the space to do either. On the other, even though many brands say the spray washes off with water, the glue will certainly loose the capacity to hold the fabrics over time but some sort of residue will still exist.
Now, let's put it into practice :) Instead of using it for a big quilt or a bit quilty project, I tried it on a fun scrappy pouch I made using the 'dog-ears' left from making Half-Square Triangles.
- First, I sprayed some of of the basting spray on to one of the two layers of batting I needed for the pouch. I did this with the window open and trying for the product to only fall onto the batting itself.
As the batting gets a bit wet, it is a good idea to place some kind of paper underneath, which I should have done, hehe! ;)
*If you have a quilt, you need to spray the backing with the wrong side up and the side of the batting that will go against it. The same should be done with the other side of the batting and the back of quilt top.
- After this, I quickly added all my tiny 'dog-ears' and spread them evenly all around.
- Then, I placed a layer of tulle on top before quilting that first outer shell of the pouch.
I found it useful and I can't wait to do it on a proper quilt. I will have to find a place to spray it though! And I also fill that I might need more than one for a big quilt?
Fabric glue
I have different fabric glues that I've bought in the past few years to fix or mend when sewing was not possible.
The one that you can see below comes with a helpful long metallic tip for applying the glue with precision.
In this case, I tested it for the first time when working on my Quilted Nutmeg Jacket. I had to bind several bulky seams and I used the temporary glue to help me keep the bias tape in place. On a quilt, it is usually used to keep the bias in place when machine sewing it.
*If you are a dressmaker, you can also use this type of glue to bind a neckline or wherever you might use bias tape. After sewing the first part of the tape, you can apply glue to the part that will be cover with the other side of the bias binding. It will make the sewing easier!
And that is it for this post! I hope you found it useful and interesting. If you have any questions or your own tips and suggestions, don't hesitate to share them below :)
Happy quilting!
Ana
xxx