I usually do wash my quilts as soon as I'm done quilting them because I hand quilt and I use water soluble pens. But it is good to know about the bugs. I had no clue about that. I love how knowledgeable everyone is!! I was taught to sew by my grandmother and she isn't able to teach me or sew herself anymore so I'm glad i found this site to get help from others!!
I'd like to add a couple of comments:
1. Best Press - It puts back a nice finish on the front on the fabric if you have pre-washed your fabrics. Personally, the scented varieties really make me sneeze...so I buy the gallon bottle from JoAnns.com when I have a 50% off coupon. I use this most of the time.
2. Starch - my second choice
a. The icky bugs are silverfish - I live in an area with lots of silverfish and I hate them. (When we first moved into our house (10 years ago), I was sweeping up two or three dustpans full every morning. Really, really gross!!! Slowly the numbers have been reduced by outside spraying, but we still get them in the house.) I had been avoiding starching fabrics because of hearing that the silverfish would be attracted to it. I also heard that they were attracted to bindings of old books that were made of starch and/or flour paste. But, in my experience, neither has been proven true. The only thing I see them really attracted to is water! They do head for the sinks, boot racks, etc.! I am now starching some fabrics for quilts, but have yet to have a silverfish in my quilting room. Almost every other room in the house, but not there!!!
b. If you Starch your fabrics - Spray the back of the fabric, turn it over and press the front of the fabric. You will not get the flaking and the starch is embedded in the fabric give it a body. I too, always wash my quilts after they are finished to remove all starch, best press, or anything else used in the quilt.
c. I usually use the handspray bottle of starch (from the grocery store) or make my own as someone else mentioned. (I don't like the aerosol cans.)
3. Sizing - I have tried sizing, but did not see any advantage over Best Press or Starch...so IMHO it is my third/last choice.
Hope someone will find this info helpful...
Winthrop, WA
MAGIC SIZING , comes in a tall blue can, it gives light body without stiffness, can be found next to the spray starch in the laundry dept. in WalMarts, costs about 97cents a can here in Oklahoma, I just bought three cans. I use it on fabric I am going to cut into triangles, helps keep the bias edges from stretching. We also use it on foundation blocks for string piecing. It comes in handy when you need to square up blocks too. I started using in when I worked at a quilt shop. Otherwise I do not starch anything and have never used anything else. bj
Just one more thing, it does not flake so you can spray it on either side of the fabric. Have a great day, bj
So, do you use starch or sizing or whatever you chose to use before cutting your pieces or after?
I use Mary Ellen's Best Press before cutting.
Donna B: 3. Sizing - I have tried sizing, but did not see any advantage over Best Press or Starch...so IMHO it is my third/last choice.
Cheaper than Best Press. Doesn't flake like starch. Is synthetic so no worries about bugs if project is not washed.
Kris, I completely agree with everything you said regarding Starch, best press and sizing. I had to buy some spray starch as the store was out of Magic sizing and the quilt shop was too far away to get more quickly. I like the sizing the best - the starch left flakes all over. Ginny
If I get flakes, I do not worry about it as I wash as soon as I'm done and I don't do many if any that will be hung. I don't starch the whole piece of fabric, just what I'm going to cut. I iron what I'm going to cut and no more because if I iron all of it I end up ironing twice when I actually get ready to cut as it usually, no matter how careful I am to store it, has wrinkles.
Life is like a quilt...bits & pieces, joy & sorrow, stitched with love
I didn't realize that starch attracted bugs. I don't think I've seen a silverfish in years (knock on wood)... but if Magic Sizing is 99 cents at Wal-Mart, then maybe I'll go back to using that. It is by far my favorite to work with... I stopped using it because I was paying almost $3/can for it and going through it pretty quickly. Maybe I just need to check out Wal-Mart! I try to avoid it when I can, but I do buy my whole wheat flour there, since it's way cheaper there than at the grocery stores.
OK, one more question before I drive you all crazy! If I am making a tshirt quilt would you advise in sizing or starching it?
You might have opened a whole new can of worms there. :) For t-shirt quilts, I would probably recommend interfacing. I have to run for now, but the others will chime in with detailed suggestions, I'm sure.
Whatever you do, I'm sure it will turn out great.
Cheers and welcome to the group!
thanks, i do use interfacing but the shirts always seem to sag after a while. i am never able to get it to iron on well. i make sure not to wash it with Downy.
Jesse
For t shirt quilts I recommend using an iron on interfacing before cutting. T shirts stretch so easily that they are hard to work with otherwise.
Vinton, Virginia
Jesse: thanks, i do use interfacing but the shirts always seem to sag after a while. i am never able to get it to iron on well. i make sure not to wash it with Downy.
If this is happening after the quilt is completed it sounds like the quilting isn't close enough together to hold the shape.