virtualbernie

I starch and hand quilt also and I don't have a problem.

calicocat

I starch nearly everything. My quilts come out much much better and the fabric is easier to work with, less stretching and slipping.

It took me a while to figure out how to get enough on the fabric and then how to not get to much.

I now use and old wash tub. I pour in one bottle of starch and two bottles of water. Then I just dunk the fabric until it is soaked wring out and throw in the dryer.

Using a spray bottle of water I mist the fabric the iron. Don't stretch the fabic as you iron or it will distort. Jus press it out nicely.

It is a process but I find it to be well worth my effort.

SuzanneG

I do starch sometimes, especially if I know I will have lots of bias edges to contend with. I make my own however. It's much cheaper, no chemicals and I always have the ingredients on hand since it only requires water and corn starch.

Here's the recipe if anyone is interested:
In a two cup Pyrex measuring cup, mix 1/2 - 1 tsp. corn starch with a tablespoon or two of room temperature water. Add one cup boiling water and stir well. Add one cup room temp. water and stir well. Cool just a bit, then pour into your own spray bottle (the kind they sell in the gardening section at walmart).

A few notes - the amount of corn starch you add will determine the stiffness of your fabric. I like mine a bit stiffer so I add a good teaspoon.
Remember to give the sprayer a shake before you use it and a few times while using it to keep everything well mixed.
Because this has no preservatives, each batch will only last a week or two and will then need to be discarded, if there's any left.
Like all starches (either homemade or store bought) it can attract critters like silverfish, so make sure you don't store starched fabric. (Honestly, I have never had this happen, but since it can, it needs mentioned.)

jolo

I heve been quilting about 50 years abd I never use starch.

Mitch's mom

I use the Stay-Flo starch in a 1 to 1 ratio. I bought a spray bottle of Niagra starch that was OK, but expensive. I kept the bottle to reuse for the Stay-Flo mixture, my reasoning was the Niagra spray bottle was designed for starch. It has not clogged once.

I starch heavy and I don't worry about bugs eating the starch since I don't store the starched fabrics. I figure by the time I'm done piecing a top, dragging it across the floor, running over the corners of it with my chair, general handling, and a Dachshund sitting on my lap while I pieced it, it needs a run through the washer after it is finished and quilted, so all the starch will come out in the wash. I don't make works of art so my system works for me. YMMV

Lori S

I had always considered myself a good quilter, starching allowed me to be even better! and less of the issues that can happen with stretching of bias, puckering, etc. For me it assists in getting each part of the process more accurate, from cutting to quilting.
I am completely hooked onm starch, I consider it a staple like thread.

laceybritt

I use lots of starch as I piece and press and IMO it makes a huge difference.
I also wash my quilts after binding, never had a prob with hand quilting and starch.
When I hand quilt whole cloth quilts I do not starch.

libertykm

Ok here is a dumb question for you. How do you starch your material, in a sink, bath tub or just spray. And where do you air dry. Doesn't it make a mess where ever you dry it. I'm assuming you can't wring the material or it will stretch.
Sorry for the dumb questions.

mrs_uncle_fuzzy

I used to starch but switched to sizing after reading somewhere that if you store fabric with starch you can atract silverfish I don't want to have to wash my scraps before I store them to keep the silver fish away...ick!

bunniequilter

I make my own strach. I boil two cups of water add two tablespoons of cornstarch and one tablespoon of borax. The borax is a preservative that keeps the starch fresh for weeks. Had to experiemnt with the water to concentrate ratio but have it fine tuned now. I add 1 cup of water to one half cup of starch shake well and test it, adding more starch or water as needed. I keep a jar of the boiled starch in the fridge and it keeps a long time.