Aha!

It just occurred to me that maybe the reason I have been such a lame blogger is that it was too cold!  The weather warms up -- finally! -- and suddenly, I'm here.  A lot. 

I started cutting strips today from the Collection for a Cause Faith fabrics for a little quilt I'm playing with, one that may or may not wind up being a pattern.  Time will tell. 

 
This is the entire collection, you just can't see all of it.  But it really is all there, the fat eighths are just stacked in sets of four.

It's a habit.  I don't know if it is a good one or a bad one, but it is one of many. 

One of the things I get asked about in classes is if I pre-wash my fabrics.  Used to.  Don't any more.  Then what -- if anything -- do I do to prepare them for cutting?  I do "prepping".  I press my fabrics while wearing a pink polo shirt, cue little madras shorts and penny loafers.  I'm kidding!

Because I learned to sew making clothes, I was taught that pre-washing was a must.  Dire consequences would result from failing to do so, not the least of which would be failing Sewing Class.  When I started quilting, I heard about all sorts of bleeding and dyeing resulting from failing to pre-wash.  It took me a while to realize the "quilt police" were talking about the fabric... though I still wonder.  But over the years, several things happened that seemed to eliminate the need for pre-washing.  Our fabrics were better, the commercial dyes being used were better -- as was the process used to fix the dye, those marvelous dye magnet sheets were invented and then we got something called a "pre-cut".  With the various pre-cuts, you really couldn't pre-wash so most of us stopped doing it.  But one constant remained -- shrinkage.  The fabric is cotton.  Cotton shrinks when moisture and heat are applied.  Meaning, if you press with steam, your fabric is going to shrink at some point. 

So here I am.  Hi.  My name is Carrie and I press with steam.  Lots of it. 

That meant that when I started using charm squares and making Schnibble quilts four years ago, I became a faithful "fabric-prepper".  I had already been in the habit of pressing my fabrics, especially the fat quarters, with starch or sizing after they were washed, but I started doing it for unwashed fabric too.  Every charm square -- and now every Layer Cake square -- is spritzed with starch or sizing and ironed before it is cut.  I do the same thing with fat quarters and fat eighths.  In addition to eliminating any shrinkage I might have, I love how flat, crisp and ready for cutting the squares become.  And since I'm going to cut four layers at a time, I press them that way.  While I'm pressing, I will spritz and press the first piece, then add another one on top.  It gets spritzed and pressed, and the process is repeated until I have four squares/pieces stacked and pressed until dry. 

If you've never prepped your pieces this way -- especially the charm and layer cake squares -- you would be shocked to see how the square immediately starts pulling up -- read: shrinking -- when it is spritzed.  And contrary to what we learned "back in the day", the shrinkage isn't in the length, it is in the width.  I have had charm squares shrink almost a 1/4" in width.  If I hadn't prepped my fabrics before cutting, this shrinkage would have occurred during and after piecing, thereby changing the size of my finished piece.  

So while I don't pre-wash, I do pre-iron and prep my fabrics before cutting them.   

This is what I use to prep my fabrics -- my favorite starch.  I love this stuff. 

 
I used to use Best Press Unscented Sizing.  It is a terrific product, but spraying every piece of fabric meant that I was going through it very quickly.  Even buying it on sale, with a coupon, from the distributor, etc.,it was still rather expensive.  The alternatives at the time were aerosol spray starch and sizing and the old-fashioned soak starch.  I didn't like either one so I used the Best Press and really stocked up when it was on sale.  So when several of the lovely ladies I met in Alabama and Florida almost two years ago recommended this starch, I went looking for it.  And looking for it.  I really had to search.  Not one of the grocery stores in my area carried it.  While I didn't check them all, I don't think any of the grocery stores in Arizona carried it.  But thank goodness for Target, they came to my rescue! 

While I have been told by other quilters that it can be found at WalMart, every Target store I have ever been into has stocked this starch.  And yes, I have been into Target stores around the country buying this starch for classes!  The best part?  This 22 oz. bottle costs $1.87.  If you go into a Target store and they don't have it, I was probably there earlier.  I usually buy several bottles at a time. 

The one thing I would suggest if you do use starch or sizing to press your fabrics -- especially pre-cuts -- is to get in the habit of washing your ironing board cover.  A little soap and water in the washing machine is all it takes to remove the excess starch that builds up.  A pressing cloth will help but there will still be starch on the ironing board cover.  If nothing else, the starch build-up will make the cover a little stiff in places if you don't... and those parts like to get nice and toasty.  As in toast-ed. 

I use a regular white heavy cotton ironing board cover that I get from the Golden Hands man -- seriously, that is his company's name!  It is made to fit the Big Board I also got from them.  And, yes, with all the steam I use, I have just gotten a new one as this last one is finally warping just a bit. 

(If you're interested... The company is Golden Hands Industries out of Roswell, Georgia.  They don't have a website but their contact information can be found on Google.  And if you're interested, they were on Quilters TV.)

 
This is my ironing board.  The base is an  InterMetro shelf set-up that I got several years ago.  The Container Store carries this kind of shelving though I don't think they still carry this specific one.  The shelves here are 18" x 36", and the four posts are 34 1/2" long.  The casters add about 3" to the height.  The frame of my Big Board fits on top with about 1/2" to spare in the width.  The length of the shelf wasn't a factor since the board is open on one end.  I did glue a piece of molding to the underside to keep it from sliding back and forth... I guess I will have to do that again with the new one.

