Starch! First and last time user
 

I have never used starch in piecing, just on my clothes. This morning I couldn't seem to get my faux piped binding to stay where I ironed it so I decided to spray some starch on it. It worked but it left little white specks of residue on my binding. Then I rolled the entire length with a lint catcher. So glad I don't use starch on my fabrics... it would drive me nuts.

if you 'lightly' spritz your fabric with starch- then give it a couple moments to saturate before touching it with the iron it will not leave the white residue on your fabric- that is from the *hot iron* hitting the starch before it has saturated the fabric- and being too heavily applied.

I starch because I then have less strings and seams are flatter, crisper. After spraying the starch, i smooth it down with my hands (saw this on youtube), wait a minute, then iron from the other side. This has mostly elimated the flakes which brush off anyways. I find that starch works better than Best Press for me anyway and is cheaper.

Girl!!! I couldn't live without my starch!! Like ckcowl said " spray, then wait a minute, iron" makes everything go together better and look better!!

I use the liquid startch.....no white flakes....

im a HUGE starch-er.. I spray.. fold fab in half, lightly smooth with my hand, open and press.... sometimes i need a heavier dose.. ill saturate then walk off to go get a drink a few min later im good to go..I never spray then press. Hot iron turns those drops to a big flaky mess.. but if the flakes happen they wash out in the wash..

wrong kind of starch! new stuff does not flake...liquid niagra at walmart is good and of course best press which is more expensive...I always starch fabric for applique, no raveling

it washes out.

I love starch. Best Press doesn't do that. Let it soak in or dry before you press. Starch just makes everything cut better and lay better for me.

I think you had a problem with your starch, not the method. I have used Best Press, and Niagara, and several others, but, still don't do it on a regular basis. Never had flaking with any of them.

I find that I have to use a cooler iron when I use Best Press. Several times I have scorched white fabric after spraying with Best Press. Has anyone else experienced that?

I put my iron on the cotton level (it is level 6 out of 7 on my iron) when I use best press. I love that stuff, buy it by the gallon on amazon. I've never had it flake.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]467612[/ATTACH]This is what I use. I like that it is not an aerosol. I have never had any problems and it makes everything lay so nice. Pressing HST blocks (or any blocks)with this before cutting give a better cut. I had a hard time finding it again in our local stores so I ordered it on line. Cost about $5.50 a bottle. Cheaper than Best press and I like the lavender/lemon scent.

I am a starcher from way back! Let the starch absorb into the fabric before you iron/press. If you iron too soon after spraying the starch is just resting on the surface and hence the flakes. Give it another try !

when your iron gets all gunky, it's because when you ironing instead of ironing the fabric, you were ironing the starch. I starch every piece of fabric I'm going to work with, at least 2 hours ahead of the time, throw it in a plastic bag, and let it sit, then I'll take it out, either line dry or throw in the dryer for a few minutes, then iron, have never had a problem with the iron getting all gunky then, I do spray mist with water since I don't use the steam on my iron.

I just don't understand some quilters not liking starch because of the flakes. It washes out just like cat and dog hair, bits of fabric and thread and everyday lint. Unless their rooms are totally spotless.

I starch the block before trimming it down so it won't shift on me. Never had any flaking but I do worry about the residue collecting on my ironing board. How often do you need to clean the sole plate of your iron?? Just curious. Please PM me if you have any advice !! THANKS :)

Odd you don't know about the white flecks from starching and ironing clothes.

I use a lot of heavy starch before cutting fabric. I want my fabric like paper when cutting and sewing small pieces.

This is how I do it to avoid the flakes.

I relay sometimes and found it was better to lightly spray leave and hand stroke before ironing always on the back.

Regarding the buildup on your ironing surface. I have a muslin piece that is just for starching. I lay it over the ironing surface before doing any starching. BTW: I'm a starcher (is that a word?) from way back when my Grandma taught me how to quilt with little pieces. She was way ahead of her time. :)

I always spray the back side of fabrics, to me starch is just as important tool as my sewing machine.
The last can I got says on the front no residue and they are telling the truth.
Those white specks are just cornstarch and will wash off or wear off.

I use spray sizing rather than starch. You can get it at your grocery store.

I have never used starch.

