Quilt basting sprays

What are quilt basting sprays? They are solvent-based adhesives in spray cans, and have been available from quilting supply businesses for some time. They are used to temporarily hold a quilt sandwich together instead of basting it with pins or stitches. Manufacturers of quilt basting sprays claim that because the adhesive bond isn't permanent, layers of fabric can easily be repositioned if required.

How do we use quilt basting sprays? Obviously, we should first read the sticker on the can. All quilt basting sprays provide instructions for use on their labels, and it is always wise to read these carefully before proceeding. All the adhesives produce fumes when sprayed, so it is especially important to read the safety instructions and take precautions.Manufacturers' instructions may vary, and individual quilters may have their favourite methods of application, but in general quilt basting spray should be applied in a well-ventilated area, preferably outdoors in the open air. If you are basting a large quilt, use a large cleared surface. Cover the area with either paper or with sheeting that can be washed, making sure it is larger all round than the quilt being basted. Lay the batting on the covered surface, centre the quilt top over the batting, then roll the quilt top right back to one edge.

Lightly spray the basting spray across the batting, covering an area of about 30cm (12in) adjacent to the rolled-up top. Let the spray dry for about a minute, then unroll the quilt top over the sprayed batting, pressing the fabric to the batting and making sure there are no wrinkles.

Continue in this way until the whole quilt top is unrolled and basted to the batting. Turn the fabric over so the batting is facing up again, and apply the backing fabric inthe same way.

Take care to keep the quilt basting spray on the wrong side of the quilt top and backing only and to leave the complete quilt sandwich to dry before quilting. Some quilters recommend that overnight drying ensures good bonding and prevents the glue sticking to the sewing machine needle. If, after manipulating a large quilt through the machine, the quilt layers become unstuck, steam the fabric lightly with an iron. The steam will reactivate the adhesive bond.

The length of time the adhesive will hold can't really be predicted. It depends on how the quilt is stored, the temperature, the humidity and how much the quilt gets handled. It is probably best to not spray baste the layers until you are ready to quilt. Quilt sandwiches can also be prepared in this way for hand quilting - some quilters have commented that the change in the handling of the fabric is negligible.

Being lateral thinkers, quilters have found other uses for quilt basting sprays, although these are not the purposes for which the products have been developed. A light spray on paper templates will allow temporary bonding to fabric when cutting out pieces. Basting spray can be used to attach appliqué pieces to background fabric, and the pieces can be repositioned if necessary before stitching.

Quilting templates can be attached to the quilt sandwich with quilt basting spray and you can use them as stitching guides. These templates can be repositioned over and over again as the quilting progresses, or used as templates to trace guidelines for hand stitchery. Holding stencils in place while painting fabric is another ingenious use for quilt-basting sprays. When spraying small pieces of paper or fabric, put them in a cardboard box before spraying. This will contain the spray.

Following the publication of The Effects of Light and Ageing on Selected Quilting Products Containing Adhesives by Janet Evenson and Patricia Cox Crews earlier this year, there has been a lot of discussion about whether quilt basting sprays have long-term effects on fabrics. In summary, the researchers found differences between adhesive sprays that they attributed to differences in additives in the product formulations. Since the additives varied so much from product to product, they were unable to make recommendations concerning adhesives by chemical class. The researchers suggested that quilt makers ' . . . carefully consider their long-term expectations for each quilt they make and select adhesivecontaining products accordingly.'

If you are concerned about these potential effects, wash your completed quilt to remove most of the adhesive. The sprays haven't been available to quilters long enough to really know what the effect on fabric will be in the future,so it seems prudent to take preventative action. Using a quilt basting spray can certainly speed up the basting process. There are various brands available in the shops, and you may like to try several to evaluate the differences. Possibly you'll decide to never baste again using pins or thread !

The full report by Janet Evenson and Patricia Cox Crews is available from the website : http://www.quiltstudy.org/includes/downloads/1_adhesivesstudy.pdf

A document containing questions and answers aboutthe study is available from the website: http://www.quiltstudy.org/includes/downloads/hesivesstudyqa.pdf