Using starch
 

How stiff do you want the fabric to be when using starch? I’m going to be making some mini blocks and want them to be as perfect as possible. Also I’m going to be using a lot of homespun which has a tendency to stretch easily.
Thanks in advance.

I tend to lightly starch my fabrics only enough to hold it in place while cutting.

You will get many different response's at the end of the day I highly suggest that you experiment with a block or 2 to see what works best for you. I starch before I cut any fabric, I starch after piecing components of a block, I starch each block after its assembled, and I starch my top when its done as I am pressing the seams for the rows. I can fold a completed top and it will never crease or wrinkle. I use a lot of starch! For me, I can’t piece without it.

I never starch any fabrics.

It depends on what I'm doing. For normal quilting, I just starch lightly, but if I'm doing half square triangles or anything involving bias, I starch the living daylights out of it. I did a pattern that was similar to a one block wonder and had a lot of bias edges. I starched it til it was like pieces of copy paper. When I put the blocks together, I had no problems with bias.

I use the Quilter's Moonshine recipe but add liquid Sta-Flo to make it even more stiff. I like my fabric to be as stiff as possible so there's less possible chance of it stretching when pressing and during construction.

I agree- the smaller the pieces the more starch.

I am with you. Starch is a best friend for me.

I use my Accuquilt for most of my cutting. i use Terial Magic spray and it get the fabric stiff as paper. I dilute it for less stiffness. For full strength I use a pressing cloth to keep the iron clean. I use Sta flo mixed with water and vodka for crispness. The ironing sprays are wimpy.

I just bought some of that Terial Magic spray and love it. It was demo'd by a quilter I follow.

I agree. I've only used homespuns once, but you definitely need to starch those a lot and use a 3/8 or 1/2" seam allowance. They ravel like crazy!

Last summer HSN had Terial Magic spray on clearance, $4 for a large refill bottle. I forget that HSN has an extensive craft/sewing dept and many items go on clearance after so long on the air. I was able to get four bottles at the clearance price thanks to someone posting it on Facebook. Also there was an industry site that sold it by the gallon, cheap enough to buy and split with others. Many posted they were doing that.

I found that using a finer thread, such as Bottom Line (60 wt) helps a lot with my accuracy when I'm piecing miniatures.

I've always used Best Press in a mister sprayer. Must admit to being curious about the comment of Quilters Moonshine and had to google it. Wow! Never heard of this before, but I'm willing to try it as soon as I can get some Vodka!

Thank you all so much for all of the tips. I made some of the homemade “press” and did use it but I feel like it needs more starch added hence my question. I’ve never used the homemade stuff before and have only used homespun once so I did know of some of it’s properties. I haven’t had a chance to do anything yet except cut some large strips because I fell off the hay Saturday and had a head injury with a laceration so my morning was spent in the ER with no memory of the entire morning. Since I can’t do any horseback riding for a while, I will spend some time getting some longarming (I think I have 5 tops that need quilted) and some blocks done this week.
Again, thanks to everyone, and I will make my “press” starchier.

I am not a big fan of starch either but the other day I did use some bottled press stuff and it certainly gave the fabric more body and looked better so when I feel it calls for it I will use it

Regarding the Quilter's Moonshine recipe:

The recipe that has liquid starch in it is a starch product.
The recipe that has vodka in it is NOT a starch product. It is nothing more than a lovely scented laundry spray. It helps release wrinkles but it does not starch your fabric.

The process of fermenting and distilling removes starch from vodka. When yeast is added to the raw ingredients, it eats the starch and converts it to alcohol. After fermentation, the distillation process removes impurities. The remaining product does not contain any starch.

Thank you for explaining this 'chemistry'. Whenever I see the idea that vodka has starch because it is made from a starch based product ( potatoes?) I get a little crazy. ;-).