minstrel

How does it affect flannel? I make a lot of flannel quilts and I've not used starch on them before. Does it gunk up the fabric because of the fuzz/nap?

Prism99

Not dumb at all! I mix up my solution of Sta-Flo and water, "paint" it on yardage using a large wall painting brush until the fabric is saturated, toss into the dryer, then iron flat with steam. Quick, easy, and I can adjust the heaviness of the starch solution to the need.

I personally do not starch fabric for the top (unless it is flannel) as it's too much work plus I wouldn't want to keep heavily starched fabric in storage for years (which is how long it takes me to use up some of the fabric). I do starch if the pattern is one that leaves bias edges on the blocks, but that is rare because I usually don't use those patterns any more.

I heavily starch backing fabric (1:1 solution) because it keeps the backing from puckering when I machine quilt. I also heavily starch fabric that is going to be cut into binding strips -- especially bias binding strips, but I also starch straight grain strips -- as this keeps it from stretching and distorting on me.

I spray starch tops before assembling into the quilt sandwich, but then I usually use commercial spray starch. That is a much lighter starching than what I use for backing and binding.

Prism99

I use a heavy (1:1) solution on flannel before piecing a top out of it. Works great. See my post above on how I apply the starch. I do wash and dry flannel twice before applying the starch, to make sure it has shrunk. The starch does not gunk up the fabric at all, but does make it unnaturally stiff (like thin cardboard). Makes accurate piecing of flannel very easy, although I still recommend 1/2" seams in case of fraying.

I have not made a rag flannel quilt, but I probably would not prewash the flannel or starch it for that kind of quilt.

mpeters1200

I use a hybrid of Prism's method. She posted on starch when I first started and asked. The only fabric I prewash is flannel because it shrinks so bad. I'm not trying to start a war on wash vs. no wash, it's just the way I do it.

I use a 1:1 solution exactly as Prism suggests above. I either spray it on with a spray bottle if it's a small piece, or I paint it on with a paint brush and toss it in the dryer. Then I press, NOT IRON, with a steam iron. I don't stitch on a single piece that hasn't been heavily starched.

I find the starch has greatly improved my accuracy both with rotary cutting and my 1/4" seam. My points are great and I am making more complex patterns. I consider the StaFlo just as important as a seam ripper, iron, cutting mat and rotary cutter.

I hand quilt almost everything. I've practiced machine quilting a couple times. I have absolutely zero problems handquilting. I can SID, echo or freehand with no problems. I wash everything AFTER it's been quilted.

I sure hope this helps.

Alice PD

I starch just before using a fabric for a project. First I wash it by color groups with a little detergent that I will be using in the future (to be sure any bleeding is eliminated) then when it is still wet/damp, put it in a painters tub with Sta Flo 1 to 1 mixture. I let it soak while I wash the next color set then I gently/firmly squeeze out (never twist) what I can (if it is a really large group of fabric, I sometimes ask my DH to squeeze it for me (he has really big hands) then I put it in the dryer and dry it really good. Now I know I won't have any more shrinkage. When I press it, I just use water in a spray bottle. Everything works better for me with this process.

MTS

I don't pre-wash, and I starch my fabric to a consistency as close to cardboard as I can get :-D

I LOVE working with the fabric when it's like that.

My various longarmers sometimes complain because they have a hard time wrapping the tops on their machines because they are so stiff. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

But I always, always wash the quilt when I get it back from the longarmer.

I use whatever heavy duty starch I can find on sale at the market - usually Niagra.

It's all about personal preference.

Cuilteanna

I've never found a decent starch over here, so I don't tend to use it. But I recently read about a water/vodka mixture I'm going to try!

grocifer

If anyone ever has a problem with silver fish in Upstate NY please let me know a.s.a.p. I have a tendency to overbuy and hate the thought of washing all the leftover fabric and then having to restarch when I want to use it again. What a inconvenience!
PS I haven't seen a silver fish in fifty years since we had them in our nursing school room in Indiana! Am I dating myself, or what??

virtualbernie

I use the vodka mixture also--doesn't make the fabric stiff but you can't beat it for getting out wrinkles! :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

galvestonangel

I didn't starch until I got on this board. It has made so much difference in my piecing, I love it. It makes points better, it is easier to match seams, it keeps the fabric from stretching out of shape. Sharon Schambers says to starch your backing before sandwiching the quilt. With her method it makes it so easy. I do not starch until I start using the fabric. One of my big mistakes when I started starching was to put starch on a block and press, I pressed it out of shape every time. Finally caught on to what I was doing and my blocks turned out much nicer. So starch before making the block.