I use either Niagara non-aerosol spray starch or Best Press. The hard part is being patient and not ironing immediately after spraying. You need to let the starch penetrate the fabric. It really does help in getting flat seams and less distortion on the fabric, especially on bias edges. I too use a piece of muslin on my pressing surface to keep it clean. It's easy to throw that piece of muslin in the washer every now and then. If my iron gets gunky on the bottom I use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on a cold iron. It works great at getting the sole plate shiny clean again. I have a shiny metal sole plate on my iron and not a Teflon coated one so I don't know how it would work on the coated sole plates.

Like others have already said, you didn't wait long enough before you ironed. Besides that, the white flakes just pretty much brush off & will come out in the wash.

You can buy spray starch that is non flaking.

I use Faultless MAXXm great heavier starch when you need it. I also use Best Press, it is lighter. I have never had while flaking with either one. With other flaking starches I used to iron from the back side...still no flakes.

Wish this had posted a few days ago, as I just purchased Best Press. Now I find out that regular "store bought" starch works better. Live and Learn.....

You can make your own. I use Sta-Flo (very cheap at the grocery store) and dilute it one Sta-Flo and 4 parts water. Works like a charm and soaks in quite quickly if you want to spray and iron. A little spreading with the fingers helps, too.
So the other day I made a new bottle of this starch, started using it, and found I was getting flakes. I looked at my bottle and saw that all the starch was at the bottom. It had not been mixed. The spray tube was picking up only the starch. I shook it up and it works great. Now I try to remember to shake it each time I use it, but it doesn't really separate once it is well mixed. This product works great. Sometimes I soak a piece of fabric in it, wait for it to dry a little or put it in the dryer, and iron. Makes beautiful crisp fabric to work with.

I use starch usually Best Press which to me is very light vs some that you buy at grocery store. I usually use it with pressing my seams. I am curious about how all you "starchers" use it. I mean after you prewash your fabric do you starch the whole piece of fabric then cut the starched material? How do you use it when piecing? Do you lay pieces out then starch the pieces then go to sewing machine? Just curious as some of you sound like it really helps piecing?

I never iron the fabric until I need it. Then, if it is a fat quarter I'll starch and press the whole piece, if yardage I starch and press about a foot, cut it off and set the fabric aside until I need more.
I do fold the fabric out of the dryer neatly and sort of give it a hand press.

I starch heavily my fabrics before cutting and never have a problem with white flakes. I find if you spray on the back side, let it soak in or even dry before you iron it you shouldn't have flakes. This last time I had 3 yd piece to starch so I just put it into a wash tub and poured the starch over it to soak it, then wrung it out as best I could. I left it hanging over the wash tub to collect the drips. Not one flake while ironing it flat. I make my own starch using the Vodka recipe plus I add liquid starch to the batch as I like my fabric to be fairly stiff before I start to cut.

Try using Best Press next time. It works great without the white specks.

Always spray the wrong side of the piece with the starch. Then iron the right side. You want the starch to be drawn up into the fibers.
A much sharper and crisper finish, for sure. Learned that at a tailoring clinic many years ago.

So glad to read this post. I had purchased Best Press and it sits on the shelf, not ever remembering to use it. My next project is for a California King 'bedspread' and has many pieced blocks. I WILL remember to use the product, but when the quilt is finished, will it, too, be quite stiff? Thanks.

I love all the comments and suggestions, but I've always stayed away from starching and I think I will continue down that path. I'd much rather spend my time piecing... not quilting or starching! Although I wash all fabric before it goes in my sewing room, I don't usually have trouble with it. Just this one piece of black (and I already knew I didn't like that brand/line before I used it. I think someone gifted it to me because they didn't like it).

I gotta have my starch. And, if I spray too much or press before it's soaked into the fabric, it all comes out in the wash.

I love sizing and starch and have every kind that the store carrys- I use it all - if I get flakes, I just slow down a little. It all comes out in the wash, but sure makes my cuts more precise and my seams line up much better. I'm a serial presser if I have a block with lots of pieces - not so much if it's a simple one.

Best Press is the way to go. No flaking. I just attended a quilt workshop where some pretty big guns spoke. They are big time starch users because of the flat seams mentioned. And the fabric doesn't stretch. Try it again with the good stuff.