Originally Posted by
VickyS
I wash almost everything, mostly because I hate the formaldehyde they use to keep the cotton from attracting bugs or wearing out in storage before it is sold. That said, if the pattern I am making has a lot of intricate pieces, I may skip the wash since the starch I use isn't as strong as that fabric finish they use on the new fabric.
I used to be an assistant manager at a House of Fabrics before they closed their doors, let me tell you, the formaldehyde was so strong that it took me a couple of weeks of nose bleeds to get used to it, so I fully understand the need to wash in that case. But, did you know that starch attracts bugs? Here is a snip from an article on e-quilter .com
Ever since reading Robbie Fanning's book on machine quilting, I starch the living daylights out of my fabric, to whit: I iron the prewashed stuff with heavy starch just before cutting (don't leave it folded after starching or you will get a very difficult to remove wrinkle or crease) Then I starch each time I press any seam. It gives a really fine, crisp line and by halfway through the texture of the quilt top is like card stock. If you're doing any embroidery or applique, it is much easier--almost a built in stabilizer. However, something Robbie does not caution but is essential for anyone hoping to preserve their quilts--when you're done making the quilt, you MUST wash out the starch--silver fish just love starch (and I'll bet it's tasty for other creepy crawlies too) Don't leave starch in anything stored--also includes heirloom-sewn kids clothes which often are starched heavily as part of the lace attaching process.
I too, love to use the starch on prewashed fabrics, but only use the starch on a current project, not fabric that you will be storing. Starch can also cause discolorations after time, so just be careful when you use starch.