Learn how to use fabric starch when you are quilting. It’s so helpful to keep your fabrics from stretching, which is so important. You can even make your own!
This is a heavy topic. There is so much information out there to gather. Fabric Starch can be your best or worst friend in the quilting world. Some sewers love it, others hate it. It really depends on your style really.
Typically we like to have our fabric keep itself stiff, straight and in line. We don’t want the wiggle and stretch to mess everything up, so we use fabric starch.
When piecing quilt blocks, starch comes in very handy. You can even use it for appliqueing! There is liquid starch and spray starch.
Heather over on The Sewing Loft, wrote up a fantastic post all about fabric starch.
Thinking it made no sense to write it up again, I am just going to tell you to hop on over to her site and read it.
The topic of brands, pro’s, con’s…you name it is all there. To give you a quick overview– you can find products ranging from a couple of bucks to almost 10.
There are stiffness strengths to take into consideration too, smells…etc. To help you out a little more
Want to make your own starch?
Homemade Fabric Spray starch Tutorial
Sew Blessed recipe
LCS cottage
Here are more ironing resources-
Spray Starch info
Homemade Spray Starch cheaper than store bought!
Mini Iron Travel Bag Tutorial just in case you travel with your mini!
Make your own portable iron station
Iron or Press? Which one is right for your project?
More Ironing board stations inspiration
Becky Jorgensen is the creative quilter behind Patchwork Posse, the Patchwork Planner and her online quilt group Patchworkers Plus. You can find her patterns in books, magazines, and her quilt membership. Gather your quilting supplies, organize your sewing space, explore the process of disappearing quilt blocks, or finish a free quilt pattern. I'll help you use what you have, finish what you start and make your quilting journey fun!
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I wanted to leave a comment about starching – I am a die hard starcher but I DO NOT used the canned stuff. I use the liquid starch that comes in a blue qt. size bottle. I mix 1 part starch to 2 parts water. In the beginning I had to mix each spray bottle but when the first qt. emptied I started mixing by the qt. – when the qt. is empty I take the label off & then I know that is the mixed starch. When the next one is empty I progress to that bottle & toss the first one out. I also have a good size spray bottle. If the sprayer seems to stop working I just take the spray top off & soak in hot water – it is good as new. I keep the mixed starch in my sewing room along with a 5-qt ice cream pail which I use to starch fq’s and larger pieces of fabric. I get the fabric soaking wet (minus the drips) and iron it dry. The iron should NOT be coated, just plain metal. In the beginning I just went & got the cheapest iron (it usually is the lightest too) & used it only for starch as the steam holes would get plugged. A couple of years ago my sister found 2 of these old fashioned irons with the blk/wh wrapped cord & no steam holes at a second hand store for $2.50 – these irons are work horses – they are ideal for starching.
Thanks Sally for sharing your tips! It is something that takes practice a few trial and errors for sure. I might give a few of your suggestions a try. Thanks again!
I too am a die hard starcher! My quilts are pretty stiff when they are done, but every point meets correctly. I can’t imagine sewing without it! 🙂
I do like starch, and don’t use it nearly as much as I would like or should.
I like using starch when I make HST……keeps them from stretching out of shape…when I make a set of quilt block (purchase) I like for them not to look droopy when they arrive…..what I don’t like it how it gums up my iron(shark) which I discovered this evening that it has a self cleaning….but still I have to watch the iron for build up, don’t like this on my fabric…also I end up replacing my ironing board covers more often…it also makes little fabric tidbits stick …yuck….I prefer the liquid concentrate to the spray……which is what makes all the problems for me…did some research on home made starch…gonna try this to see how it work…
I’m new to quilting and I have charms and jelly rolls on the way, but I am researching the prep I need to do. If I starch for sewing, should I wash it before I gift it? Thanks so much!