When I press my fabric and use startch - Should I press the whole peice and statch it or should I cut the peices and then press and startch?

Starch and press the whole piece before cutting. Starch stabilizes the fabric so you get more accurate cuts.

Press and starch the whole piece first, then cut it, much easier to handle all the way around...

Thank You - I am still waiting to be adopted

Thank you very much

Starch is my new best friend after discovering it about a month ago. I starch before I cut, and after I piece. I love how nicely stuff goes together now!!! I find my seams to be much more accurate with starch.

Cheers!
Rachel

glad things are comming along well for you

Will starch make it harder to hand quilt? I have never starched before. I recently did a tablerunner with applique rings, had to starch.

What kind of starch do you use? I have been told it really does help get more accurate cuts, but I have been hesitant to use it. I normally do not prewash my fabric, but I understand some of you do. The reason I don't is because I had a bad experience with it fraying horribly even after clipping the corners. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kathi in PA

I don't pre-wash either. But if you do, I suggest zigzagging the ends, you'll get no fraying that way!! I do that with Linen I have to wash for other projects.

For starch, hubby just picked up a few cans from the drugstore, nothing special. Works great though! I know some people make their own too.

Cheers!
Rachel

Thanks, Rachel. I'm going fabric shopping on Saturday and grocery shopping so I'll pick up some starch and give it a whirl!! Anything to get more accurate cuts.

Kathi in PA

I starch and Hand quilt have not had a problem. I use Niagra.

Thanks, Niagra is what I used. Haven't started the hand quilting yet.

The lady at the fabric store was pushing Mary Ellen's Best Press 'The Clear Starch Alternative'. Has anyone used it & what do you think?

I use the cheapest spray starch... I find it really stiffens up the fabric, especially when I am working with bias edges and I really soak it good. I let it dry completely and never have trouble with it flaking or being a problem on my iron. I tried the liquid starch, and it was ok for giving the fabric body, but even mixing it 50%-50% it did not get as stiff.

I love ME's Best Press!! I use it and I find a little goes a long way. That being said..I have also used regular spray starch from a can. The both work great, but I like Best Press better.

There is one quilter who always answers in the starch thread. For the life of me I can't figure out who she is.

She says she uses a paint brush and brushes the starch solution onto her fabric, the a couple minutes in the dryer, then she presses them out.

I, unfortunately, have never been able to do that for myself. I buy Sta-Flo. It's a blue bottle of liquid, concentrated starch. It's incredibly cheap compared to the spray starch and you can mix it yourself. I use a regular Dollar Tree spray bottle with measuring lines on it. I use a 1:1 solution. It's a 2 quart bottle so it makes at least 4 quarts of solution depending on how strong you want it. I used it on 8 quilts last year and didn't get low until I started this one for this year. It's a wonderful time saver, I love how it makes the fabric stiff. I find it's helps me cut more accurately and my seams fit together much better. Since I always wash my quilts after their quilted, and I don't store them forever, I never worry about bugs getting them or anything like that.

We were a one income house for a long time and I couldn't afford to get fabric when I wanted to notions or pattern books or anything like that. That starch is VERY economic.

What is the difference between spray starch and sizing? I have seen both of them at walmart?

Sizing is similar to starch, but starch is heavier and it seems to go farther.

I love it and have been buying it all the time. Usually buy it at Joanne's when they have a 40% off coupon or sometimes they run it for 50% off. It's the best!

If you baste the two cut ends of the fabric before washing and drying, you will not have this problem.....I have a large 4 yard piece and it worked wonders for me.