Starch quilt fabric to give it a ‘very crisp' hand. It is made from organic products, either corn, rice or wheat. As such, it can attract critters like silverfish. What to do? Wash the finished project to remove it. Simple!
Sizing adds more of a ‘crispness' or ‘hand'. It can be made from either an organic or plastic-based solution. Frequently it is a mix of starch and a plastic-based sizing agent. This is to get the starch to stick better to man-made fibers like polyester. With the addition of this "glue", the sizing is then able to stiffen the synthetic fabric.
So the answer is: Whichever you prefer.
Mix It Up...Spray It On
Use a liquid concentrate to mix
your own spray starch strength.
Starch quilt fabric just before using it.
Mix your own starch from concentrate to get just the desired stiffness in your fabric. It is also more economical than store-bought spray starch.
Even more economical, but more work, is mixing your own from cornstarch and water.
For a crisp finish, dilute with one part Sta-Flo liquid starch to one part water. (You may have another brand available to you locally.) Feel free to change the ratio to get the stiffness YOU want.
You can also make your own homemade spray starch with Argo and water.
To do so,
1 . Mix 1/4 cup Argo corn starch into 1/2 cup cold water
2 . Stir in 4 cup of boiling water
3 . Mix and cool
Put either mixture into a spray bottle labeled with your recipe and "Shake before Using!" so that you don't forget.
Both mixtures can ‘gunk up' the nozzle. Use hot water to clean it. You may need to replace bottles periodically.
For each process below, remember that all the fabric should be wet with the starch mixture, BUT NOT DRIPPING. No need to make more work for yourself.
Let the starched fabric dry a bit so that it's damp to damp-dry. When starch soaks into the fibers, there's less flaking. It takes less time to iron dry.
Another homemade version:
In a 32 ounce bottle, combine:
1 teaspoon of essential oil (look in the craft sections of Joann's, Hancock's and even Walmart)
3 ounces of vodka. Cheap is good.
24 ounces of distilled water
Label and store in a large spray bottle. Shake well before using.
A reader wrote in to share her recipe for a Best Press alternative.
It is:
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons Corn Starch
• 3 1/2 cup cool water
• 2 drops Lavender essential oil
She recommends putting the water in the spray bottle first, then adding the corn starch and essential oil. Shake.
Make sure to shake every time you use.
