nellebelles

I spray basted a few quilt tops that I was going to FMQ myself. I now have a problem with my left thumb and wrist that prevents me from doing this sort of thing for any length of time. I have a brace that I wear, but it is somewhat constricting when it comes to moving around (which is exactly what it is supposed to do...). So, I have changed my mind about doing the quilting on them and now want to have Charisma quilt them for me. The problem is: how do I take them apart with the spray basting holding them so nicely together? My idea is to use a basting stitch to baste them loosely, and wash them on a gentle cycle in the washing machine then dry them. Once dry, I would clip the basting stitches and separate the layers. Would that work? Anybody else ever try to un-do spray basting? Would I still be able to use the batting for anything or would it be all wadded up? Thank you in advance for your ideas!

quilterella

I have seen other topics about washing the quilt sandwich without quilting and batting, and people always advise against it. What would happen if you sprayed it with water just enough to make it damp(while it was laying flat)? I wonder if that would be enough to dissolve the basting spray without washing the whole thing. I'm sure someone with more experience from here will be able to help you.

jemma

have you checked with the quilter what she wants

scowlkat

I would check with Charisma to see if she can load the sandwich as is. Why make more work if you don't have to! (Thus speaks the laziest person on the planet!)

Lisa_wanna_b_quilter

I've pulled one completely apart and started over when I found a wrinkle.

Lori S

You can take it apart, Wash the backing to remove the spray. I would purchase a new batting. As for the top I would lay it flat seams up and mist it with water, this may take a few times . Test this in a smaller area to see if its working. It is likely that it will require re- pressing before you send it. Not sure if this will be the "cure" and may be more trouble than you want.
I am not sure about basting the whole thing , but if you are wanting a crinkled look eventually, the batting is going to go through the shrinking prior to quilting.

kathy

definately ask Charisma before you do anything.

nellebelles

Well, this is what I did: I pulled the layers apart. I tested it to see how sticky it might be, and found that the fabric wasn't sticky at all and the batting is a little bit tacky to the touch, but won't even stick to itself. So, now that all the layers are separate, I will take the tops and the backing fabric to Charisma for quilting, along with new batting. I believe I can still use the old batting to cut up for a rag quilt, pot holders, bibs or something like that. Those will be small enough for me to handle with my problem joints... :-D

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Hearing them helped me be brave enough to just tackle the problem. ;-)