linda faye

I have found another recipe for homemade starch using cornstarch:

1 heaping tablespoon of cornstarch
1 pint of water
Optional: 2 drops of Essential Oil or lemon juice

Mix in bowl until completely dissolved.
Put in spray bottle. Be sure to shake the bottle when used to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved and ready to use.

If you would prefer a stiffer starch, add cornstarch 2 teaspoons at a time until you get your desired results.

This is first thing on my list to to-do's tomorrow and I could not wait to share it with you.

mooshie

Thanks! I look forward to hearing about your results!

stillclock

i use this because i really don't like aerosol cans in my garbage or on my conscience. i love that it's dirt dirt cheap and easy on the planet.

it also works really well but for these things:

1. if you up the starch content and use a hot dry iron, you will find the starch is powdery on the surface. washes out or even just rubs off as you work, but it's there.

2. fabric gets *wet* meaning you really need to be careful with your iron. experience taught me you can really change the shape of a wet piece of fabric with a hot iron. and you will never ever change it back again

3. the starch doesn't really dissolve in the water. not wholly. so if you pickup the spray bottle and just squeeze the trigger, you either pick up a lot of unmixed starch or very very little. i switched to a see through bottle to remind myself to shake it every time.

mawluv

If you add a couple of teaspoons of lemon juice, either fresh or bottled, your starch will keep indefinitely with no refrigerating needed. I've used this for about two years now. I have a bottle mixed for light and another mixed for heavy.

QuiltnNan

thanks for the great tips!

linda faye

Thanks for your comments!

I mixed up 22 oz of the starch ( one heaping tablespoon cornstarch, 20 oz water and added lemon juice). I used it on a pieced border this afternoon in a spray bottle that another brand of starch came in.

So far, I am really liking this. My mixture was not meant to be a heavy starch but more than a sizing. I did not have any problems with flaking. I lightly sprayed the fabric so that it was not saturated.

I read recently that the flaking of starch was because of improper temperature of the iron. And that's all I know about that....have not experimented with this theory.

Bottom line: unless I can find reason not to use the cornstarch recipe then I have found a great and inexpensive store bought starch!

OneMoreQuilt

Thanks Linda! I love trying things like this and will have time to mix a batch this weekend.

zelenkabach

One caution,
I remember Alex Anderson on "Simply Quilts" (remember that show?) speaking about starched quilts that are stored can attract insects like silverfish. I guess if you was the quilt afterwards it wouldn't be a problem.

jemma

Is corn starch the same as corn flour

RipStitcher

Not at all.