doesn't it take hours to iron a big piece, like a backing or yardage? Or do you worry about it only on cut pieces?

From the time you first spray it until dries could take an hour or so but you normally wouldn't be sitting there waiting for it to dry. You'd be working on another project or doing some other chore. I like to pre-wash all my fabric for a specific project at one time. I don't necessariy starch it at one time though--especially not the backing. The backing is done right before I get ready to load it on the frame & that might be weeks, months or for a couple quilts--years--before I choose or piece the backing. It really doesn't take that long for the starch to dry anyway so if you want to sit & wait--you could browse through your patterns or pull fabric for your next project while you wait. It doesn't have to be dry as a bone--just not soaking wet or it will flake and possibly scorch.

So you spray the whole thing at once? When I'm ironing, I just spray the part that is on the top of my ironing board.

I make my own cornstarch mixture so I can be generous. I put my
fabric in a bucket, pour the mixture a little at a time until it gets
everywhere. Turn the fabric over/under a few times to make sure
the starch is evenly distributed. After 30 mins I let it air dry until
it's damp then iron with a cloth on top so my iron doesn't stick.
When it's almost dry then I remove the cloth and finish ironing.
Oh and now I have a handy dandy rack to drape my fabric over
so it's not on the floor. :-D

I soak mine pretty good with starch, I hang it over a expandable bar in the hall way. Spray and then I flip it over and get the other side. If I am in a hurry, I turn a fan on it :wink:

I spray my whole piece with starch and let it soak into the fabric for a few minutes...then I iron opposite whatever side I sprayed..then flip it over and repeat. Its amazing what starch does to help with cutting. I learned this from Sharon Schamber. I also learned to even up the fold the Fon's & Porter way. I struggled with accuracy before I learned these simple techniques. Now everything is easy peasy.

I either spray with starch or I "soak" the fabric in starch, then I hang it up and let it dry with a fan on low blowing on it, when I get around to ironing (ya know life happens just as soon as you start doing something) I just use steam, and it allows the fabric to be stiff yet it softens it enough to get the creases out. I read one time that you can spray your fabric and then fold it up and put it in a zip lock bag for 30 minutes or so. then pull it out and iron it, this will keep you from getting starch flakes on your fabric!


I stear clear of spraying as I go to avoid scorched starch/fabric.

I get mine soaked in starch water, then put it in the dryer to spin out as much water as possible, and then put into dryer.

Ronna, what is Fon's and Porter's way to fold, if you don't mind. I have tried to find it on the internet without success.

I've tried the dryer once but all the starch was gone after that. :-(
Do you use cornstarch also?