hoppyfrog

I started using starch after reading about it on another thread. The problem I had was the brown build up on the iron so I did a search on this site and read that the Mr Clean magic eraser takes it right off a cold iron. I tried it and it works great. I have since changed to Mary Ellen's but I'm finding it doesn't stiffen the fabric as much as I'd like so I'm not sure what to do now. I'll follow this thread and see if anyone has a better idea.

carol45

could you have burned the fabric?

sewmuchmore

Thank you for the tip, I do not want any silverfish. I hate bugs. :x

wishiwerequilting

Keep using the maryellen's but give it another starching. It should be fine. i use it all the time and I have no problems with it. maybe if you want the fabric stiffer, a second "coat" will do the trick.

wishiwerequilting

I use maryellen's best press all the time. While I don't spray starch and store fabrics, and I usually do rinse my quilts after quilting, i have *never* attracted silverfish, moths or anything else to my quilts. I'm not seeing them in my house, so also not in my quilts. If they are a problem in your home, generally, then i would think it is a possibility that your quilts would make good food for them, but I just can't see a quilt sitting on a shelf beoming infested with silverfish b/c you used spray starch in your piecing.

Can anyone else help me understand this thinking? Have you ever had the experience yourself personally that you used spray starch on your fabrics when piecing and you ended up with silverfish in your quilt? And not on others?
I really need to find someone this happened to!! I just don't believe it to be true! :roll:

hoppyfrog

I'll give that a try. Just have to slow down a bit and not be in such a hurry.

kbwoody

I used liquid starch on my last project based on the discussion here. I mixed a half and half starch and water and applied with a brush on the pieces. I have a white vinyl cloth under the pieces which can be cleaned later. When the pieces dried,I would press them, stack and sew. I had an easier time piecing with little distortion.

calicocat

I starch my fabric and then put it in the dryer to dry. Then I iron it. I will use a tiny bit of mist water if I need to "soften" the piece of fabric. This is the best way to do it I have found yet.

One thing I aim to try soon is to "paint" the fabric with the starch then put it in the dryer.

calicocat

I believe you would have to have the silverfish first for anything to happen. I have been starching and storing my fabric on open shelves for over 4 years and have never ever seen a silverfish. And I know what they look like.

Evie

Like some of you, I never learned about starching until reading about it on this forum. Magic Sizing, yes, but not starching. I've since starched and pressed fabric for my next project and am looking forward to see what difference it will make. Any tips, pros and cons, as to light, medium or heavy starch?