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From the September/October 1997 issue of Quiltmaker magazine.
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Tips & Techniques
Starching: A Good Solution
Some Do's and Don'ts
General
- Avoid storing starched fabric for long periods of time. Starch only as much as you will need in the near future.
- After pressing, roll the starched fabric on a cardboard tube to avoid folds.
- To remove any starch from your iron, rest the sole plate of the cold iron on a wet towel for several hours. The starch will dissolve and wipe away easily.
Patchwork
- Finger crease allowances while you're sewing and then steam press for a final set.
- Use starched fabric for grided half-square triangles. The fabric will be more stable for easy marking.
Applique
- For the starch-and-press technique, lightly mist the starched patch with water before ironing the turn-under allowance over the template.
- Finger crease as you go to turn under the allowance on starched fabric.
- The needleturn method is not satisfactory with starched fabric--it refuses to be nudged!
Finishing
- For basting, safety pins need a bit more push to slide through starched fabric, but the method is still a good one.
- Quilting by machine is best for a quilt top of starched fabric. Handling during construction gradually softens the threads so your quilt will be flexible enough for this technique. Hand quilting is difficult through starched fabric.
- All starch will wash out when the finished quilt is laundered.
Starching is an easy way to tame your fabric. It won't wobble and it won't stretch so patches will keep their shape. Admirers of your quilts will wish they knew your secret.
Caroline Reardon
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