One of the doctors I work with is going to Africa in May on a missionary trip. She has asked me to make her two white aprons with pockets. I bought 100% cotton fabric, without thinking that it would wrinkle after being washed.

Question: Can I use something like spray starch on it to help keep it from wrinkling so much? I hate to be stuck with something I won't use.

Any/all suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.

i use the duck fabric, I think that is what it is called. It is heavier then regular cotton. The black waitress aprons are made from the same material. sorry for your Dalema. If it is white cotton, you can always use in another quilt.

Starch will wash out and would have to be re=starched every washing. I can't think of any way to make cotton wrinkle resistant.

I'm a little confused here. Are you talking about making them or just keeping the fabric???

I think that is a poly/cotton blend, which is why it doesn't wrinkle.
It's nice to sew on too.

Susan, I want to use the cotton fabric for the aprons. However, I think cotton/poly blend would be better so it won't wrinkle out of the dryer. I plan to line it with the same fabric so it is 2 thicknesses. I think I just need to go get what I SHOULD have gotten and just go from there. I didn't think about the spray starch washing out.

I really don't make a lot of quilts, and when I do, I usually don't use white on the back. I wonder if I could maybe list it for sale on this board.

yeah, the duck fabric is the best choice.

If it's 100% cotton it will wrinkle, period. If you don't want the wrinkling, then you need to get something with polyester in it, maybe at least 30% poly and 70% cotton. You can always use the cotton for a quilt.

Thank you all! I was sure I need to get cotton/polyester blend for the aprons. Don't know WHY I bought 100% cotton. Just wasn't thinking clearly, I guess. I'll keep the white cotton and see where I can use it.

ok folks, she is going to Africa for a mission...whether or not it will stay clean or wrinkle free is hardly the issue here...

USE what you have, and go ahead and starch it for the gifting...if you think it is not sturdy enough, then fuse two layers together with stitch witchery or another fusible web that has NO paper on it! it will be fine..really...

Being the mother of a doctor gives me another perspective on this issue. If it was a request from a doctor herself, she more than likely had a polyester fabric in mind BECAUSE:
1. She'll likely be using this instead of her white coat while seeing patients
2. Blood/body fluids wash out of polyester/blends easier.
3. It doesn't wrinkle which means it "appears" fresher.
4. It's easier to stain-treat, wash, rinse, and hang to dry if facilities are limited.

I'd definitely ask her for more guidelines about what she had in mind before you spend the time making these.

Jan in VA

wrinkled cotton looks terrible in an apron---- go for the easy care blend----dye your white scrunch it up so it dyes patchy looks great for skys +seas in blue-----greens for trees +leaves