Inside: Uncover the key to good quilt blocks with starched materials! Study the secrets and techniques with the Final Information to Starching Quilt Materials. Say good day to the quilts of your desires with this final information to starching quilt materials. Learn the way starching will take your quilting to the subsequent degree!
What if I may assure that your quilt material wouldn’t stretch whenever you minimize it – even when slicing slim strips. Nor wouldn’t it stretch whenever you sew throughout the bias. And (my favourite) the machine quilting course of can be a lot simpler.
Properly, this isn’t a material fantasy. There’s a approach to insure that your material stays secure all through the quilt making course of. It’s known as material starch. Yep, good ol’ normal starch will stiffen your materials and make your initiatives go collectively significantly better. Better of all, it’s a reasonable software to have in your quilting arsenal.

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The right way to Starch Materials for Quilting
To start with, for those who’re they kind of one that desires to dive into your quilt the minute you get your arms on some material, then starching may not be for you. And, you don’t should starch your quilting material to your quilt to prove wonderful.
Nevertheless, if you need good factors, your piecing to be exact, and the quilting course of to go easily, then you could wish to take into account starching your quilting material.
DO starch either side of the material! This fashion, all of your materials may have the identical degree of stiffness and stability, which may make it simpler to realize exact cuts and correct piecing.
DO saturate your materials with starch.
AVOID starching precuts (jelly rolls, allure packs, layer desserts, and so forth.) as a result of they may shrink in a single path. Or for those who do you should definitely account for a small quantity of shrinkage.
DON’T starch and retailer your materials. When you’ve starched and ironed your materials, you should definitely use them instantly. Starching your materials after which storing them may cause them to develop into stiff and brittle over time, which may make them tougher to work with. It may additionally appeal to bugs like silverfish.

Relating to material starch, there are a number of choices to select from: Liquid Starch, Spray Starch, Craft Spray, and a home made spray.
Possibility 1: Use Liquid Starch for Quilt Materials
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LIQUID STARCH is a concentrated resolution that’s blended with water earlier than being utilized to your materials. It needs to be diluted by mixing 50% starch with 50% water. In case you desire much less starch, dilute in 10% increments (Ex: 40% starch/60% water).
- To make use of liquid starch, take your 50/50 mix and add to a plastic tub.
- Placed on rubber gloves earlier than including materials to starch resolution.
- Add in your materials, beginning with lighter materials first, then actually drench your materials within the starch resolution by working it in along with your arms.
- Wring out any extra and let it dry on a drying rack and permit it to totally dry on a rack for 4-8 hours. Notice: That is the place you’ll use a wringer.
- As soon as dried, iron out the wrinkles.
- To keep away from creases, minimize material instantly or roll up onto cardboard tubes.
Professional Tip: In case you make plenty of quilts you may wish to take into account getting an quaint garments wringer. It would wring out many of the moisture and your materials will dry actually quick.
LIQUID STARCH PROS:
- That is essentially the most economical and efficient methodology of starching material.
- When executed nicely, your slicing and piecing will go collectively fantastically.
LIQUID STARCH CONS:
- Is a bit of time consuming since you ought to permit 4-8 hours of drying time.
- The method will be messy.
- This can be a grain-based product, so long-term storage may appeal to bugs resembling silverfish.
- In case you’re the kind of quilter who jumps proper in whenever you get your material, this selection in all probability isn’t a great one for you.

Possibility 2: Family Spray Starch for Quilt Materials
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SPRAY STARCH is available in an aerosol can and is utilized on to your material. It’s a handy, easy-to-use choice, and it’s good for a fast and simple enhance of stiffness for those who’re quick on time. One can of spray starch can normally starch the material for 1-2 medium quilts.
- As a result of it’s an aerosol, solely spray in a well-ventilated house.
- I like to recommend evenly spraying all of sudden, in any other case you will get spots in your material (which do wash out).
- Saturate either side of the material with starch and permit it to totally dry on a rack for 4-8 hours.
- Place a sheet or towels on the ground whenever you’re spraying as a result of the starch can embed into carpet or make flooring slippery.
Professional Tip: I prefer to put my drying rack in a tub in case of any drips. You can additionally place a towel or sheet beneath, too.
HOUSEHOLD STARCH PROS:
- Pretty economical and extensively accessible
- Seams press flatter
- Seams keep within the path pressed
- Makes machine quilting simpler
HOUSEHOLD STARCH CONS:
- Is a bit of time consuming since you ought to permit 4-8 hours of drying time.
- I like to recommend utilizing canned spray starch exterior as a result of the overspray starches the whole lot…like flooring, blinds, stitching machines, and all surfaces. If spraying indoors, put a sheet or towel on the ground to guard carpets and flooring.
- It may flake when urgent – which is messy and drifts all the way down to flooring and lands on blinds. In case you let the spray starch settle into the material and fully dry, that is much less more likely to occur.
- It may make a large number of your iron’s sole plate which would require cleansing the iron.
- Your finger can get drained from holding down the spray button when starching a big piece of material resembling backing.
- The can’s exterior can get rust close to the nozzle and, if unnoticed, can drip rust in your material which is sort of inconceivable to take away. #ithappenedtome
- It has some less-than-desirable components resembling butane, propane, and hydroxyethyl starch. This might impact young children, pets, or anybody with compromised respiration points (ex: bronchial asthma).
- The components are corn and/or potato based mostly which may trigger bugs such silverfish if left in saved material.

