Do you use starch?
#14
Super Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Utah
Posts: 8,844
My local store carries StaFlo in half gallons, so that's what I use. I dilute it 50/50 and dip starch. As mentioned, you need to give the fabric time to absorb the starch, so I put the dampened fabric in a plastic bag for a half hour or so. If I get side tracked & won't get to it in a half hour, I stick the bag in the refrigerator.
#16
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Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,522
I think there is "starch" that is made from a plant based materisl. - and "sizing" that is made from inorganic substances.
I think of using starch/ sizing on fabric in the same way I think of using scaffolding around a building. Once the item is complete, it should be able to stand alone.
If a fabric is too flimsy/thin/limp to use after washing it without bolstering, I don't use it.
I think of using starch/ sizing on fabric in the same way I think of using scaffolding around a building. Once the item is complete, it should be able to stand alone.
If a fabric is too flimsy/thin/limp to use after washing it without bolstering, I don't use it.
Last edited by bearisgray; 04-16-2016 at 08:06 AM.
#17
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Southern United States
Posts: 481
There are pieces of fabric in my quilting cave that have been starched (or heavily starched) for lengths of time between 21 years and 2 months. I've never had bugs or insects (moths or silver fish) chew or make holes in the fabrics. My fabric has been moved and refolded quite a bit as we have moved or I have switched rooms or when I'm working on a quilt and pulling out fabric. I've never found holes or dead bugs/insects. The only bug/insect holes I have found in fabric was a suit my husband wore and hung back in the closet without having it cleaned. When he took it out a year later to wear it it was full of holes! Moths suck on the sweat drops that are left in clothes, hence the holes.
#19
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Va.
Posts: 5,753
I love starch. I use whatever I can find, usually either Niagra or Faultless if I buy it locally. I prefer my fabric to be pretty stiff when I cut it and also when I stitch. I've never had a problem with bugs getting in my starched stash. I've recently found that you can still buy Staflo gallons from Walmart.com and also Amazon.com. For some reason they can't be found locally anymore. What I like about Staflo is you can mix it up to whatever strength you want and either use a spray bottle, or dip your fabric to starch.
When I was growing up we used a Coca-Cola bottle with a cork stopper that had one of those pot metal sprinkler heads in it to hold our home made starch mixture. When it was time to iron we sprinkled the starch on and then ironed/pressed. Of course, we didn't have a steam iron so if we wanted to use steam, we had another bottle (Pepsi I think) with the same kind of stopper/sprinkler that just held water, sprinkled it on and then "steam-ironed" LOL.
Rob
When I was growing up we used a Coca-Cola bottle with a cork stopper that had one of those pot metal sprinkler heads in it to hold our home made starch mixture. When it was time to iron we sprinkled the starch on and then ironed/pressed. Of course, we didn't have a steam iron so if we wanted to use steam, we had another bottle (Pepsi I think) with the same kind of stopper/sprinkler that just held water, sprinkled it on and then "steam-ironed" LOL.
Rob
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woohoowendy
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