Washing fabrics before cutting and using starch/sizing
 

I like to know how my fabrics are "au naturel" before using them.

I think of starch/sizing as "scaffolding" or "foundation garments" - when the foundation garments come off - things go back to "how they were" - which is what happens after a piece of fabric that has been sized/starched is washed.

If it is too "flimsy/loosely woven/thin" to use before it is starched - it will still be too "thin/flimsy/loosely woven" after it is starched.

I will concede that starching/sizing can be useful at times - but - it still can not make "poor quality" fabric into "good quality" fabric.

This is true. You can hang popcorn on a CHristmas tree, but it'll never be a popcorn tree.

Nope, starch can't make poor quality fabric into good quality fabric. It can, however, make fabric more manageable and easier to cut and sew without a lot of stretching and moving around. It can also help backing lay flatter so there's less chance of wrinkles or puckers on the back of your quilt when you quilt it.

awww shucks ... I want a Popcorn Tree! :)

And speaking of hanging popcorn - reminds me of back in the day, when I used to love decorating for Christmas and doing the ultimate tree, I decided that I should string popcorn. All I accomplished was a mess of little pieces of popcorn all over and bloody, sore fingers! Just couldn't get the hang of that!

I always try to buy fabric where I can feel it. I always prewash and never use starch.

I didn't use starch for many years - it just seemed to make my iron icky. But since I have been quilting instead of tying my quilts and using my GO to cut fabrics the starch does make the fabric behave better. Now I starch almost everything and it is just easier. I keep a used dryer sheet on the ironic board and run the iron over it every few minutes and no longer have the icky iron problem.

You gotta let the popcorn sit out a few days and get stale, soggy and chewy. If you try right after popping, it's still too crisp.

Well that makes perfect sense! Wish I had known that years ago when I was in my tree decorating mode!

I am mill picky. I stick with certain lines that I know are good quality. I have had no issues ordering online :) I do agree that starch will not help a poorly woven fabric or a lower thread count fabric.