Starch, a big thank you to you all.
 

I have been quilting for about 10 years but don't do anything too fancy or difficult just make lots of "Huggles", my name for my quilts as they are made to be used, a lot go to Project Linus but that's another story :)

Having read so many tips and hints of this forum I decided to try out using starch, WOW what an eye opener why oh why didn't I use it before?

The results are terrific and oh so simple to use, I had a great deal on Ebay for the "Faultless Starch" that so many of you recommended, and treated myself to this fab new iron http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2010793941...84.m1439.l2649 and I couldn't be happier. I am doing a D9P with a twist http://www.scribd.com/doc/12609165/1...Patch-Tutorial and there is a load of HST and cutting on the biased and I am having no problems thanks to the starch. I did look at doing this pattern a couple of years back but couldn't get it to work for me, I now call it my pre-starch attempts :)


Thank you ladies, you have no idea how much I have learnt from this forum. Here is a pic of my progress so far.

Very nice work! That will be a beautiful quilt. It certainly looks like the starch is working for you -- look at all the points that match and are not cut off.

Looks great - nice and flat! Some little person will be so happy!

Isn't starch wonderful? It sure does make for precision piecing. Your quilt looks fantastic ... nice and bright and cheery!

Very pretty. Isn't starch a grand product! It makes the quilting lifestyle easier and more fun.
peace

I love me some starch too.

Starch is one of my essential sewing notions ! Glad you found how it can make a difference.

I really need to try starch.

I took a class and the instructor said why pay all that money for Mary Ellen's best press when regular spray starch way cheaper and works great!

I use the cheap starch and love it

Wow, great work and pretty too. I agree with you that this forum is so helpful.

I bought a gallon of starch on sale at the grocery story that says 4 cups of water to 1 cup for light, 3 cups of water to 1 cup for medium starch and straight from the gallon for heavy. However, I had a spray bottle and put 1/2 cup of starch to 2 cups of water and that one works perfect for me and it is cheap!!!

I am going to give it a go....seems it is a trick I have missed! Does anyone make their own starch?

Great block!! I, too, am much happier with my piecing since I started starching everything about 5 years ago. What a difference!! Too bad I didn't think of it earlier. I use a 1-1 ratio of StaFlo if I really need things stiff, otherwise I do 1 part StaFlo and 3 parts water.

Starch, a big thank you to you all. Part 2
 

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...l-t251324.html

Just an added tip, don't know how I found it, but this works wonderfully when using starch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKRIjKzjJmc

I use a piece of muslin over my ironing surface to protect it when starching. When it gets dirty I throw it in the washer and use it again.

I bought a spray bottle at Sally's beauty supply store that is really designed for hair spray and use it for starch. It is a much finer mist than you get from other spray bottles. The starch or Best Press lasts longer and your fabric doesn't get so wet in spots like with other sprayers.

To clean my iron from starch build up I use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or other similar brand). Wet it and use on a cold iron. Works great. I have a shiny sole plate on my iron. I'm not sure how it would work with a coated sole plate.

Very nice quilt, don't think I've seen this version of D9P. I couldn't piece without starch. I have a friend who never uses starch and wonders why her quilt borders and blocks are wavy by the time she gets them quilted.

I always wondered what the big deal was about starch and then I tried it. What an amazing difference it can make. So happy for you and your quilt is looking beautiful.

What a great looking quilt, it's going to be beautiful.

I'm glad you used starch and found it to your liking.

I'm so glad I found out about using washable glue. Currently sewing up several scrub tops for my daughter who just graduated from nursing school. I use glue to put on the V-neck band and pockets. Makes it so much easier to top stitch and no bent pins or getting stuck! I love this board!

Love your quilt top! I learned about using Sta-Flo starch here. What a difference heavy starch makes! I even heavily starch my jelly rolls, charm squares, and layer cakes. I put a towel over my ironing board when I am doing the heavy starching to protect my ironing board cover. If I need to get out a wrinkle in a sewn block, I use Mary Ellen's Best Press.

Nice tips. I hadn't hear about Mr. Clean erase.

Thank you! I am an avid user of starch - I use Stay Flo from WalMart - but I've never seen this trick. Ya learn something new every day on this board!

I've been thinking lately that starch is my new BFF! I so totally agree with others' comments about it. I just finished making 36 scrappy Flying Geese blocks and couldn't have done nearly as good a job on them without starch. Since I wanted each one to be different, no two alike, I had to do them singly. Starching the fabric helped me cut and sew them precisely. I also used a straight-stitch throat plate, as well as leaders and enders to chain piece the blocks. The points turned out nice and sharp and I'm really happy with them. I credit the starch a lot for the results.

I am no working on a quilt for DH for Christmas which includes some pieces from his father's shirts. These have been washed a lot and the fabric is really soft but I an starch the pieces and they have good body and handle really well.

Happy quilting!