I think we all learn my our mistakes.

I have washed strips before, and there was a real mess! I even used a lingerie bag, too, but there was still a mess! I didn't starch them, but wanted to wash them to go with other fabric that had been washed.

Can't imagine your surprise and frustration! Hope you're able to get out of your mess without a bigger mess!

I put moy scraps in a lingerie (sp?) bag. That way they don't get tangled .

I was always told NOT to ever starch fabric, spray-on or liquid, as bugs love to eat it and will ruin your quilts. What I do is use sizing, which stiffens, but is not a starch. Granted, it is a spray-on (haven't found a liquid one yet), but 99.9% of us iron our fabrics anyway. I even use sizing when I iron my DH's shirts - look just as good as starching. Yes, I know, I should send the shirts to the laundry for them to do so I have more time to quilt! :-)

An ironing tip: never, ever, ever use a steam iron. Water and irons, do not mix. Water will cause an iron to leak (see Rowenta thread from last week) eventually because of corrosion of the internal parts. Those of us who "sprinkle" their fabrics and use a dry iron, have just as crisp fabric as those who use a steam iron and we have irons that will basically last forever.

Good luck with your tangles!

Thanks for your courage to tell your screw ups. I believe in telling all too so that beginning quilters don't see our long road to lovely quilts as a instant road to success. We all learn from our many mistakes and mishaps. I use a portable drying rack with a cheap plastic tablecloth under it for drying that type thing. I also use my fingers as a squeege when removing the strips from the starch bath.

I do the small tub of liquid starch thing with all my fabrics, big pieces or little, but I have an outdoor clothesline on which to hang them and prefer them to be slightly damp yet when I iron them. If you do not have an outdoor line and are only doing strips, is there a way you can hang them to dry over the bathtub or in the shower?

Well two more hours spent cutting threads! So four hours in total to get the mess untangled. Now to iron all of the strips! That will be tonight's job.

Good to know! I just bought an Accugo and was debating taking it back, but will try starching to see if I have better results.

OMG ...Memories of almost the same thing that I did......had to toss all the squares..what a tangled frayed mess:(:(