quiltingnd

When do you starch? Do you starch the fabric before you start cutting? Or do you wait until the top is completed and then starch? Do you starch the back as well?

jcrow

When I'm ready to use a piece of fabric, I starch it and then iron it, before I cut it up. I use Best Press mostly. Usually when my block is finished I will starch it again. Some might think I overstarch, but it doesn't feel like it. But IMO I always starch the first time I iron a piece of fabric. It makes it keep its shape so much better than non-starching. I also extra re-starch if I'm using bias cuts, i.e. triangles...

MTS

Yes. No to waiting; yes to starch. And yes.
And more than a couple of times in between.

Lori S

I starch before I cut.. .sometimes during the sewing and assembly. I prefer to starch let it it air dry then press, then cut.

Peckish

Starch before cutting. Funny story, I cannot believe I did this, it was such a rookie mistake and I ought to know better.... two weeks ago, I was hired to put a hanging sleeve and binding on a quilt that had been commissioned by a fabric manufacturer. The binding went on just fine, no problems. The quilt's owner had very specific measurements for the hanging sleeve. I cut the fabric, then starched and pressed it... and it was too small. I thought I must have measured wrong, so I cut it, starched and pressed it again, and of course, it was too small AGAIN!!! Smacked myself upside the head, starched and pressed the rest of the fabric, THEN cut it to size. This time it was perfect. Thankfully there was plenty of fabric left over!!!

Peckish

p.s. The trick to successful starching is to wait for the starch to soak in. The main difference between spray starch and Best Press is that Best Press has a surfactant that helps it soak into the fabric faster. It is still spray starch (albeit pretty-smelling starch, lol). Sometimes I'll use a paintbrush and "paint" the starch on the fabric to help it soak into my applique pieces faster.

MTS

Never used a painbrush - I'll have to keep that in mind for smaller pieces.

I always press first to warm the fabric up - whether it's plain fabric or an already pieced block(s).
I spritz, wait a bit, and then press.
Haven't had any with issues with scorching or flaking.

And my goal for tomorrow will be to use the word "surfactant" in a sentence at least 3 times.

--Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid.--

Okay, maybe only once.
;-)

PaperPrincess

I prewash, then fold and store the fabric. When I want to use a piece, I sprtiz it with water, then spray with a 50/50 mixture of liquid starch (sta flo) and water. I wait a few minutes then press, then cut.

joyce888

I starch before I cut and if I'm cutting a single layer of fabric I starch both sides of the fabric.

Toni C

starch then cut. It makes the cut pieces behave and gives that crisp feeling back (I prewash everything) Starch is my BUDDY