Flaking Starch.........How Do You Prevent It

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08-25-2010, 11:18 AM

#41

New knee

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Join Date: Oct 2007

Location: Macon, Ga

Posts: 272

To be frugal, I make my own starch: 1-2 tbsp corn starch; 2 cups water. It is good for two weeks. I have not noticed that it flakes.

08-25-2010, 12:31 PM

#42

sueisallaboutquilts

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Join Date: Feb 2010

Location: Ohio

Posts: 17,068

I need to try Mary Ellen's. Can I get it in stores??

08-25-2010, 12:34 PM

#43

mamaw

Super Member

Join Date: Mar 2009

Location: Maine

Posts: 1,914

I agree with LindaR and others...Best Press is the way to go...I like it so much, I now buy it by the gallon. I got the gallon during a great sale at JoAnn.com, because I couldn't get it locally.

08-25-2010, 12:36 PM

#44

Lostn51

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Join Date: Oct 2009

Location: Bikini Bottom

Posts: 5,652

Quote:

Originally Posted by craftiladi

Billy I am a very impatient person, exact reason why I don 't tackle alot of quilt patterns, any way I use Faultless Heavy Starch , the wait time is maybe a second before I start ironing/pressing, just long enough for the foam to disappear.

I used to use that brand all the time but I went with Sta-Flo because of the cost and the fact I can make it as strong as I want.

Billy

08-25-2010, 02:13 PM

#45

chamby

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Join Date: Nov 2006

Location: Clemmons, NC

Posts: 1,055

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostn51

The starch that I use is the one where you mix it with water to make it what ever strength you want to use it at. I of course go for the heavy starch where you can make a 4" square stand up on end. I used an old "Shout" spray bottle and I was thinking that might be it. I modified the sprayer to where it is almost a mist and I wait for a while before ironing but sometimes it still flakes.

I was thinking that the starch was a little too heavy.

Billy

LOL, Billy you sound like my husband. " Hey, I can make that better or I can fix that." You really do not need your fabric to stand up on its own.
Charlene

08-25-2010, 02:54 PM

#46

Lostn51

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A real good friend of mine Anne Kusilek (Damascus Annie) told me to starch until it stands on end!!

She is one of the best quilters that I have talked to that has sat down and told me all of the secrets that they have learned through the years. And she and I use the same machine to FMQ with a model 15 treadle!

There is no telling how many quilts she has had in magazines and won ribbons with.

Billy

08-25-2010, 03:05 PM

#47

Shemjo

Super Member

Join Date: Dec 2008

Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Posts: 6,884

Thanks for the question, Billy, and thanks to all who have responded. I only starch some projects-when I know I will have a bias to work with. This is quite enlightening!

08-25-2010, 03:41 PM

#48

diamondred

Member

Join Date: Aug 2010

Posts: 1

Iron on the opposite side that you sprayed the starch on. If you spray the starch on the right side of the fabric turn it over to press it. Works like a charm.

08-25-2010, 04:03 PM

#49

Ikesgram

Member

Join Date: Oct 2008

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 88

My neighbor and fellow quilter comes from a family who owns a dry cleaning company. She uses Magic Sizing only, and says that is what the company uses for any fabric pressing.
Last weekend my DD1 was making a wedding dress for a friend and she used Mary Ellen's on all the layers of sheer and others --it came out spectacularly with just the right coverage. Of course she used my whole 16 oz. bottle.! I went online and found a gallon from the company that makes it cheaper than any other,even on sale.

08-25-2010, 04:08 PM

#50

barbrdunn

Senior Member

Join Date: May 2010

Location: Brentwood, CA

Posts: 317

Quote:

Originally Posted by bjacobs

I usually run my hand across the area where I've sprayed and I never get flakes. I guess running you hand across the starch speeds up the waiting time for the foam to disappear.

I too use my hand to rub the starch into the fabric and have very few problems with flaking no matter what brand I use. I also try to startch multiple layers at a time if possible. Instead of the extra starch stiffening my ironing cover, it starches the second layer of fabric. This works especially well when starching fat quarters. I don't starch as heavily on pieced blocks, but when I am doing machine applique, I starch until it "stands on end". By doing so, I do not need to use any fusables or stabilizers. I just use a glue stick to hold the applique in place and then use either a satin or buttonhole stitch.