What brand of spray starch do you use? I would like one
that will be quite stiff. How many coats should be used?

I use the Mary Ellen's Best Press. It works great and smells good too. I've only gotten mine at our LQS so I'm not sure
where all you can get it. It is a bit more expensive but I think worth it. :thumbup:

I buy the $1 Dollar Tree brands, the extra heavy type, spray the fabric until it is almost dripping. I can fold the fabric and press and it is almost permanent LOL I let it dry completely before pressing, and no problems with flaking or residue on my iron.

I love Mary Ellen's best press. It smells so good.

I love Mary Ellen's but my favorite is Niagra Spray starch. I get it at Target for $1.89 a bottle. The bottles are awesome to reuse also.

I was told at a quilt class to use magic sizing because
there is something in regular starch that attracts bugs.

I use Magic, too.

My favorite starch is whichever one is on sale:>

Same here. It has a job to do , then it is washed out.

I've used the cheapest - from a Dollar store - hated it and the flaking - used the expensive stuff - Mary Ellen's - LOVE it! No flaking, just the right stiffness, smells nice, not burnt, like the cheap stuff - go with what works for you and your happy with it while you're working with it - yes, it will get washed out, but in the mean time, you have to deal with how it works at the moment!

I am still a newbie - but what is the benefit of using starch? Easier to work with? Sew better? I have never used it quilting. Appreciate the info.

I just make my own with cornstarch and water. That way you can make it as stiff as you want.

I've heard that story about spray starch and bugs, but it's never happened to me.

I've switched to Mary Ellen's Best. It comes in several fragrances (including a no fragrance) and doesn't clog or flake. The last several times I've bought regular spray starch thinking it would be cheaper it either clogs up and will only spray a thick stream or it falls and breaks the nozzle off. After four cans doing this I now stick with MEB.

Sabcoke - starching your fabric before working with it will supposedly make your cutting more precise, as you're working with a stiff rather than flimsy piece of fabric. I haven't been a starcher, but have bought some to try. Some quilters have said they starch it until it's like cardboard, then do their cutting. Try it both ways and see what you like best - sometimes it's all just personal preference.

I bought a bottle of Sta-Flo and that stuff is the bomb!!!! I put it in a squirt bottle mixing it 3/4 starch and 1/4 water and let me tell you once you squirt it on an let it dry then iron it I stood a 6" block on edge and that sucker didnt even want to fold over!!!!

I am digging the Sta-Flo and just a touch over $2 for a quart bottle your getting your moneys worth!!

Billy

I use starch when ever I am working with triangles, on the bias fabric. It helps stablize the edge so you dont get the stretching. I have been told that you should spray your fabric on the back side and do the spray two or three times. Works for me. Thanks for all the tips too!

A very kind and generous friend gave me a bottle of MaryEllen's. wonderful stuff. i just wish it wasn't so expensive. i can't find it anywhere for under $42 a gallon.

so, i am sticking with the liquid starch i can get at the grocery store for less than $3 per gallon. i can mix my own strength, and spend the savings on more fabric. i do get flakes if i spray on too much at one time but they brush off and i move on.

and the tip about spraying and pressing on the back of the fabric is right on target. it does make a big difference.

I use Sta-Flo also. I usually do a 50/50 mix. Starching fabric makes it much easier to cut and sew. With crisp fabric, the 1/4" seam is much nicer. Also, by having the fabric starched, your rotary cutter stays sharp longer. You don't have to use as much pressure to cut.

I buy the 1/2 gallon of liquid and mix it with water in a spray bottle, works just fine and a whole lot cheaper than the canned starch.

I like the new Niagara spray bottle starch, not the can spray. I have the Best Press and it's very nice but I have to order it online and I won't pay that much for starch to be mailed to me. I found a box of powdered starch but I haven't used it yet. I remember my mother using the powdered starch and boiling it until it was thick and then dipping clothes in it before hanging them out to dry. Then the next day she ironed all the starched clothes. Some she sprinkled with water and put in the refrigerator before she ironed them. I have no idea why that was done. I know the clothes were sprinkled with water while ironing. I have her sprinkle top! She used it with a RC Cola bottle.

