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Starch, sizing, Mary Ellen's Best Press - all are used on the fabric before it is cut to add body. This makes the fabric behave better while cutting and sewing. It lies flatter, doesn't distort as easily, and the corners stay more corner-like. Starch can also be used on a backing to keep it flatter during quilting. You can also starch a block while squaring it to make it hold its shape better. The starch washes out when you wash the quilt.
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Originally Posted by dunster
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Sounds like something I need to blow up and put on my sewing room wall!
Except for the chocolate-I will have to substitute something else for it-not a big chocolate fan! |
Originally Posted by Nolee
Originally Posted by dunster
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Whenever possible PIF.
It's good for the heart! David |
Great advice - I have personally been lax about squaring up. I realize I need to slow down the process and take a little more time to work on accuracy. Can't say enough about the helpful things I've learned and continue to learn from this board :)
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Right on!!! Nice to see it in writing
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Originally Posted by dunster
Well, not always. I looked at half.com for this book. The 1999 edition is advertized at 3.99, but I would prefer the newer edition since quilting tools change fairly rapidly. (The newer edition is 2006.) The new edition is currently advertized at 9.93 on half.com, but when I put that one in my shopping basket it is suddenly unavailable. It is also advertized at lots of other prices, starting at 12.15 and all the way up to 62.98 on half.com. Assuming you got the copy for 12.15, shipping puts it well over amazon's price of 14.02 with free shipping (if the total order is over $25). I think you have to compare prices, but often Amazon is better, and I have consistently had extremely good customer service from them.
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A testiment to starch: My cousin got hired by a lady who had verrry old blocks that her grandmother had made and she wanted them made into a reversible wall hanging.. Just to explain how difficult this was...The grandmother was not the best quilter..One half squ triangle was almost twics as big as another within the block..The stitching was hand done and very shakey/uneven...Every block was exageratedly unsquare..
My cousin was brainstorming several ways on how to do this..She tried adding borders to the blocks ( so didnt work) She thought about fusing them onto muslin (which would have exagerated the wonky lil blocks and been permanent)...She tried squaring one up (looked really bad)..After a few more attempts she called me freaking out.. I went over and we brainstormed some more... I finally grabbed the heavy starch and starched both sides of the blocks/ironed, twice. As well as the border strips...Then we took the squ ruler and squared them up..They cut like butter, so easy..She took a deep breath and sewed one of the border strips on, also went so smooth she didn't even need pins... The lady got tears in her eyes when she seen it..Not even caring that some of the (too big) half sq points were cut off lol.. If starch worked on these wonky blocks it'll make anything easier lol |
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