Helen20906

When do you use spray starch? Is it after you wash, dry, and before pressing newly acquired fabric? Or is it before you make your quilt sandwich.

amma

I spray my fabrics before I start cutting, whether I wash it or not. But if you wash, then after it is dry. I like the crispness of heavily starched fabric. I spray it, let it dry, and then press. I don't get flakes on my fabric this way.

I heavily spray the backing too, to keep from getting puckers when I quilt. I don't know how LA's feel about this though...

luvTooQuilt

Yupppers, I do this too.. I prefer the feel of 'stiff' fabric when I working whit it..

jayelee

I spray all my fabrics whether I wash or not I also like crisp fabric but then I do very small quilts only need the precision you get from starched fabric

ktbb

I myself don't starch...maybe I like the challenge of working with those puckers...but I would caution against starching then storing the fabric...never know what the starch can do over time..any starchers had any experience with that?

gale

I starch right before I cut. I didn't know about letting the starch dry though. I'll have to try that. Does it take long? I'm not very patient.

117becca

i starch when i press the fabric - that's usually before i cut and then after i sew the patch together. It keeps the pieces from stretching...

sahm4605

If I wash I hang dry in the house and then when it is dry, I soak it in starch then let it dry completely then I iron it flat. I do the same thing if I don't wash. I only wash or starch the fabric before I go to cut it up. it just is easier for me to wash and starch as I use what little fabric that I have. Starching has helped with the cutting peiceing and quilting. especially the fabric that I turn to paper with the starch for backing. I also starch as I sew before I press seams open. it helps here too. only on those seams that start to get bulky.

ckcowl

if you are using a spray starch it only takes a moment for the starch to dry, unless you totally saturate your fabric. you can lightly spray, let 'soak in' press, if you want it to be stiffer you just do it again. some people starch very heavily, some lightly, best to just experiment and see what works best for you. the biggest reason to starch your fabric is so it will be easier to cut precisely, and it just has more 'body' making it a bit easier to work with.
and about the long-term use of starch...my great grandmother always heavily starched all of the table linens, which she passed to my grandmother, who stored them for probably 50+ years before i got them...there was some discolored edges from sitting for years, had nothing to do with the starch; they were still crisp, and beautiful! some people have problems with silverfish getting into their starched fabrics. but i've been sewing for 40+ years and have never had a silverfish show up in any fabric, i kind of think if you live where they are a problem then you may have a problem, i do not believe the starch has anything to do with the problem

stitchingmemories

After washing and drying my fabric, I spray (wrong side) then smooth my hands over the area just sprayed, then iron. I never have flakes and don't have to wait. (No patience here either)