Jeanette Frantz

I have recently (in the past 6 months or so) pieced two very large Log Cabin Quilts. On the first one, I starched (spray starch-Faultless). The second one (my avatar) I used no starch. Every piece of fabric in this quilt top has been pre-washed, and every piece of the shades of red have been treated for bleeding, after cutting a 6" long by 1/2" strip and putting it in a glass of hottest tap water. Without fail, every one of them did bleed. I had quite a bit of money invested in this quilt top, so I treated it with a dye setter product which definitely worked (I tested the fabric again after it was dryed and none of them continued to bleed). I did not find that the starch made piecing any easier to piece the blocks, and not starching takes a lot less time than starching. I did find, however, that the first Log Cabin Quilt I made using starch had to be washed before it was gifted. The size of the quilt required that I go to a laundromat with the very large front-loading machines and the cost is pretty high (but not as high as a repair on my machine at home if I used it). The quilt in my Avatar has remained quite clean, and I'm hopeful it won't need washing. The thing is, if it is helpful to you, then do what works for you. I've had problems with allergies to some detergents, resulting in rashes on my hands eventually leading to cracking open and bleeding (I use hand cream/lotion a LOT, but perhaps not enough). I cannot use Dawn DW liquid, and I don't get my hands into any laundry detergent. This problem may not plague you, so you have to do what works for you. We don't have any quilt police!