Starch shrinks fabric. Well, I'm actually specifically using the Bounce spray. Dangit! Now I know why my pieces seem that I've cut them wrong! I have NOT cut them wrong! What I did was to cut them, then starch and press them. On one dark fabric with little circles on them, I finally saw why it was coming out smaller... the darn stuff actually shriveled right before my eyes!!

SO, lesson learned is to starch and press BEFORE cutting!!!! :o(

Are you not a pre-washer?

I also starch my fabric before cutting. Just make sure you don't store starched fabrics for long periods of time. Bugs love starch and will eat your stored fabric.

Starch doesn't and shouldn't shrink fabric. If you've prewashed it, it's good to go. I'm in the prewashing croud and this is one of MANY reasons you should always prewash yardage. If you're fabric isn't 100% cotton the shrinkage could also be "melting" of the poly material.

it is not the starch that cause it to shrink...it was the wetting and heating...even if you had sprayed it with water, as soon as the iron hit it the shrinking begins.

Best to wash, iron, starch and then cut!

No, I'm not a pre-washer. When I took my first class at my LQS they advised us NOT to, and so I have gotten in the habit of not, and up until now it's never been a problem.
I did once, before that first class, wash all my fabric (in preparation FOR the class)and it was a disaster!!! It all frayed HORRIBLY and also I had SO much waste when squaring it up to get ready to cut! So since then, since I've had good results from not pre-washing, I've stuck with that.

I did just go and spray a piece of the fabric with water and it did shrink. I'll just have to start making sure I starch before I cut.

Oh, and it's most definitely 100% cotton. The shrinking actually happened right in front of my eyes AS I sprayed it, but from what I read above, the heat must have shrunk it more. ugh.

And hopefully you'll never have problems with bleeding, either. :)

The pre-washers will be along shortly to give you what for for not pre-washing. Feel free to ignore them.

Do starch and iron before cutting though.

In the most recent class I took the instructor said if you're not going to pre-wash then iron and starch before cutting and after that only use a dry iron.

I didn't realize this but I always starch before I cut anyways. However this is good to know incase I get lazy someday and decided not to starch before cutting.

Really nice....

I always figured for the bleeding, that the color catchers will keep that from happening??

Color catchers don't stop the bleeding. They just pick the dye up out of the wash water.

Honestly though, if another fabric doesn't pick that loose dye up it's not a problem.

Oh whew!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!! :o)

I zig-zag the raw edges and you have less waste from washing. Also if it is zig-zagged you know it was washed.

I always starch my fabric before cutting and I continue to starch every step of the way.....and I don't prewash :D

:thumbup:

Problem is, you never know which fabric is gonna do it to ya. I just washed a bunch of black & white fabric. One of the lighter ones picked up the loose black. Now it is grayer instead of crisp black & white. Another one that had even more white that was in the same load came out still bright white. I think it's a crap shoot whether you prewash or not. I still do it to lessen my chances though!

I'll bet if you wash it a couple more times the loose black dye will wash out. It's still not set.

If you cut a little diagonal piece off the corners, it won't ravel as much when you wash it. It still ravels some, but not as much.

Oh!!!!!! Good to know!!!!!!

Ohhhh! Great idea.

I'm one of the prewashers you were warned about! No meddling here, though, just my opinion. 100% cotton does shrink. If I am working with yardage (which is most of the time), I wash. If I'm working with smaller pieces (smaller than a FQ) I don't prewash or even soak. I DO however, starch everything before I cut just for stability.

And yes, when you prewash you will normally get tangled edges. I always over buy by at least a 1/2 yard so I have room for cutting errors or other boo boos along the way so having to square up the edge before I start is no big deal to me. Plus I'm more comfortable knowing that I'm closer to being on the straight of grain when I cut and will thus have even more stability with my piecing.

I learned that lesson when I first started quilting about 5 years ago. Now I starch my yardage. But I use Mary Ellens Best Press, no bug attracting things in it, starch attracts bugs.

Moisture makes cotton fabric shrink. Starch contains moisture and can therefore make cotton fabric shrink. This can be used to our advantage, as shown in the following Sharon Schamber videos:

Sharon Schamber's Beginning Quilter : Magical Basting P1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pi1RgiLI9GI

Sharon Schamber's Beginning Quilter : Magical Basting P2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmcdOz-ypwU

I have read that starch will shrink your fabric. I have never used starch so can't say from experience. Don't know if it makes a difference if the fabric is prewashed or not. (?)

I have gone back and forth on this issue, and I've decided I'm prewashing everything. I'm just not willing to risk a quilt's worth of hard work to bleeding fabric. I've tried all the methods to prevent fraying, including stitching the raw edges together first (what a hassle, and it still frayed). My conclusion is the good old-fashioned pinking shears are my best bet. And I can instantly tell if a fabric has been washed or not!

It's funny you posted this issue today. Yesterday it was poor Krystyna, who had cut a ton of strips, and watched in horror as they shrank before her eyes. If bad news comes in threes, somebody better watch out. :shock: :shock:

I agree. I have recently found out that pinking the edges before washing works great. Instead of using pinking shears, I bought a pinking blade for my rotary cutter. It goes fairly fast and no fraying!

I am not a quilter but am being drawn more that way. As a quilting novice, when you refer to "starching", are you spray starching or doing the old dip in real starch solution to the fabric?

Well, you can do the old dip and roll method, but I spray. As I said before, I use Mary Ellens Best Press, because my area is very buggy and I don't want bugs eating my fabric.

More info please.
As a new quilter, my question is why do we startch? None of my "teachers" have mentionrd it? and if the fabric has not been washed isn't it stiff already?

Jeepers Kim, I'm awfully glad you posted this topic! I've only recently learned (through th QB!) how handy starch is and your prewarning will save me much grief!

I would be sooo afraid to use fabric that has not been prewashed. I always use Retayne and don't have a worry; you can always even up with frayed edges with one small cut with your rotary. To me, it's just scary not to prewash. I haven't gotten into the starching yet.

You don't always have to starch. It just helps to stabilize the fabric. I starch when I'm working with bias or very small pieces. I also use starch with some applique projects to "fix" turned-under seam allowances.

After using the Retayne I still use the Color Grabber sheets. They still can bleed. Little extra care and you will enjoy your quilt.

I prewash but it is not up to me to tell her how to store her fabrics, washed or not.

Love all the advice, really..... I think everyone has valuable information and even if it's something I'm not accustomed to, I'm never against learning.

As for the pre-washing...... does this fall true of things like batiks too?? That they should be pre-washed? I'm just soooooooo scared to pre-wash! It just ruined my fabric so badly!! ugh.... maybe I'll buy some for a simple little project and try it. lol

Another thought...... what a about charm packs and jelly rolls...... those fabrics haven't been pre-washed have they?

If you trim the edges of fq's with pinking shears will they ravel as much? I don't prewash so was wondering if it's worth the extra time to trim.

I don't prewash. I use a color grabber in the wash after the quilt is done. I have used starch on seams to make them crisp, but just started doing that. I never thought of pinking the edges of the fabric, will have to get a cutter with the pinking blade and then try some prewashing. It's the ironing and starching after washing that gets me. Need all my strength for the actual cutting and sewing. Learned some new things here today. Thanks.

No they are prewashed, but I rinsed them out by hand and let them dry enough to iron them. I laid them on a towel to air dry.

By using deconstructed thrift store finds, I know my fabrics are prewashed. :D