Possibility 3: Craft Sprays for Starching Quilt Materials
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CRAFTS SPRAYS resembling Mary Ellen’s Greatest Press or Magic Quilting & Craft Spray are wonderful choices and the costliest selection. Each of those manufacturers can be found in gallon measurement refills which makes them extra economical.
Professional Tip: In case you resolve to make use of one in every of these merchandise, I like to recommend buying a steady spray mist bottle. It produces a beautiful steady mist that sprays evenly over giant areas and also you gained’t get set off finger fatigue. Simply maintain and spray!
CRAFT SPRAY PROS:
- My go-to product after I wish to stiffen precuts like fats quarters and 10″ squares.
- Each merchandise are wonderful at layering on the product.
- Utilizing the mist bottle isn’t as messy as spray starch, it dries shortly, and you may add one other layer.
- Not a grain-based product.
- Non-aerosol product that gained’t gum up the nozzle (or the setting)
- Magic Quilting & Craft Spray prices lower than Mary Ellen’s Greatest Press and I can’t discover any discernible variations in these two merchandise.
- Magic Spray is unscented (my desire)
- Not more likely to appeal to bugs when saved.
CRAFT SPRAY CONS:
- Most costly choice, however value it, for my part.
- Utilizing the usual spray bottle may cause trigger-finger fatigue when overlaying a big piece of material.
- It’s extra like material sizing.
- Should be layered on to get stiffer material.
- Materials don’t stiffen as successfully as starch.
- Most Greatest Press merchandise are scented, however can be found unscented.

Possibility 4: Non-traditional Spray Starch
Provides:
Choices 1-3 above have some measure of chemical substances with un-pronounceable names that may be dangerous to people, pets, and the setting. Fortunately, there may be approach to make your personal spray starch utilizing vodka and distilled water. The outcomes are much like utilizing a Craft Spray. See under for instructions.
RECIPE:
- Measure the ounces in your specific spray bottle and divide into thirds.
- To the spray bottle add the next ratio of vodka to water:
- 1 Half Vodka (ex: 1/3 C. Vodka)
- 2 Components Distilled Water (ex: 2/3 C. water)
- Shake nicely earlier than every use.
NON-TRADITIONAL SPRAY PROS:
- Cheap approach to make a copycat of the costly craft sprays.
- Simple to make.
- Easy components.
- Might trigger a spontaneous celebration to interrupt out within the stitching room if consumed by sewist.
NON-TRADITIONAL SPRAY CONS:
- Materials don’t stiffen as effectively as starch.
- Faucet water isn’t really helpful as a result of the minerals and the vodka may mess up your iron’s sole plate.
- As a result of it’s constructed from corn or potatoes, it may appeal to bugs when saved.
- Family and friends could choose you whenever you’re seen strolling out of a liquor retailer carrying two gallons of vodka!
- It may be tempting to drink your spray whenever you notice it’s good to rip out a whole part of a quilt.

To Starch or To not Starch
First, you DO NOT should starch material earlier than beginning a quilt. Most materials include some kind of material end or sizing which provides them a bit of physique. In case you’re frightened about folds in precuts, spritzing with water will normally take away them.
Nevertheless, if you need pristine quilts with each level sharp, all your seams to match fantastically, little material fraying from dealing with, or stabilized bias cuts then you’ll want to starch your materials utilizing one of many strategies above.
My Personal Starching Preferences: I’m someplace within the lazy center. I take advantage of a misting bottle and an unscented craft spray. When starching the entire materials for a quilt, I place a folded piece of material over my ironing board which provides me two layers to soak up any over-spray and protects my ironing board cowl. I put an outdated bathe curtain liner below the ironing board then I mist on a few layers of craft spray and drape my items over a drying rack. This works nicely for issues like fats quarters and smaller cuts of material. For bigger items like backing, I spray one layer of craft spray and drape the material over the drying rack. Relying on the scale of the backing material I’ll should fold it. I let this dry for no less than 8 hours, switching across the folds, if wanted.
On the finish of the day, whether or not or to not use material starch is a private desire and is dependent upon the standard of material you’re working with and the top outcomes you’re making an attempt to realize.
Experiment with a number of of those choices and see which one works greatest for you and your quilting initiatives. And, don’t be afraid to strive completely different strategies and types to seek out your perfect starching methodology to your quilting initiatives.
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