by bevgrift 22 Apr 2012

Would you like to know how I starch my fabric for embroidery ?

Cotton Starch Fabric

Mix 2 Table spoons of powder starch with 400ml of water in a jar with lid.
Cover ironing board with an old towel.
Lay the pre- shrunk/washed cotton fabric wrong side up on the board
Damp sponge or dab with a lump of cottonwool the fabric until quite wet with the starch mixture
Place the tear away on top and dab this wet also
Allow to soak for a moment
Using a press cloth to protect the iron begin to press it all dry
The fabric will stick to the tear away
The tear away stabilizer will look a bit crumpled and wrinkled
But the fabric will be nice and flat and very stiff
Iron it dry on both sides lifting it away from the towel that also might be sticking
Allow to air dry before hooping
After embroidering pull the tear away from the back
There will be much less puckering and better still I adjust my top tension lower by two clicks on the screen and it reads 3.6
NB MY BLOCKS ARE CUT SMALLER THAN THE HOOP SIZE: but stuck to the tear away I can still hoop them .

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Comments (15)

by sukira 08 Aug 2012

Thank you for the tip.

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by marjialexa Moderator 08 Aug 2012

Thanks so much, whoever brought this back up. This is quite a nice technique. I, too, wonder if you could use the scrap WSS pieces to make starch like this, would it hold up with the heat of the iron? I've just let it air dry till damp, then iron. But this tip is great, because Bev's fabric was smaller than the hoop, and the tearaway being stuck to it made it big enough to hoop. I've been looking for a way to do that, after I cut a bunch of squares too small. Yes, I measured twice, and was mistaken both times, hee hee hee. Hugs, Marji

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by moyed 08 Aug 2012

Found this site, maybe help with starching before embroidering. hugs Helen

1 links:[1] homemade starch
www.ehow.com

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by auntydee 08 Aug 2012

I haven't found powdered starch in Australia but Franklins grocery has liquid starch in 1l containers.

1 comment

by christracey 08 Aug 2012

Thanks I'll have to check it out. I did get some powdered stuff a few years ago but it seems to have vanished.

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by sdrise 08 Aug 2012

Thank You!! Suzanne

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by christracey 08 Aug 2012

I've also tried to buy powdered starch here in Australia with not luck. The younger shop staff just give me a funny look when I ask - they only know about the spray on type you use when ironing....& that's not the best for some items you want stiffened well.

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by jofrog2000 08 Aug 2012

Have you tried using scraps of wss instead of the starch?

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by juanitadenney 23 Apr 2012

Thank you, always glad to receive tips from others. I will try this. *4U

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by mops Moderator 22 Apr 2012

I use the powered starchmeting that needed to be boiled and place it in a spray bottle.

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by babsie 22 Apr 2012

Thanks, I will use it for the crazy quilt blocks I'm doing at the moment. I won't be able to add the tearaway to the material as I put the pieces down on cheesecloth and then won't be able to tear the stabilizer off. Hugs.