I have a very hard time pinning with straight pins. I'm left handed and really can't feel much or pick up much with my left hand. I try to pin with my right hand but that's not easy either. I can barely feel the pins. That's why I started to glue baste almost everything.
One of the first things I learned in quilting was paper piecing. I would have sections of paper with fabric sewed onto it. Then you're supposed to pin the sections together to sew. I couldn't pin the sections; it was too difficult and frustrating. I figured I would try using Elmer's School Glue and glue in the seam allowance. I put a few tiny drops in the seam allowance and heat set the pieces together. It worked great.
The next thing I used the glue on was my binding tails. It would take me longer to finish the binding tales than it did to make the quilt. I could never get the tails to be the right length to sew together. I would try to pin and they would end up too short or too long. I took my one tail and folded it up at the 45° angle it needed to be. I sprayed with a little starch and pressed it.
It had a nice crease for the sew line. I took the other tail and folded it down at the 45° angle butted right up against the one I had just pressed. I sprayed a little starch and pressed it. They laid on the quilt fitting perfectly. I raised up the edge and put a tiny line of glue. Press the two 45° angles together and heat set it. I could open up the binding and have the line I needed to sew on.
I use glue to hold down my applique pieces so I can stitch. Anything I would pin I glue. I glue the binding all the way around my quilt before I machine sew it on.
There are several kinds of glue baste: Elmer's Glue, Roxann's Glue Baste, Appli-Glue, and others. I have used most of them with no problems. When your quilt is finished and you wash it the glue will wash out because it's water soluble.
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