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Thread: Starching

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    TMP's Avatar
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    TMP is online now Senior Member
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    Default Starching

    I am wondering how heavy you starch your blocks? I know one quilter that starches hers so much they are almost like cardboard. She starches her fabric prior to cutting out . She uses some brand I can't remember what that she gets at Walmart and you mix with water.

    I tried this once and I personally found this a pain to work with. I tend to stretch the fabric and some sections would be stiffer than others. I do starch but I starch with Best Press when I press the seams of my blocks. I am just wondering if any of you heavy starch and what starch do you use if you do?

    I was thinking I have never seen Jenny starch in any of her video's and maybe this is just an extra step I should
    eliminate

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    Sylvia H's Avatar Sylvia H is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    I am also a Best Press user. I have been tempted to try regular starch, but for some projects, I don't wash after quilting, and I don't like the idea of the starch remaining in the item. If not washed, starched fabric will draw silverfish, as they eat the starch.

    I will use Best Press before cutting, though. I find it helps if I have to work with pieces cut on the bias, or on small pieces. It helps prevent pieces from stretching out of shape.
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    Louise is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    I have done both before and after cutting , before when there is going to be a side with bias now I did see on Fons and Porter that ( if I remember correctly) that Mary Fons starches her fabric now before cutting etc.

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    shirleyknot's Avatar shirleyknot is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    In all my years of quilting, I have never starched anything. That would be a pain to hand quilt.
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    Carrie J's Avatar Carrie J is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    If I'm working with all bias cuts, yep, starch the crud out of it. Otherwise, nope!
    What do you mean I'm easily distracted..........HEY LOOK......FABRIC!!!!

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    stitchwishes's Avatar stitchwishes is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    I'm all for trying everything and settling on what works best for you.

    I prefer to wash, starch (let air dry), and press yardage. After that I don't do anything but use a finger presser while I piece (unless I need the iron to flatten a thick seam such as in a pinwheel). Since starting to use precuts, which can't be washed, I've tried to just go without starching and pressing at all, and am finding it's just fine.

    I just made my first mini quilt and wasn't happy with the results. It takes a little more precision. Next time I'll use the iron. I didn't starch or press to begin with, then midway starched and pressed some of it, and I got shrinkage in only those pieces. So I ended up not being able to match my center point and had odd puckering on my border.

    I think perhaps consistency is the biggest thing to be concerned with no matter what you do. In instances where starching would be beneficial, I think I'd make sure to starch all the fabric for that quilt and not just the necessary pieces.
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    quiltingaway is offline Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    The only time I starch is if I have lots of bias that I'm concerned about.

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    redcaboose1717's Avatar redcaboose1717 is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    Quote Originally Posted by shirleyknot View Post
    In all my years of quilting, I have never starched anything. That would be a pain to hand quilt.
    I don't use starch until after the fabric is cut...and then I use "light " starch. What I mean by that is I don't spray it too much !
    I also use the homemade recipe for starch that someone posted here awhile back as well.

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    dwil23 is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    I don't starch my blocks, usually. I starch the completed top and and the backing before sandwiching. I usually make the backing fairly stiff to avoid wrinkles when quilting. I use Faultless - .97 at Walmart. I have best press but don't see that it is that much better to justify the difference in price, the cheap stuff works fine for me and it will all come out in the wash anyway. I have cats that help me quilt, so I always wash every quilt when done. I also like to be sure that no seams come apart or the binding doesn't come undone in the first wash.
    Last edited by dwil23; September 25th, 2015 at 12:34 PM.
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    Sheep Farmer's Avatar Sheep Farmer is online now Senior Member
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    Default Re: Starching

    I don't starch fabric prior to cutting, but I do like to sometimes starch the blocks as they're completed -just for the look/feel. I have the Best Press, but really cannot tell any huge difference to justify the cost. So I mostly use the Niagara spray starch.

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