Starch quilt fabric to make cutting, piecing, applique and quilting easier. Learn how to mix and apply your own homemade spray starch. With a squirt and a press, you can tame even the most persnickety fabric.
Why Bother? It's Extra Work...
Sharper points, crisper creases.
Use an edge stitching foot for piecing? The raw edges ride beautifully next to the flange of the foot.
Starching tames the bias edge beast.
Starch makes fabrics equal. Homespun will behave just like a batik, once it is starched.
Starch quilt fabric for more control as you stitch.
Starched quilt fabric doesn't shift as you rotary cut.
Appliques turn easier with a crisper fold.
Finger pressing seams is a dream.
It makes it easy to make perfect appliqued circles.
Quilting is full of opinions. Each quilt is different; each quilter, too. To starch or not is for YOU to decide.
Starch or Sizing?
Starch quilt fabric to give it a ‘very crisp’ hand. It is made from organic products, either corn, rice or wheat. As such, it can attract critters like silverfish. What to do? Wash the finished project to remove it. Simple!
Sizing adds more of a ‘crispness’ or ‘hand’. It can be made from either an organic- or plastic-based solution. Frequently it is a mix of starch and a plastic-based sizing agent. This is to get the starch to stick better to man-made fibers like polyester. With the addition of this “glue”, the sizing is then able to stiffen the synthetic fabric.
So the answer is: Whichever you prefer.
Mix It Up...Spray It On
Starch quilt fabric just before using it.
Mix your own starch from concentrate to get just the desired stiffness in your fabric. It is also more economical than store-bought spray starch. Even more economical, but more work, is mixing your own from cornstarch and water.
Use a liquid concentrate to mix your own spray starch strength.
For a crisp finish, dilute with one part Sta Flo liquid starch to one part water. (You may have another brand available to you locally.) Feel free to change the ratio to get the stiffness YOU want.
You can also make your own homemade spray starch with Argo and water. To do so,
Mix 1/4 c. Argo corn starch into 1/2 c. cold water
Stir in 4 c. of boiling water
Mix and cool
Put either mixture into a spray bottle labeled with your recipe and ”Shake before using!” so that you don't forget.
Both mixtures can ‘gunk up’ the nozzle. Use hot water to clean it. You may need to replace bottles periodically.
For each process below, remember that all the fabric should be wet with the starch mixture, BUT NOT DRIPPING. No need to make more work for yourself.
Let the starched fabric dry a bit so that it's damp to damp-dry. When starch soaks into the fibers, there's less flaking. It takes less time to iron dry.
Be neat. If the fabric dries completely with wrinkles in it, it takes longer to iron. Use steam.
For Pieces Up to One Yard...
Scrunch the fabric into a dish pan and squirt until saturated. The dishpan helps to keep the work area neat. Continue spraying and turning the fabric until the piece is completely saturated.
Use a plastic dishpan to control over-spray when you starch quilt fabric
Let the fabric damp dry by opening each piece and spreading it out on your ironing board. Preparing lots of fabric? Put a pole over two chair backs for instant hanging space. Just make sure the post won't rust.
Once the fabric is damp dry, press with a cotton setting and steam to crisp up the fabric.
For Pieces Over One Yard...
For borders, backings or other large pieces of fabric, hang the fabric over the ironing board and spray...and spray...and spray. Let the fabric damp dry. Iron on a cotton setting with steam.
Extra work?...Definitely.
But totally worth the time if you've got intricate piecing or quilting to do.
Tips for Pressing with Starch
CAUTION
Starch can burn. Holding the iron in place too long will leave scorch marks that you can't remove.
Keep that iron moving!
Press (don't iron) in an up-and-down motion to keep your pieces from being pulled out of shape.
Spritz with a diluted recipe during the piecing process. It makes the fabric extra crisp.
Cover your ironing board with muslin or scrap fabric. We tend to iron in the same spot on our board. A brown spot will develop from the heat. You can wash or replace your muslin with ease but not so your ironing board cover.
Starch just before using the fabric. Don't store starched fabrics because starch is really a food product and might attract critters.
Iron from the back to avoid flecks on the front.
Iron Build Up Removed
When you starch quilt fabric, you get buildup on the iron. To remove it, dampen a soft cloth with vinegar and iron over the cloth with a hot iron. It'll clear out your nostrils, but you'll have a clean sole plate.
For a fume free clean, use a wet Mr. Clean Magic Eraser on your cold iron. It works beautifully to remove the starch buildup.
