homemade spray starch
 

Does anyone have a recipe for making spray starch for quilting?

one part Vodka to eight parts water and a few drops of lavender essence, (if you want some fragrance, I don't use it) It is not a starch but does give a little body to the fabric. anyway that is what I use.

I use 1/3 water and 2/3 vodka with a drop or two of lavender scent. It is not startchy but like Best Press and is not as expensive. (I never drink but vodka makes good vanilla and spray "starch"):thumbup:

2 cups water
2 oz. vodka
a few drops lavender oil

we all have same ingredients different proportions
mine is same as mamagrande's

one I found on Google

What You'll Need:

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

3 3/4 cup tap water

2-3 drops of fragrant essential oil or lemon juice (optional)



Mix It Up:

Bring 3 3/4 cup tap water to a rolling boil.

While waiting for water to boil, mix the tablespoon of cornstarch into cold water. Stir constantly until cornstarch is completely dissolved.

Once water boils, slowly stir in cornstarch mixture.

If using essential oil or lemon juice, add to mixture and continue to stir for one minute.

Remove from heat and let cool.

After cooling add to a one quart spray bottle.

No sorry, I am to lazy to make my own.

I'd rather just drink the vodka,with a hint of vanilla flavor...then starching won't be a concern!LOL,

Hear, hear, Miss francie yuhas -- sounds like a great plan to me!

How can you starch something when STARCH is not an ingredient?
Is alcohol the secret ingredient in Best Press?
Would gin work?

I have Niagara in the 'bad' aerosol can - both regular and extra-firm - but I only use it when I can see that some little piece is going to go really really awhack. Or on those pesky fold creases off the bolt which won't go for steam.

I just press cut piece join quilt! Will things go better with vodka? real starch?

Forgive me but have only quilted a couple years and still exploring techniques. thanks!

My sister buys the liquid starch in the half-gallon jug, then dilutes it. I don't have the proportions, I just know she does it. Me, I'll buy the Niagara and the Best Press. I'd rather be quilting, and I don't have to worry about storing one more thing.

Francie, I don't drink alcohol, but I'll join you with a tall glass of iced tea!

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Vodka is made from potatoes, which are - tah dah! - starchy vegetables.

Gin won't work for starch.

I use cornstarch.

I wonder how much of the 'starch' left from the potatoes is actually in vodka though. Anyway I use vodka water sometimes and niagara spray sometimes, but I'm switching to magic sizing.

Ditto! But I still copied the recipes, just in case.

What are you using for your starch? I use Sta-Flo starch and diliute it 1 for 1(1 cup starch to 1 cup water).

This is from Diane Gaudynski's website.

Try my recipe for spray starch for all your pressing/piecing needs. Produces a super flat stable quilt: Dissolve a half or one teaspoon of regular Argo cornstarch (in your cupboard probably) in a few tablespoons of cold water in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup/pitcher. Boil 1 cup of water and stir into the cornstarch, stirring constantly. Add enough cool water to make 2 cups total of the mixture. It will thicken slightly and turn from chalk white to translucent. Let cool and use in a pump spray bottle. Shake it every time you spray. You may have to dilute it a little if it is too thick. Lasts a week or so, as there are no preservatives, no chemicals, no nothing that harms us or the environment, and it’s practically free, except for the spray bottle.

You got it right!

Well, this is new to me! I haven't heard of using vodka

The secret ingredient is potato and vodka is potato-based. I make my own too: Cheap vodka, water, and lavender essential oil. My ratio is one part vodka to about 1.5 parts water and 2 or 3 drops of the oil. Works like a charm for me.

I personally wouldn't use anything with food in it (like real corn starch, sta-flo, which I think has corn starch, etc). Too much temptation for bugs. Maybe if I was washing it shortly after but then if that was the case I wouldn't be starching or pressing it.

As for the vodka, if it's clear I doubt there's any starch left in it. From what I have read it starts out with starch but in the process of fermenting, the starch is converted to sugars.

Most vodka isn't made from potatoes anymore. And even if it was still made from potatoes there isn't any starch left after the fermentation and distillation processes. The yeast consumes all the starch and turns it to alcohol.

You'd probably get just as good a result from using sugar water.

Me too!!!!, LOL.

I haven't bothered to make starch as I found the non aerosol bottle of Niagara spray starch (which I love) for $1.77 at Target in the U.S. As I can't find it in Canada, I bought three cases (36 bottles) of it to share with my quilting buddies on my last trip to New York state. I also bought some (8)giant bottles of Arm and Hammer laundry detergent (164 loads each) and a new iron. When I crossed back into Canada at the Niagara Falls check point, I got some very strange looks from the boarder guy. He looked it all over, looked at me and finally just said "Happy Laundry Day Lady. You must enjoy pressing shirts for the army!"

There is a non-aerosol version of Niagara. Same section you found the "bad". Starch does help.

Make sure you buy the vodka made wtih potatoes! That is how the starch is obtained. I use 1 part vodka, 2 parts water, and some essential oils for making soap to give it a nice smell. Hobby lobby sells it, but it is not necessary.

That reminds me of a story my grandmother told me. She was doing laundry in the basement and had just gotten her hair "permed". There was a leaky pipe above, dripping on her new perm. She grabbed my brother's old football helmet and put it on her head. Then she decided to go ahead and wash her mumu...in which she was wearing nothing underneath. She threw it in the washer and heard a noise behind her. It was the electric meter guy checking the meter. He took one look at her and said, "Gee, I hope your team wins, lady"! and ran out as fast as he could! lol! Can you imagine????

Good idea....

Oh Michelle, priceless.

The only problem is when you use this recipe it will glue fabric to fabric but it won't stick to polyester batting.

Is it because Vodka's base is potatoes....right? Gin is from juniper berries, I believe. Probably wouldn't work the same.

This is the recipe that I have for a spray starch like the Best Press.
Mix together:
1 tsp. scented essential oil (found at Walmart in the candle section)
3 oz. of Vodka ( must be made from potatoes, so ask at the liquor store or read the label)
Then add 24 oz of distilled water and shake well.
Add one drop of food color per gallon(optional)

I have not made this, but a bunch of my friends have and say it is just like best press and a lot cheaper.

I buy the half gal. of liquid stay flo starch and then mix it with water in a spray bottle. You can make any strength you like. A half gallon will last me a year or longer.

It doesn't matter what the alcohol is based on, potatoes, corn, or wheat, by the time the fermentation and distillation processes are done there is NO starch. The yeasts consume the starch and convert it to alcohol.

What a waste of vodka!!

I realy thought this was leading up to a joke when I saw the first ingredient was Vodka. But... guess it's for real. Amazing. For me - I buy the stuff and save time. Call me lazy, but I'd rather be quilting.

I'd rather buy my starch and drink my vodka.

As Mamagrande mentioned................one part Vodka to eight parts water and a few drops of lavender essence. I like mine to be a bit stiffer so I had a cup of liquid starch to my mix but I make up a gallon at a time as it doesn't go bad so that's a cup of liquid starch to whatever it takes to make up to a gallon with the above recipe.

I don't think the vodka we buy (smirnoff-I use it to make vanilla extract) says what it's made from.

I use liquid starch and water. 1 cup liquid starch
2 cups water

I use this all the time. If you want it to be stiff spray fabric 2 to 3 times great when working with bias fabrics.

I should have said: Spray fabric first then cut your fabric: Pieces that or on the bias like triangles 45* 60* 90*