novicequiltergrandma

Thanks for the responses. I've tried the above mentioned methods, but I'm still having too much trouble. I don't have a large enough table, or access to one and crawling on the floor for more than about 10 min is too much. I'll have to do some more research here, or just bite the bullet and get some 501 basting spray. Thanks again for the responses.

citruscountyquilter

I don't use a large table. That is the beauty of glue basting is that you can do it in sections and by putting the batting down first it is more stable than a piece of fabric so there is no clamping or taping down and no wrinkles in the back or quilt front because you are smoothing that over the batting rather than the other way around. The batting pretty much stays where you put it. I've even done it on something as small as an ironing board.

To help with the squeezing problem I found that if you put the bottle of glue in a container of warm water and let it heat thoroughly it runs out of the bottle much easier and the bottle is more pliable. When the glue is nearly gone it is also difficult to squeeze out so I get a fresh bottle and use that. I take the nearly used bottle later and dump it in a bottle of glue with some room in it using a funnel like you do with ketchup bottles etc. To store my glue that has been opened I store it upside down in a glass with the nozzle closed. I got that tip from someone here on Quilting Board. This keeps the glue from drying out in the nozzle which again makes it easier to use the next time.

Sewnoma

These are a couple of great tips!!!

My hands get fatigued squeezing the bottles too, so I use a channel-lock pipe wrench to do my squeezing. Sort of like this: (from Google image search, these aren't my exact pliers)

Doggramma

I did mine on the ironing board, but my quilt was only about 40x50.

Prism99

In this situation there is no advantage to using 501. The glue would actually be easier because you don't have to worry about overspray.

You don't need a large table as long as you can position the fabric layer over the batting. This is where the centering marks come in handy.

GemState

I thin the Elmer's washable with warm water until it will spray out in a fine mist, probably about 50/50. After spraying I just rub my hand across the sprayed batting to make sure it is fairly even. It doesn't take much to hold things together. Be sure to clean your spray nozzle out REALLY WELL when you are through. I then leave the mixture in the bottle and when I want to use it again I warm the glue/water up. It seems to do better when it is warm. I used to 'drizzle' but find this method to work better for me.