Gadget Girls

Blonnie: There are a few ways to sandwich a quilt and make it adhere so there will be no shifting. I have done this a few ways. I have basted with needle and thread which takes forever, I have used iron on batting, which for very small projects is so, and I have used a couple of basting sprays. I must tell you I am a firm believer of Sullivans basting spray. It claims to be the original basting spray and the ones that tried to imitate it did a very bad job. I used one in a blue can (I won’t say the name) and it would not adhere. It kept on slipping up and I had a terrible time with. With Sullivans I have no problem. Just make sure with any basting spray, you are in a well ventilated area because the fumes are very strong. So, my advice, try Sullivans. I think you will never go back to whatever you are using now!

Carla: Basting sprays replace the traditional methods of sandwiching a quilt, such as thread basting, safety pins, and tacking "guns". I typically use Sullivans although I have used and really like Sulky 505 as well. Sullivans is less expensive than 505 so I tend to use it most often. The absolutely wonderful thing about this product is that it works so well. Here are a few tips that I've learned:

• It is best to spray outside or if that isn't feasible, then make sure that you have good ventilation. I am very sensitive to fumes but have found that if I open a window and don't spray too heavily, then I don't have problems.
• Less is better than more when it comes to spraying. It doesn't take much to cover an area.
• If I'm basting a large quilt, then I work in sections. I spray the top third of the backing fabric, lay the batting over the backing smoothing from the center out, and then fold up the batting to spray the next section, smooth batting, and repeat for the bottom third section. I then do the same thing for the quilt top, this time spraying the batting in thirds.
• The fabric can easily be repositioned if needed. Just lift it up and smooth it back down.
• Basting spray is good to use to position appliqué pieces for stitching.

Carla's Rating: