Deb, I saw the fine print to access the web site. I see now why you need the spray starch! Thanks!

Deb, I saw the fine print to access the web site. I see now why you need the spray starch! Thanks!

If you prewash and dry yor fabric, you wash away the sizing or stiffening agents that are in fabric. Starch will help to prevent fabric from stretching as you cut and sew it.

Glad to hear someone say they wouldn't put in the iron. It doesn't make sense to me either. Thank you for saying so.

I don't always prewash (although I am doing it more and more), but I do starch -- especially when I am doing something with a lot of pieces or bias edges since they stabilize the pieces/blocks so you can be more accurate.

My thoughts exactly!

I didn't say you had to prewash, I just gave one reason for starching...

Thanks for the recipe! Am almost out of Magic Sizing, which I think bothers my asthma. Will have to give this a try. I'm assuming I can add in fewer than 15-20 drops of the essential scented oil. Why does it need to be kept in the refrigerator?

After you measure the 1/4 cup, you can then drink the remainder of the bottle. Won't need any starch then. hehe :lol: :lol:

And won't be fretting about non-pointy stars and matching corners. Oh what fun!!!!!!!!!

1/2 gal cheap vodka on sale at Rite-aid or a Wal greens is $8 - $9.

I used readymade starch, thinned it down with water and then added patchuli oil. Love this scent. Use it when I iron my pillowcases as well as using in the sewing room.

My Mom used to make starch but she always brought it to a boil until it turned clear, then added cold water. I don't recall hers ever flaking.

this is interesting...I might have to try it..

I am wondering about the use of vodka. What is it supposed to do?

Then that means all whiskeys are starch too since they're made from corn.

If you can stand the smell, I guess you could use it...

Vodka is made from potatoes. Potatoes are starchy. It does add some starch to the fabric. Not real stiff but I like the results.....

Actually it doesn't add any starch at all. The yeast used changes the starch to alcohol. That's why it's called alcohol and not starch.

Excuse me!!!

I just read on my bottle that my vodka is made from grain. It said nothing about potatos.

Thanks for sharing.

Some is made from potatoes!

http://www.tulleeho.com/cb/vodka/section2.asp

So does it matter then what brand you use so as to ensure the vodka is made from potatoes? I kind of don't get this starch thing anyway. This would seem to have the same effect on fabrics that using a steam iron does ( it stretches the fabric our of shape/or something). Ive read the various arguments concerning steam/ no steam ironing on this board. I use steam and no starch, never thought of it. HELP!

Since there is no starch left by the time it's vodka it doesn't matter what it's made from to start with.


From the website;

Essentially how it's made: The cornerstone of the production of most alcohol is the process of distillation, which involves the separation of the contents of the liquids and ensuring the extraction of alchohol from a low strength alcoholic liquid to make it into a stronger one. The first step in the production of vodka is the crushing or mixing of the ingredients at hand and their mixing with water. Subsequently this mixture is heated up, which converts the starch into sugar. The resultant liquid, which is thickish and sweet is called the wort. Yeast is then added to this liquid which then goes through a fermentation process and results in a further liquid, which possesses the unremarkable name of wash. This wash is then converted into raw spirit by distillation. Through repeated distillation of the spirit, the impurities in the liquid are decreased and the alcoholic level is raised

Bet not- but do you get a bit tipsy ;)

Yep, sometime. When I drink the mixture!!! :thumbup:

Ok, time for night, night. Have a great week everyone!

Frankly, I'm surprised you can get any noticeable body or stiffening with it at all.

ALL alcohol is made from starch (carbohydrate). Yeast eats the starch (carbs) and converts them into alcohol. The results of the initial fermentation are wine (carbs from fruit), beer (carbs from grain) or mead (carbs from honey). Further distillation removes some of the water and some of the alcohol fractions and leaves brandy, whisky, vodka, etc. Most of the original carbs are long gone after distillation is carried out.

In the theatre, an old costumer's trick is to spot clean with a 50% dilution of vodka with water; I've never observed any stiffening at all after cleaning with a much higher percentage solution of vodka than the one you gave above.

You are probably not letting the starch solution soak into your fabric long enough. Or you are using an iron that is way hotter than necessary.

And I used an old window cleaner bottle for mine. I like it so much better than the store bought spray.

I'm having pretty good luck with the StaFlo. It flakes sometimes, but only when I get wild with the spray.

Most of the vodka on the market is actually made from grains (mostly sorghum, corn, rye or wheat). Anything that is rich in carbs (starch) can be used, including soybeans, molasses, grapes, rice, sugar, etc. There are still some vodkas that include potatoes, but they are a tiny minority, more of a novelty than anything.

The most expensive vodkas are made from wheat or rye.

Thank you Nana, my blog address was with my original post and it somehow disappeared. I suppose the Quilting Board police didn't like that I added it to my post????? Not sure what happened. I should have just posted the recepie here. Was not on the computer yesterday so I didn't see all this until this morning. Here's the recepie

Here’s how to make your own Spray Starch:
Measure a scant teaspoon of Argo Cornstarch or any other cooking type cornstarch. Dissolve it in a few TBSP of cold water in a 2 cup glass measuring cup then add boiling water to the 1 cup line and stir until totally dissolved. Add cold water to the 2 cup line. Put in a fine mist sprayer. (The kind you get from the beauty department of the drug store works best. Be sure to label the bottle.
Shake the bottle every time you spray. If white flaking occurs dilute with additional water. Shake well every time you spray. The bottle of starch only lasts a week or so. Make a fresh batch each week or when you start cutting and piecing a new project. There are no preservatives, no chemicals, nothing that harms us or the environment.
Don't starch fabrics for storage as I have heard it will attract critters such as silverfish, centipedes, and mice. After you have finished binding your quilt it should be washed or rinsed to remove the starch. I hear that lavender oil will keep the critters away, but I think washing the quilt is best.
Use spray starch before cutting fabrics to prevent distortion and fraying and add more when pressing seams. If you spritz the fabric and press carefully parallel to the selvages of the fabric it will give it a wonderful body. Don't push and pull on the fabric with the iron; be gentle, let the weight and heat of the iron do the work for you.
Happy Quilting!!!!

well with all the discussion ya know what. I am going to try it for myself. And if it doesn't work it was $5 and I can still add it for a preservative. Or just add distilled water some essential oil and make a linen spray. The stuff I got was too cheap to actually drink but will work for other things I could also make tinctures with it.

Ditto! Works well. Smells Great!

what article? Don't see it.

thannks :D

If you have adequately heated (cooked) the starch, there's no need to shake it. Starch (any starch, not just cornstarch) works when it is mixed with liquid and then heated so that the starch granules absorb the liquid. Once the starch granules are completely cooked, they have absorbed all the liquid they can. Shaking won't help them absorb any more.

In fact, if you do radical "shaking" (put them in a blender) you can break down the starch solution because the rapidly whirling blades of the blender literally cuts the bags of starch open and thus breaks down the structure of the solution.

If, after adding the boiling water to the starch mixed with cold water, the solution doesn't turn clear, thick and glossy, I suggest you zap it in the microwave in 30 second increments to heat it up until the starch has been fully cooked.

Vodka can be stored in your freezer. My son put a part of a bottle in our freezer about four years ago and it is still there. I think I will use some and try this recipe.
thanks for sharing.