costumegirl

Great info here
I try to wash all yardage and usually rinse precuts in warm water to get rid of the manufacturing chemicals and to see if there is any bleeding/ excess dye. If there is some bleeding I use synthrapol or retayne with the yardage, depending on the fabric. I use colour catchers with the precuts.

I lightly starch when ironing after washing to get some of the crispness back and when cutting to assure that the pieces hold their shape and don't stretch. It helps get the wrinkles out and adds stability.

To me these time consuming steps are not "fun" and I really don't "like" doing it but find this is a necessary part of the process - have had issues previously if I didn't do them.
Thanks for the 'salad spinner ' tip

P-BurgKay

I prewash all my fabric, even precuts. I soak precuts in the sink in warm water, the spin dry in my salad spinner, (which I bought my salad spinner for my quilting room for this purpose only). On precuts, I dry on a dry towel and I always starch or use best press all the time. The starch or best press has improved my accuracy sooooooo much. This is just me, but it works for me. That is what you should do, is what works for you.

Snooze2978

For me I cut however much fabric I think I need for the project and maybe just a little more in case I miscut, starch it, press when dry and then do my cutting. I find ithelps with the fraying and distortion. When I get my blocks done I do a light steam pressing to set all the seams flat, then I start to assemble my blocks together. I had my old kitchen metal sink/faucet installed down here so that I could use it for cleaning paint brushes at that time and then starching my fabrics. I added a large dowel rod above the sink and keep skirt type hangers there to hang my starched fabrics to dry over the sink as it can caught any drips. I use a dishpan to dip my fabrics into, wring them out as best I can and then hang them up.

If I'm using pre-cuts, I'll starch after I get the block put together. I spray the starch on the backside and let dry, then mist from the front side and press.

Joan in AK

Thank you everyone for your wonderful info.

joe'smom

I wash pieces a fat eighth and smaller by hand, place the wet pieces in a mesh bag and spin in the dryer, then hang on a line to dry.

I use Best Press as my starch, and spray yardage before cutting, and during block construction. I have to use a very lightweight iron, and I think spraying seams during construction helps make up for the lack of weight.

I'd like to try traditional starch some time, but the spray kinds have the type of sprayer I'm not able to use, and using the non-spray kind sounds more complicated, so I haven't tried it. The Best Press is so easy, LOL!

Wanabee Quiltin

I don't starch but I'm thinking I might start. I was watching Christa Watson on her blog and she had jelly rows and starched each one before she started cutting. If I were starting to starch, I would only starch what I was using.

Jane Quilter

This is what I do. By letting the startched fabrics hang dry, the starch does not flake when ironing. Cutting and sewing Accuracy up, fraying of fabric down. I love to use starch as I sew and it all washes out in the first laundering of the quilt. Yeah

tessagin

I pre-wash everything and use lingerie bags for smaller than yardage. I put them in the washer. I rarely use pre-cuts. Last few batches of pre-cuts I purchased and before washing were all wonky and not uniform size. I have the canned starch I spray outside or the hubs gets a headache and me too. I only mix a little at a time. I'm always having to stop for something.

carolynjo

I don't think I would starch any fabric until I am ready to use it, for I have heard that silver fish like starch and I would be devastated if I found little holes in my fabric when I was ready to use it.

Claire123

I have had good results with Best Press. I have heard it is especially important to use it with bias edges.