Can you press too much?
 

I've jut finished putting all the blocks together for my quilt and am ready to start joining them together. I pressed and sprayed with Best Press when I washed my fabric, I then pressed each block again after construction. Now, after all the handling to determin position and so forth I find myself wnting to give them a final press and starch after their final "square up" and joining together in their rows. Can you press and starch too much? And also, is it okay to use a litle bit of steam in the iron....I get a better heat and crisp with steam but have heard you shouldn't use it on your blocks/piecing?

I don't think you can. I starch and press the seams then starch the final square up once the top is together. The only way I think you can go wrong is if you iron out of shape. But the starch helps prevent that.

Steam is one of those things some swear by and others swear at. It's a personal choice thing.

Personally, I use steam and starch up to the point of final squaring up the block. I would be afraid of distortion to use either one after that point until all the blocks were sewn together.

I am a steamer. It just works better for me than a dry iron. I also starch - but only if I am doing a block with small pieces or thin strips - like Log Cabins. Everyone has their own preference!

I had to give up on steam, as it seemed to make my blocks ripple in places (and then there was the leaking and sputtering issue). I do miss the steam on the back of the quilt, though, as it really helped the pressed seams to lie flat. I sometimes get this same type of rippling problem when I use the Best Press on a completed block, so I tend to omit the Best Press when I press after my blocks have been constructed.

I try to starch and press each seam in order to "preserve" the shape that I have sewn. If one is pressing to try to "manipulate" the fabric to get a block into being square or to be a bit larger, etc, remember that it will always return to the original shape when washed. It is really good to measure and square up as you go. Waiting until a 12" block is completed is usually too late to guarantee that it is squared.

I made the mistake of ironing/pressing overly enthusiastically blocks
that were still sopping wet with sizing (the kind I bought in the spray can) - stretched them totally out of shape!

I think there is a proper way to use starch/sizing, but that was not it!

Amazing what I have learned after doing something wrong! :o

I steam press a lot and I do not use spray starch. I have not had any issues with all the quilts I have made. If there is any shrinkage from the steam, I guess everything is shrinking the same amount.

I watched an old Love of Quilting show recently that made me smile. Maryann Fons was asked if she used steam and she replied that she does until the iron runs out of water -- and then she doesn't!