Creases in Muslin - how do I get rid of them?
 

Help, folks....I have a problem. Was trying to get a quilt quickly put together for a friend in ICU. Purchased some nice tea stain colored muslin for the background of the applique blocks I'm making.

Ironed with a dry hot, then sprayed water and ironed it wet with hot iron, and did at least 2 layers of Niagara spray starch. Cut out the blocks.

Somehow the muslin just doesn't want to lose those creases!

What do I do? Just give up and try another layer of spray starch and hot iron? Is there something else I should be doing? This is my first major project using muslin. The stuff is not super thick. It is 100% cotton. It does NOT have a permanent press type finish on it.

I'm planning to meander quilt after I get the applique blocks assembled and stripped, but I wasn't planning to heavy quilt to try to hide the creases.

So far all I can figure to do is just try to place the applique items over the creases, and give up.

Any other ideas????

Use a mixture of half water and half white vinegar. the vinegar will "unset" the crease. I have used this mixture for ages...started at age 14...to take the crease out of pantlegs for my brothers. Also when I took in pants the perma press crease would be in the wrong place...so I just spritzed with the mixture, ironed out the old crease...spritzed and ironed in the new one.

I use it on fabrics every day. Check for color fastness on reds and blacks...but you do that with water anyhows.

I think I would wash it or at least wet it and dry it until it is slightly damp and then iron it. I went back and read and it says you cut out the blocks so you won't want them to be moving all over in the washer and dryer because of the edges fraying. Maybe just try making them wet. I hope that works for you.

I don't know if I've ever heard of this. I'll have to try it when I have that problem.

Normally I would have washed it first, but because I was using it as the background for applique, I thought the finishing on the muslin would keep it looking better since I know muslin tends to be wrinkly. I did wet it then used dry iron to dry it after damp. The creases seemed to start to disappear, but came back after letting the yardage sit while I was cutting.

I'm a little leery of putting a 50% vinegar acid solution on the material, but it's not too bad if I can get the squares machine appliqued quickly and the top assembled this weekend so I can quilt it and get it washed before I bring it to my friend....hopefully by next week if I can get my energy level moving

Thanks for the ideas!

Downy makes a wrinkle release spray I use on stubborn creases and wrinkles.

I will be trying Marge's vinegar solution, but for wrinkles you want to use Magic Sizing. For added stiffness/body you want starch. I'd dampen it a bit with a spritz of water then a spritz of Magic Sizing then Iron dry.
But also, I wouldn't use it if it weren't treated with a permanent press finish. I just came across a piece of that stuff in my box of donated fabric for charity. It smelled a little old and musty, so I washed and dried it. Couldn't believe the wrinkles, so I used it for rags. In my 30 years of quilting, I remember only once coming across a fabric that didn't have a permanent pres finish. Why wouldn't they treat it??? I hope it was cheaper.

Awesome! I needed this answer for myself! thanks

What a great idea. I am trying this as soon as I get my material folded and organized,

I agree with Ms Campbell. I have used this method for over ?? years. Since I was in Jr. High School! Our Home Ec teacher taught us this trick. It works great. Just be sure to use only WHITE vinegar. In my ignorance of being a teenager, I used full strength apple cider vinegar! Stains!! At least they washed out. Good luck.