Spray Basting Wall

Do you spray baste?  I do, but I want to do it safely so I made an outdoor spray basting board and I'm sharing how I made it.

The hardest part was bringing the home insulation board home in the car from Home Depot.  I have a SUV and was just able to fit it along the inside of my car above my head.

Can tell you Nutmeg was all in for this project.

I wanted a 60" board since that is about the size project that I would spray basting.  For larger quilts I use pins so I can fold and roll it and manipulate it.

Mr. Fun used a utility knife and quilting ruler.  Nutmeg supervised.  Remember the carpenters rule:  Measure Twice, Cut Once.

The cut edge was raggetty and making a Styrofoam mess, so I taped it.

You don't have to use cute duct tape, but I happened to have this in my sewing room (safely out of other home projects supplies :)

I cut and folded the corners to keep them neat.

Aaahh, much better.

So we taped the pieces to make a 60" square. 

 Viola'

I used large T pins to hold the backing down.

Here is argument for NOT ripping fabric.  See how it pulled the white threads along the edge?  If I had enough fabric, I would have re -trimmed it even more.

After I pinned the backing, I smoothed the batting over it.

and then the top.  (this is when I realized that Abe was upside down.....or my quilt marking was......

I'm using a spray that I got at Joann's or a quilt show.   There are different brands.  Look at this scary label!!  CANCER AGENT.  Look at the list of dangerous ingredients.

Here is the label from a NEW CAN that I bought.  They have changed the ingredients and reduced the dangerous ones.

****PLEASE REPLACE YOUR SPRAY BASTE NOW!!***

I happen to have this good painting mask, so I used it.

I set up an oscillating fan too.  I wanted the airborne particles out of my area as soon as possible.

What I didn't show you (because I was working fast).

1. I pulled back half of the quit top and batting and sprayed the backing.
2. I smoothed the batting down, then sprayed the back of the top and batting
3. I smoothed the top starting in the center.
4. I repeated these steps for the other end.

I've heard it is a good idea to also press the sandwich.  I'm a little mixed.  I worry that heat might release chemicals again.  Thoughts?

I used my board laying flat like this, but you could also prop it up against the garage or deck railing.

I hope you consider making a board to use outside, as that is the safest place to use spray basting.

Happy Quilting!
xo