I can remember my mom cooking the startch before she started her laundry and then starching what needed to be startched. Can't remember her startching sheets as she never ironed them, but usually put them right back on the beds after they had dried outside and ohhhh they smelled so good when you crawled into bed that evening.

Then she would sprinkle her starched items and roll them up in big towels or an old bedsheet to 'soak' a little while before she started ironing. If she didn't get to ironing that day or the next I can remember her putting them in the frig so they wouldn't mildew or get a moldy smell. I can't say ironing them was all that difficult, but it sure was work and I don't miss it today one little bit. Sometimes I startch my fabric with the spray startch and sometimes I don't. Most of the time I don't wash my fabric before cutting and piecing, know there are those that won't cut a piece with out it being washed. I use the startch if a piece has been washed as the sizing has been washed out by then and the material is more flimsy. There are some things about the 'good old days' that I don't miss one little bit, like ironing and the trips out behind the chicken house when it was cold. UGH! Happy quilting to everyone.

I just noticed I can't spell starch this morning for some reason. Not a good start for the day ha ha!

The only time I have difficulty is when I don't starch!! I just learned that to get some patterns right, it's the only way to go!! I just have to be careful with it as my husband is allergic to it.

I've always used starch and I just can't see myself not using it now.
It takes a while but it's so worth it. :thumbup:

When I was growing up starch was part of laundry and I was responsible for a lot of the ironing for a family of 6. I still use starch (spray) as I do not send clothes out to be laundered. For my quilting I use Best Press and I press blocks, not iron them. Love the Niagra Starch in the spray bottle.

mltquilt

It seems a lot of people write about having trouble ironing/pressing starched blocks. I think it may be easier to just starch the yardage after it is washed, while it is damp and iron it just like we used to do clothes. Then cut blocks out of the starched, ironed fabric - no pressing or ironing blocks needed. Just rapid ironing a flat piece of starched fabric.

I use walmarts sizing, its only 97 cents a can, and lighter than starch.

What's difficult? I buy the Niagra at the local store (I don't need the expensive stuff at the LQS) I spray, I let it set until it disappears into the fabric so that I don't get any white stuff on my fabric/clothes and then I iron. I love the results; the wrinkles are gone. It makes life easier if I'm doing triangles in my quilts. I don't understand how anyone can say it's difficult. I keep it and a spray bottle of water by my iron at all times.

I couldn't agree more. Questioned myself yesterday and decided to look on youtube and all but a few were ironing and not pressing. I did find one where one lady made it a point that you PRESS up and down on your fabrics and not use the back and forth motion.