Faultless from Wal-Mart

You had to dampen starched fabric (in fact we always dampened EVERYTHING we ironed) because you couldn't get the wrinkles out if you didn't. You sprinkled the clothes with water (we didn't have a pop bottle sprayer - we just dipped our fingers in a bowl of water and shook our hands over the clothes to shake off the water), then folded and rolled the item in a neat little package and, put them all in a laundry basket and let them sit for a while so the water distributed itself in the fabric so it was evenly dampened all over, then we could iron. They came out looking better than new!

A lot of women would refrigerate anything that was starched and dampened before ironing if she thought she may not be able to get to the ironing before a certain length of time went by. Dampened UNstarched clothes would just dry out if left too long, but dampened starched fabric could get moldy or buggy if left too long. Refrigerating eliminated that possibilty.

I still dampen and iron 100% cottons before I cut them.

This is probably more than you ever wanted or needed to know about starching/dampening, but there you go. You probably also know how OLD I am!

I am a newbie too, and I find that when I starch the fabric it seems to sew better for me. Maybe it's me, I don't really know.

My grandmother did that because we didn't have a steam iron.

I can tell you why things went into the refrig/freezer at my house lol. My hubby was in the service and I had two children 11 months apart. EVERYTHING had to be ironed...there was no such thing as perma press. I would dampen clothes and if I didnt have a chance to finish ironing them that day for some reason, then they went into the frig or freezer so they would not mildew! Sometimes you would dampen more than you could finish and that could be a problem.

Margie

Ditto! Hancock also carries it. I get the unscented because the others gag me. (I have alergies)

I use Mary Ellen's also and I got mine at Hancocks.

I use Mary Ellen's too. It's great and yes, a bit pricy. The LQS here sells the large gallon jugs for $50.00 but I saw it on Amazon for $34.00.

I use stay flo - mix half and half or 1/4 to 3/4 starch. I have found the best way to use it! Spray the fabric until soaked, throw it in the dryer until dry (no flaking in dryer) then steam iron or use a little water spritz. Walla! Cardboard fabric! Ha.

My cuts are much better and my piecing is much more accurate as my fabric "sticks" together.

I also stack them like cards and shuffle. Not really LOL

You can usually get Mary Ellen's best press at Hancock's for $4.99, far below other retail. Or you can purchase the gallon from JoAnns online when they have a 50% off coupon for really cheap. I buy the gallon and fill my small spray bottles. I keep on in the sewing room, one in the laundry room and one at the ranch house......As far as the use of it, it makes piecing so much easier, the pieces seem to stay together while sewing and it helps stabilize bias edges when sewing triangles, diamonds and applique.
Diana in Tx