Starching little pieces; slick trick
 

Great hint, thanks.

I agree, now if only I can remember it~

Adds new meaning to the phrase "Necessity is the mother of invention"!!! Good for you - I'm going to have to remember that, too!

thanks for the great tip!

Great tip! Thanks! I'll be using this.

Thanks, what a neat idea!

Cool ...

Two questions. :)

1) in essence you are "wax coating" the fabric as opposed to "starching" the fabric. correct?

2) you use wax paper to clean your iron? I've not heard of this before. how does it work?

This is a great idea! I prefer working with stiffer fabric and will use this idea. Thanks so much.

I'm puzzled too ... as I am thinking a wax residue is building up on your iron ... and fabric.
And I'm wondering what potential problems that may create in the long run.



I have been using parchment as a pressing cloth at times.
No residue ... just acts as a shield between the iron and fabric.

For starch ... I've switched to Best Press ... you can get it nice and stiff, and I am finding it is not causing the scorching and residue I was getting from spray starch.

It is annoying to keep the pieces from sticking to the iron. I'll use this tip a lot. My mother used old bread wrappers to have her iron glide over clothes. They use to be coated in wax. Just iron the wax paper. The wax isn't a problem on the iron or fabric. And the cereal box bags were very thick wax paper. We saved the cereal bags to make the playground slide slick and we would zip down it fast as lightening! My kids thought wax paper was for slides. LOL. I need to slide again for fun, if there is big slide left in the playgrounds today.

As I understand it-when the wax is heated it evaporates into water vapor, CO2 and CO, much like when a candle burns. PS--I did a google search.
Like the parchment idea though, QE

And here I thought you were a science major!!! :)
Thanks! ....... though now you'll have some fearing CO poisoning!

One thing I like about the parchment ... it stays solid and doesn't disintegrate as I work with it.
And if you fear your iron is a little dirty ... it keeps the fabric clean
(lessons learned with that signature yellow PC backgrounder! :))

I used to watch my mother and grandmother run their irons over waxed paper every time they began a project, or just to do normal ironing. It works well, cleans the stainless steel iron surface easily and effectively! I have never had any issues with using waxed paper on my own iron, and in fact, run for it every time I have a sticky iron. If you put it down first, then put your fabric on top of it, the starch won't build up on your ironing board cover either.

I got a great tip from a poster here, iron two pieces of parchment paper together and you have a great pressing sheet. I liked it so much I made one for each quilt goody bag my guild gives to new members.

NOW you tell us! Really, thanks for sharing. I wonder if freezer paper would work as well? I'll try it and see!

Thanks for the good tips! I'm going to try them out.

i remember my mom saving bread wrappers,too! If you needed to grease a pan you grabbed a bread wrapper.
also remember getting in trouble at school for going down the slide with a bread wrapper underneath me! "it makes the slide too fast" Solved that problem by walking to the schoolyard on the weekend and slicking up the slide for the week!

A ha! another 4-H er in the midst. Maybe where I first heard it, too. I just didn't keep doing it!

Did you sew the tea towel and apron? Those were the days. I have a niece in Upper Michigan who works for extension there and they still have very active 4-H! Wish more young people today would embrace those great programs.

I sewed the apron with a flexible plastic semicircle that was threaded through a casing. My GC are beginning 4-H right now. 9 yo GD was here this morning and we worked on her horse wall hanging; all cut out and ready to sew. Then she had to go home. 8 yo GD made a music bag for her piano books under her mother's guidance.

Here's what 9 yo and I did this summer--

http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...w-t195329.html

Always looking for ways to make things easier, neater and faster...I will remember this one...thanks!

Thanks for the tip. Sounds like a good thing.

We used waxed paper to clean all our irons all my life . It also makes the iron slicker to move. It works.

Quilters are genious at problem solving. Great piece of genious!
peace

QUESTION: any pro or con advice on irons with shiny steel ironing surface versus non-stick ??

Wax paper also works great for lubricating light bulbs, makes them easier to twist into the lamp. I've always liked to use parchment for ironing.

Also - I believe the only major difference between Best Press and regular spray starch is that Best Press has surfactants that help it absorb into the fabric faster. It still contains starch. I use non-aerosol Niagra spray starch and have found that if I simply let it soak into the fabric for a minute or two, I don't get any scorching or flakes.

Keep in mind that bugs like starch. If you are not going to finish your quilt right away and it is going to be stored for a while, you should think twice about leaving starch in your fabrics. I prefer to use sizing instead.

I use a regular kitchen towel, (not terry-cloth), on my ironing board to put pieces to starch with Best Press. When it gets stiff as a board, toss in wash and your are ready to go again. All the rest of your laundry load has got the hickups, lol.

My mother taught me to use the wax paper with table salt on it to clean the bottom of my iron. The mix of the salt and wax from the paper did a good job. Of course you have to consider the salt mess and not spread it all over the room floor.

Wow - great idea - love the light bulb ideas

Great idea, I hadn't thought of 'sandwiching' them. Thanks

Thanks for the hint!

That is a great idea!!! I just might have to try that one for sure.

What one can't think of someone else can. Thanks for the great tip.

My kids also think wax paper is for slides and the bottom of sleds in the winter. I still have a neighbor that loves to tell that my kids taught her kids to wax their slide! I never though about using it on my iron. Thanks!

I thought of parchment paper rather than waxed paper. I don't like the idea of getting wax on my fabric. Thanks for tip, I'm moving my parchment paper from kitchen to ironing board. That way, when I see it I'll remember to use it.

There really isn't hardly any wax left on the paper by the time I use it for this but I can understand your concern, so much work goes into these little piece jobs a person surely wouldn't want to ruin them!