I've been making my own spray starch lately and its working out great. Best part is it is virtually free (except for the price of the spray bottle)

I am going to keep this article thanks so much.

Thanks

I mix mine with:
1/4 cup vodka
2 cups water
few drops of Lavender essence

Vodka is made from potatoes so therefore it is starch.
I never get any flakeing from this mixture.

Interesting. I have this recipe from Mark Lipinski (he was a guest on Simply Quilts). I wonder if the cornstarch in your recipe could be put into this concoction:

Lavender Linen Water Recipe

Combine:
2 cups of distilled water
2 ounces of cheap vodka
15 to 20 drops of 100% essential oil of lavender
(available at health food stores) or another 100% essential oil scent

Make sure you’re using 100% essential oils! Accept and use no substitutions!

Add the mixture to your steam iron and enjoy the aroma while you piece. Store the leftover water in the fridge.

Cornstarch is alot cheaper than vodka and it works great. The only downside is that you have to make a new batch each week but it is not hard to do.

Oh but you won't be as "happy" as you will be when using the other! :)

Thank you for an easy recipe to make and use.

Okay I don't drink so I don't know how cheap is cheap vodka? Smirnoff is the only brand I know. How do you store it? I bought the Sta starch to dilute and it flakes terribly. I had been buying the spray can that doesn't flake. So if you make your own only the vodka version won't flake?

It hasn't flaked for me..

going to make some! thanks for sharing.

It might be a good idea to post complete recipes in this thread. I can just envision me (at a younger age!) mixing up vodka and water, not realizing the recipe needs cornstarch too!

I don't think they are adding cornstarch when doing the vodka blends

Don't put Cornstarch with my recipe...

Interesting thread. Thank you for sharing these recipes!

I use the vodka, but I also add some liquid starch to the mixture.

my recipe is -

1 cup sta-flo concentrate
1 cup water
1 cup of Febreeze any scent will do ( i use lavender )

Mix well and pour in spray bottle..

wow learn something new every day. I am going to have to try this. It really stiffens the fabric?
I buy the bottle of sta flo and mix mine like 20 water to 1 startch , I also add lavender to it.

I think it is more like Mary Ellen's rather than making fabric stiff, but maybe that is just me...

wow learn something new every day. I am going to have to try this. It really stiffens the fabric?
I buy the bottle of sta flo and mix mine like 20 water to 1 startch , I also add lavender to it.[/quote]
I think it is more like Mary Ellen's rather than making fabric stiff, but maybe that is just me...[/quote]

Thanks for letting me know. That's ok to. I have bought Mary Ellens once. It was so expensive I used it only to iron clothes. I have had the bottle going on 3 years. and there is still a little left in the bottom hehe!!!

I think it is more like Mary Ellen's rather than making fabric stiff, but maybe that is just me...[/quote]

Thanks for letting me know. That's ok to. I have bought Mary Ellens once. It was so expensive I used it only to iron clothes. I have had the bottle going on 3 years. and there is still a little left in the bottom hehe!!![/quote]

I add 1/3 cup liquid starch and it makes it a little stiffer. Be careful in high humidity areas, because it can attract bugs. I don't worry about it because we are very low humidity.

I missed something here. I don't see a recipe posted using cornstarch. Will someone please post it for me? I am sure that if I started spraying quilt fabric with vodka my husband would have me committed!

What's the recipe? If you posted it, it didn't come through when I got this.

Recipe is missing. Will bookmark this and check back later. The ones with vodka is intriguing! I've been buying the Niagara in a spray bottle and really like the finish it gives but free would be better.

If you click on Deb's blog link (from the original post)you will get the recipe.

http://debsquiltsandthings.blogspot.com/

Well there is one very cheap bottle of vodka in the house now. When I was reading this is just so happened that my brothers step daughter was at the liquor store so she picked me up a bottle. I am going to mix it up later and see how it works.

Watch for bugs. Wash fabric as soon as possible.

What is spray starch used for? I've never used it on quilt pieces. Should I be?

Wow this is a cheap recipe for starch, thanks for sharing.

thanks! I"ll make some soon

Thanks, I will try the Cornstarch recipe. It would be less expensive than my Vodka recipe.

I was just thinking about using starch and this is perfect timing.

I think I will try em both. I have an empty Mary Ellen bottle, I will just use it.
Thank you both, I learn so much here.

I have heard this before & will try it soom. Hadn't herd of putting in the iron for steaming, I use the steam all the time. Will that keep the hard water build up from happening? If I remember right vodka has no oder.

Are you suppose to drink the vodka?

Had no idea vodka and water alone would stiffen fabric! Cornstarch is a lot cheaper, though (especially since I wouldn't be tempted to drink it!). :-D

I would not put it in my iron, I use a spray bottle.

This is true if you have higher humdity. It is really dry where I live, so I do no have to worry about bugs.

Do you have the recipe?? Did you print it and it didn't come up for me for some reason??? I knew corn starch had to be good for something. :-D

The lady who conducted the quilting class I took didn't have the time to say much so I guess that's why so much of what I read here is all new to me. My question is, why are you starching the fabric? I assume that this to stiffen the fabric. Why?