Best press and starch
 

Could somebody explain to me the difference. Both say they are starches but what difference do they make to patchwork piecing and applique work?

Thank you for reading and hopefully replying.

I have used both. Best Press has an ingredient that allows it to penetrate the fibers of the fabric faster and so you can press without mess more quickly. I also notice that my iron doesn't get gunky from Best Press like it does from starch. The fabric that I use Best Press on doesn't seem as stiff as when I use starch. It could be that I am using less Best Press however since the cost is so much higher that I'm more careful how much I spray.

When I am starching a larger piece of fabric then I use starch. I use the non aerosol Niagra. I spray the fabric and roll it up and let it rest before I press. If I'm pressing seams and want a little crispness to it or smaller pieces of fabric I use Best Press as I can spray and press right away. I bought a small bottle at a beauty supply store (Sally's) that is meant for hairspray that I use to spray. It gives a much finer mist so my Best Press lasts longer. I buy it in the bottle without the sprayer as it is more economical that way.

So encouraging to see someone else has picked up on my idea about the little spray bottles. If you use coupons from Joann's to get your Best Press it decreases the cost even further.

I use lots and lots of both starch and Best Press. Before I cut my fabric, I heavily starch it. I use a mixture of 2/3 Sta-Flo to 1/3 water. I put this in a spray bottle and spray the fabric heavily. I then put the starched fabric in a plastic bag which I put in the freezer until I am ready to iron. For me, piecing is do much easier with the stiff fabric. If I need to get out deep wrinkles or fabric fold lines, I use Best Press which I purchase by the gallon and pour into a small spray bottle. Nothing beats Best Press for getting out wrinkles!

I really found that I like an item called "Magic Sizing". It gives a light body without the stiffness. I can ONLY find it at the larger Walmart for under $1.00 a can. Never have any problems with the nozzle plugging up and I can quickly spray and press without any flakes. I am on a tight budget so I have never tried Best Press.

I'm so intrigued by the descriptions of using starch (spray heavily, put in fridge). I think eventually the curiosity will overcome my fears about bugs, and I'll give it a try. Since following recent discussions on starch/Best Press, I've tried spraying with Best Press before cutting, but I can't say I've noticed much difference. Someone mentioned that starching really helped with applique, and I wondered if it was the background fabric or the applique piece that was starched. It seems it would be harder to turn under an edge that was stiffened with starch?

Joe'smum. I agree with your applique quote but if using bondaweb the stiffness could hinder needle work.

Oh, I see. Thank you so much. So this would not work for needle turn applique then, where you finger press, and turn under as you go.

When doing machine applique, I heavily starch the *background* fabric yardage before cutting it. For this I use a 1:1 solution of Sta-Flo and water, a large wall-painting brush to apply (very fast) until the fabric is saturated, wait a couple of minutes to allow the starch time to penetrate the fibers, toss in the dryer, then iron with steam. This makes the fabric almost as stiff as cardstock, eliminating the need for stabilizer underneath the background fabric when doing machine applique. Without stiffening or stabilizer, the background fabric is very likely to stretch and distort while machine sewing around appliques.

I find that Best Press most closely resembles sizing in terms of how much it stiffens fabric. Sizing is made from chemicals and is used to give just a light stiffening to things such as cuffs and collars on shirts. Using more Best Press will not really stiffen the fabric more; it will still give just a slight crispness and stability to fabric.

Starch is made from organic sources (corn, rice, potatoes) and can be made up in different strengths. The lightest formulations will be similar to sizing, but heavier formulations will stiffen and stabilize the fabric so much that the fabric will become highly unlikely to stretch or distort, even with lots of manhandling. That is why I like it for backings; heavy starching pretty much eliminates the chances of getting puckers and tucks in the back when quilting.

Both sizing and starch wash out of fabric; neither is permanent.

The problem I have with starching yardage is that if it is off grain, you can't straighten the grain after starching. If you wash the fabric first and straighten the grain before starching, you probably won't have this problem so much. Having said that, I still seem to twist the fabric while moving it to iron it. So I only starch small amounts of fabrice at a time. With Best Press, I don't have this problem. If you want the fabric stiffer, just spay/iron the fabric with it however many times you want until you get the stiffness you want.