Washing fabrics before cutting and using starch/sizing
#1
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Location: MN
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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.
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.
#3
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Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 9,521
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.
#5
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 3,252
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!
#7
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Chula Vista CA
Posts: 7,353
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.
#8
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Join Date: May 2011
Location: Pacific NW
Posts: 9,410
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!
#9
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 3,252
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