Faultless from Wal-Mart

You had to dampen starched fabric (in fact we always dampened EVERYTHING we ironed) because you couldn't get the wrinkles out if you didn't. You sprinkled the clothes with water (we didn't have a pop bottle sprayer - we just dipped our fingers in a bowl of water and shook our hands over the clothes to shake off the water), then folded and rolled the item in a neat little package and, put them all in a laundry basket and let them sit for a while so the water distributed itself in the fabric so it was evenly dampened all over, then we could iron. They came out looking better than new!

A lot of women would refrigerate anything that was starched and dampened before ironing if she thought she may not be able to get to the ironing before a certain length of time went by. Dampened UNstarched clothes would just dry out if left too long, but dampened starched fabric could get moldy or buggy if left too long. Refrigerating eliminated that possibilty.

I still dampen and iron 100% cottons before I cut them.

This is probably more than you ever wanted or needed to know about starching/dampening, but there you go. You probably also know how OLD I am!

I am a newbie too, and I find that when I starch the fabric it seems to sew better for me. Maybe it's me, I don't really know.

My grandmother did that because we didn't have a steam iron.

I can tell you why things went into the refrig/freezer at my house lol. My hubby was in the service and I had two children 11 months apart. EVERYTHING had to be ironed...there was no such thing as perma press. I would dampen clothes and if I didnt have a chance to finish ironing them that day for some reason, then they went into the frig or freezer so they would not mildew! Sometimes you would dampen more than you could finish and that could be a problem.

Margie

Ditto! Hancock also carries it. I get the unscented because the others gag me. (I have alergies)

I use Mary Ellen's also and I got mine at Hancocks.

I use Mary Ellen's too. It's great and yes, a bit pricy. The LQS here sells the large gallon jugs for $50.00 but I saw it on Amazon for $34.00.

I use stay flo - mix half and half or 1/4 to 3/4 starch. I have found the best way to use it! Spray the fabric until soaked, throw it in the dryer until dry (no flaking in dryer) then steam iron or use a little water spritz. Walla! Cardboard fabric! Ha.

My cuts are much better and my piecing is much more accurate as my fabric "sticks" together.

I also stack them like cards and shuffle. Not really LOL

You can usually get Mary Ellen's best press at Hancock's for $4.99, far below other retail. Or you can purchase the gallon from JoAnns online when they have a 50% off coupon for really cheap. I buy the gallon and fill my small spray bottles. I keep on in the sewing room, one in the laundry room and one at the ranch house......As far as the use of it, it makes piecing so much easier, the pieces seem to stay together while sewing and it helps stabilize bias edges when sewing triangles, diamonds and applique.
Diana in Tx

A friend had some of her 30's fabric change color when starched and she uses great quality material. Test first.

I have been looking for liquid starch and can only find canned. Where do you buy liquid starch to mix for yourself?

Most grocery stores carry it on the same isle as the laundry detergent.....
D in TX

At my quilt class yesterday our teacher said to never use spray starch...but it was her preference. She said use the cheap sizing from the dollar store. So I went to the dollar store yesterday, and they only had spray starch.

Well, Carol, I remember it! :D My mom used to take in ironing from the family that gave me a ride across town to school every day as a way to pay them back. She used to dampen OUR clothes, ball them up, and store them in the freezer until she had time to get to them. Three kids in Catholic schools = 15 shirts a week, so there was always lots to do!

As for starch, I use the Niagara spray starch in a bottle -- cheap, works well, and you get to use the bottles over again. Starching fabric just makes it so much easier to work with. :thumbup:

Bellaboo: could you be convinced to part with the sprinkler top that fits in a soda bottle? I grew up using one to sprinkle clothes. I have been unable to find one to purchase. I would be willing to pay a reasonable price for it.

I like Mary Ellen's Best Press, too. I use the unscented.

Right now, Joann's website has the gallon jugs of Best Press on sale for $29.39. It has every scent of Best Press on sale including the unscented.

Right now, there is also a coupon code you can use for free shipping. It's PIA160. However, the free shipping is only for orders over $35.00.

Amen, I use it too and love it. Worth the extra.

ladies you could find it in vermont county store .com they have a website and have some great suff from the past ,i brougt me some of those spinkle top for my ironing

Mary Ellen's Best will not yellow your material.