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Originally Posted by EasyPeezy
By the way, I finally tried Mary Ellen's Best Press. I wasn't too impressed.
It's ok for small jobs. I think I'll keep using my cornstarch mixture. :-D |
Originally Posted by misseva
Originally Posted by EasyPeezy
I make my own starch. In a large bowl or pot, stir 1/2 cup cornstarch into
1 cup of cold water. Stir in boiling water (2 quarts for heavy solution; 4 quarts for medium and 6 quarts for light solution). If you only need a small amount then half or quarter above quantities. Sometimes I add a bit more water for the heavy solution as it gets a bit too thick. You can try and adjust as you wish. When the cornstarch solution is cool, I use a paintbrush to apply it on my fabric (stir the solution often or shake if it's in a spray bottle). Let is soak for at least 30 mins. If I don't have time to iron I just put everything in a ziploc and put it in the fridge for the next day. If it's too wet I roll the fabric in a towel first and iron on the wrong side with a cloth on top so that the starch doesn't stick to my iron. When the heat has absorbed most of the humidity then I continue to iron without the cloth. Hope this helps. By the way, I finally tried Mary Ellen's Best Press. I wasn't too impressed. It's ok for small jobs. I think I'll keep using my cornstarch mixture. :-D |
I have learned at our guild to use Sizing. Starch has a protein-base, and moths, ect, are attracted to it. Sizing is not filled with those properties. I have never had any problem with moths finding my quited items.
Good luck! Mariah. |
Originally Posted by EasyPeezy
I make my own starch. In a large bowl or pot, stir 1/2 cup cornstarch into
1 cup of cold water. Stir in boiling water (2 quarts for heavy solution; 4 quarts for medium and 6 quarts for light solution). If you only need a small amount then half or quarter above quantities. Sometimes I add a bit more water for the heavy solution as it gets a bit too thick. You can try and adjust as you wish. When the cornstarch solution is cool, I use a paintbrush to apply it on my fabric (stir the solution often or shake if it's in a spray bottle). Let is soak for at least 30 mins. If I don't have time to iron I just put everything in a ziploc and put it in the fridge for the next day. If it's too wet I roll the fabric in a towel first and iron on the wrong side with a cloth on top so that the starch doesn't stick to my iron. When the heat has absorbed most of the humidity then I continue to iron without the cloth. Hope this helps. By the way, I finally tried Mary Ellen's Best Press. I wasn't too impressed. It's ok for small jobs. I think I'll keep using my cornstarch mixture. :-D |
Does Best Press come with no scent? or is it all scented?
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I wouldn't trust the Internet source of the information that said silverfish require high humidity.
I grew up in the desert where the humidity is rarely higher than 30 percent and is frequently lower and my mother was in a constant battle with silverfish. froggyintexas |
Leah Day at Daystylesdesign.com has a great video on her website about starching and since I've seen it I haven't had any problems when I starch my fabric. Very detailed info. I was doing it all wrong before. Here's a link to the video: http://www.daystyledesigns.com/starchfabric.htm
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I make my own starch. I used a recipe I found here on the QB. I use stay-flow, water and fabreeze. I adjust the amount of starch depending on how stiff I want the fabric... usually 1/2 starch to all the liquid.
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I have used sizing for years without any problems. I like it much better than starch. I was sandwiching a quilt today using basting spray today and noticed one area just was not sticking at all. I tried it again with the same result...then noticed I was using sizing instead of basting spray!
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The trick that works for me is to WAIT a minute or so for the starch or siing to soak in before ironing. It doesn't seem to gunk up as bad, and clean your iron with salt on a dry washcloth every so often
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I've cleaned my iron with vinegar on a towel. It worked great.
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Originally Posted by olebat
What memories! I'm in the process of writing a series of articles about my earliest days of quilting, when I was about 6. I remember mixing the cornstarch and dipping my finger in the mixture and rubbing the seams and edges of the Sunbonnet Sue before pressing. I hated that I had to wait until after supper before we could do that, but it was summer time, and there was no fire in the stove to heat the irons. Ironing could only be done after breakfast, or after the supper dishes were done. My mother had an electric iron and used liquid starch - But Granny, Ah, yes, corn starch and irons on the wood stove.
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Originally Posted by JAGSD
Does Best Press come with no scent? or is it all scented?
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I use that sizing also. But I spray and then let it sit a few minutes to be absorbed into the fabric fibers. Then I press.
I try to put sizing on fabric right out of the dryer and as I cut and piece. So far the Magic Sizing $1 from Walmart has worked great. I've heard that starch is made from organic products. http://www.generations-quilt-pattern...lt-fabric.html Here is a good explanation. |
Isn't this board great? A wealth of information on topics you'd think were unrelated to quilting, but are not.
Who'd think, after only the first page of this thread, I'd learn so much about vodka! I've made it over 52 years, without having the word 'vodka' on my list of 'things I've purchased' Luckily the urge isn't strong enough to break my 52 year record Seriously, thank you for all the sizing and starch info. |
Sharon Schamber has a video on starching - she starches and presses, then does it several times more! She wins all the prizes, so she may have something there!
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when you use starch let it set in for a minute or 2 before ironing it
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Originally Posted by Scissor Queen
Use "Mary Ellen's Best Press."
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