Starch???
 

What is your favorite starch to use on your fabrics after washing them? Do you starch once or more??

If I don't have Best Press, I use Niagara....

I have used Niagara---find it O.K. but worry about buildup. Now I am trying Best Press--I like it but wish I could get a "finer" spray. I like it for the crispness that it gives. I have also used a mixture of vodka and water. I like it but don't get a real crisp feel to the block. Am going to try more vodka and less water next time. I have not used sta-flo yet. If you search for starching on this site, you will find many opinions.

I use Faultless. It works pretty good.

I use sizing. Get it at Walmart for $1.00 a can.

I use Stay Flo starch concentrate. I can mix different "custom " strenghts depending on my needs. I can only find it at Walmart. It 's in a blue plastic jug . The key to starch is to let it soak into the fibers, before ironing. Often I let it hang dry over night if I am using a strong mixture.
In a pinch I will use an airasol then its usually Niagra with a hint of lavender , very nice delicate smell.

I love Best Press - it's all I use anymore.

I use Best press and stay-flo depending on strength I need. I put stay-flo in a garden sprayer and use in my bathtub with a plastic liner (so I can wash it and not have all that starch clog the drain).

Niagra and usually one spray is all I ever need. Unless it's for a crisp table runner, table cloth or doillies!

Niagra or Faultless. I cant see spending so much money on Best Press when cheaper ones do the same job. I just let it set a few seconds to absorb so that it doesn't get the white residue on it.

I only use Best Press. I buy it from JoAnns.com with a 50% off coupon.

I love Niagra in the squirt bottle - and recenty I picked up some that has a lavender scent - VERY nice! I have Sta-Flo too, and will mix some of that up in the empty Niagra squirt bottle if I need to, but because its sans the smell I don't like it as much now - lol - but it does the job well too.

been using Niagra for 45+ years- my mother & grandmother both used it-
i generally only need one spraying- and i do not automatically starch fabrics after washing- if i am pressing/ironing to remove wrinkles from the laundry process i spritz my fabric with water in a spray bottle. if i need to add stiffness to achieve a good cut then i use starch.

I use Magic Heavy Starch, and Magic Sizing too. Depending on what I am needing~

Sta-Flo for me too, usually 50/50 with water in a spray bottle. I love the Best Press too (Carribbean Beach, mmmm), but I do all my initial starching with the Sta-Flo. I try to let it dry overnight too and Walmart is the only place I've found it as well.

I don't want to add scent to my fabric, so use Best Press unscented. I bought a gallon jug and am currently shopping for a fine spray bottle since I dropped my BP bottle and broke off part of the cap. The spray still works, thank goodness. When I starch, I always leave the item to dry well before pressing.

best press, but I don't wash

I use Best Press and I buy it by the gallon from Mary Ellen's website. You can get free shipping. If you mix it with 3 parts Best Press and 1 part water it lasts longer and you get the same results.

I prefer the Niagara non aerosol. More like Best press without the big price tag. I get it at Walmart

I'm a Best Press fan. A little goes a long way. Use it on clothing.

Niagra non-aerosol. Even my kids like the smell.

Best press

Sta-flo - mainly for piecing
1 c sta-flo
1 c water
1 c febreeze lavendar scent

Niagra liquid spray

Ill use anyone of the above but sta flo is the one i use the most, cheaper in the long run- i use alot of it..

Same for me.

Best Press first, and Niagara second.

Anikta in Northfield, MN

I use sta flo concentrated. Depending on what my project is, I dip the fabric and let it dry. It is much like a board then and is great to work with if you have lots of bias to deal with. It all washes out in the end, so I have never had any problems with it.

I use Sta Flo , mix half with water and put in a spray bottle, unless I'm starching yardage and then I place in sink and pour starch over yardage and work into the fibers. Have tried lots of brands and this one is the best I have found for the effect I want. NOTE: Starch does dull rotary cutter blades more quickly than without starch, but the accuracy in piecing is well worth a blade or two.

I use Faultless, diluted to my specs.

Bounce has a new "ironing spray" I really like, but can't stand the scent. I called the company and ask if they were going to put out an unscented one....didn't get much of a reply. By the way it has Bounce's name, but is produced by another company.

When I was taking a new member class at our guild, the girls teaching said to use spray sizing. Their reason was that
the starch attracts bugs and the sizing doesn't.
I use Spray Sizing which I get at Wal-Mart for $1.00/can.
Mariah.

This was a good thread. I received some blocks from an exchange on this board and they were all nicely pressed with starch of some kind. I really liked how they felt and were so easy to sew. I was wondering what that person used. Now I will search on here for all of the topics on starch and see what you all have to say. This is such a helpful place.

How about making your own starch? There was a recipe posted on a similar thread concerning starch some time ago. I copied it down, tried it and was impressed with the results, but have since lost the recipe. Does anyone have one?
Love this forum.

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:thumbup:

Here is Mark Lipinski's recipe - scroll down to tip #3. I think it's almost identical to the one that was posted earlier.

http://www.marklipinski.com/Tulip%20Tips/TTcontent.html

I got a great tip on this board for my "best press" (which I love). I bought a different empty spray bottle with a MUCH finer misting head, I put my best press in that bottle and away I go.

Bounce fabric spray!

I had to make hexies and I used Niagara and it made the fabric so stiff that I could take out the paper and sew the pieces together. You are suppose to keep the paper in the hexies until you finish sewing them. I didn't even have to baste them they were so stiff. I usually use Best Press. It seems to be just perfect for my usual piecing. But Niagara works great if you need a lot of stiffness.

I use spray sizing. I never prewash the fabrics. Just before I am ready to cut, I spray with sizing and iron. It gives the fabrics nice body.

Starch??
 

If you spray starch on one side of your fabric, let it soak in, then turn the fabric over and press that side, you won't get the white flakes. If you want it stiffer, spray the side you just pressed, let it soak in, flip it over and press the other side. If you are cutting bias for binding you might want to starch your fabric three times before cutting it. It'll be quite stiff, but that bias will not stretch.

Sharon Schambers uses spray starch on her bindings. If the fabric has starch on it it will stick together, it's easily peeled apart if you need to. Then she'll use glue to attach the binding to the quilt, heat set = NO PINS. I've found that Best Press does not act this way. I do like that Best Press comes in an Unscented.

Use a pump hairspray bottle. Most of them have a very fine spray.

I have used Niagra Heavy spray starch and Magic Sizing for years. I recently tried Mary Ellen's Best Press and it is by far my favorite. It doesn't flake on dark fabrics like the starch does.