Thanks for the recommendations. I'm lazy. If I iron, I have always used spray starch or sizing. However, I hardly ever wash my fabrics before I cut.

I love my 6 1/2" Bloc-Loc Ruler. Can't praise it enough. I just learned an old method of making 8 HSTS at a time on another thread:

http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...w-t230816.html

With these two things I am becoming a master of HSTs. I am doing the happy dance.
peace

ube--I have been using the 8 HST at a time method for a while and love how quickly and accurately the squaring up process is now with the Bloc-Loc ruler. While these are pricey, I think you really only need the 6 1/2 inch one or maybe the next larger size if you do a lot of larger HST as well. As I mentioned above, I like to have room for my hand to rest on the template and the little 2 1/2 one doesn't leave room for more than a finger.

Now I'd love to hear from anyone that has the flying geese Bloc-Loc's. I had to make a bunch of these for my last quilt and found the squaring up very tedious and had to stay very sharp to do it accurately.

I was reading a blog several weeks back that posted she didn't really recommend the rulers for the flying geese. Something about the method she used for making them and the valid point that you do have to buy the ruler for the specific size so multiple rulers would be required.

I'm happy to hear the recommendations on Bloc Locs, as I just ordered a set yesterday!

As far as flying geese go, I love the Wing Clipper. There are 2 sizes; each does multiple sized of flying geese.

I was really interested to read about the Bloc-Loc rulers.
I am hoping they have them at the Houston Quilt Show so I can see them "personally".

Try Ebay UK

I'm like you #1 Piecemaker...I spray all my fabric fold it or roll it and place it in a plastic bag and let it sit for a couple of hours...the starch is absorbed in the fibers and doesn't lay on top like when you first spray...then I press it. no sticking or buildup on the iron..

Thank you for the hint on using the stronger strength starch. I'm going to increase the strength of mine.

Heavy starch
 

[QUOTE=DonnaC;6350460]I love my Sta-Flo too, but ladies - what's your secret to working with

There are couple of things I do and never have a messy iron. I almost never have to clean it.
First, warm up the fabric with the iron. Spray on the starch (1/2 & 1/2), heavy or light spray. Use a REALLY hot iron. I have 4 old general electric DRY irons. (Different colors!) No holes on the sole plate. Use the cotton setting. Hot! Never sticks unless you haven't let the iron heat up enough.
If you have to pieces of fabric that you want to cut at the same time or sew together, starch them together and iron them together.
If the starch sticks to the iron or flakes, you iron isn't hot enough. Of course, this is for cotton fabric.
Hope this helps.
:thumbup:[ATTACH=CONFIG]441584[/ATTACH]

Do you all use the BlocLoc only for HST or can you use them for just squaring up blocks?