This has turned out to be the perfect set-up for me for several reasons.  The first, best and most obvious reason is the height.  I love that the top of the board is about 38" off the floor.  I also love how stable this is, a huge improvement over the wobbly ironing board I used to have holding up the big board.  Storage... that's probably a given.  A girl can never have enough storage especially for extra bottles of starch, lint rollers and such.  Did you notice the wheels?  This whole thing rolls easily across the floor when I need to sweep or get into the cabinet behind the ironing board. 

So after all that, this is what I wound up with...

 
I'm kidding!  Some of these will wind up in the scrap jar and the rest will wind up in the bag of scraps that goes to the folks who use them to stuff pillows and beds for the animal shelter. 

 
This is what I cut after all that pressing.  I even got to sew some strips together before I had to stop for the night. 

But maybe later today -- Thursday. 

When I'm not working on those flying geese, that is.  Did I mention that I am seriously reconsidering the size of my quilt?  I'm kidding.  Thanks to Monique, they go quickly.  

I'm off.  But if it stays warm, I might be back tomorrow.        

 

Comments

[Nancy]

Okay Carrie...Here I am, My name is Nancy and I DON'T press with steam because I distort my blocks every stinkin time I do, LOL. *sigh* I know this about myself so I accept it. OH, and there is another club I belong too, "Hello, My name is Nancy and I am a Fabric Fondler" ...Big Hugs...

[Michele]

Thanks for the tips! I never thought about putting my Big Board on something like that......what a set-up! Mine is on my ironing board which is not the most stable thing around! Your starch method is great too. Thanks so much for sharing. I hope it stays warm :-)

[Laurie]

I will look for this on the next trip to Target. I too, buy Best Press by the gallon (gallons). Love it, but it ain't cheap. I also used to pre-wash back in the day. That was when I had to buy fabric from 5 & dimes and chain stores. Not any more - the quilt fabric is so superior now. And yippee for dye magnets!!! (My bigboard is a bit envious of your bigboard - what a good idea)

Laurie

[Cindy]

Thanks for the spray starch info. I'm headed to Target to get some!

[Brenda]

Thanks for a great post. I never knew to starch and press my fabric before cutting. I will be looking for the starch. I do use the aerosol kind by Niagra.

[Sandy (Strlady)]

I love that Niagara. I picked up the tip online someplace and I immediately went off to look for it but had a horrible time finiding it (like you) but I stumbled upon it at... TARGET! LOL! I have been carting it around ever since. It took me a bit to get use to the 'clean' scent but now it's second nature. I love that big board idea. Looking online it appears that mr Golden Hands is not the same as Mr Big Board. With your travels, have you ever had a chance to compare both boards? I have seen the Big Boards but not the Golden Hands version. I'm thinking I will need to breakdown and buy a BB. I'm tired of the ironing board issues I have. Thanks for the informative poat and enjoy your Faith! I have not conjured up the nerve to cut into my FE yet.

[Karen]

I also use steam and won't quit!

Thanks for the tip about Niagara spray starch. I'll be on the lookout for it.

[Cheryl Miller]

I wish I had known this tip before I pieced my last quilt. I will be practicing your method from now on. Looking forward to what you do with Faith.

[Linda]

Carrie, I size every charm square too! Every single one! Actually anything that stands still long enough in my sewing room gets siized! LOL! Here I thought I was the only one out there!! :-) It makes a huge difference in the accuracy of my piecing! Accuracy is very important to me and my 1/4" is always Spoy on too with prepping my fabrics first. I'm excited to see what you make with that fabric collection! I love it, but I think you know that already. :-)

I've always used cheapo Magic Sizing from Wally World because that's what Lisa Bongean suggested, but will try the Niagra to see which I like better.

[Mary on Lake Pulaski]

Lots of good info Carrie! Thank you!

[kathie]

I use the niagara sizing, I guess it does the same thing?
oh I have my fat quarter bundle of faith sitting right here waiting to be cut up and made into a quilt, hmm maybe I should wait a bit longer to see what you come up with first!
I have a big board I bought years ago, love it!
never thought of putting it on a cabinet to have shelves on the bottom , yes you have sent me shopping now I have to find something like that one never has enough storage especially for baskets underneath that hold a few projects?
have a great weekend!

[Linda P]

Well, good to know I in excellent company!!! I press with steam & have been using Best Press or a diluted other brand of starch. LOL!! It's one of those things you do behind closed doors, because everyone tells you not to!! I don't have the Big Board, however my hubby made me another one that fits on my old ironing board with huggers underneath to keep it from sliding. I could always use more storage tho, so really like your underneath system.

[Louise Murphy]

I have used Niagra in the non aerosol spray bottle for a number of years now. I buy it three bottles at a time when I can find it. I have even gifted it to quilty friends. Love your big board ironing surface. I use a very vintage small wooden ironing board which I like as it doesn't take up much room but it is definitely vintage!

[Mary Ann]

I love the spray starch and use a lot of it. I haven't dropped in yet this week so I just got to see all the new patterns, I'm hooked! Love them and am anxious to see them in the shop.

[Betty]

I bought Niagra non aerosol at Cub Foods. I haven't tried it yet. I'm wondering if the sprays make a mess of your carpet around your ironing board, or do you not have carpet? If you test a dark red fabric and it leaves a tiny bit of red on a napkin when it dries, do you pretreat it with something? Thanks for the info.

[LizA.]

Would you believe my Target here in the Seattle area does NOT carry Niagra?!? Now I'm on the hunt for it.....

[pat sloan]

well aren't you the most clever girl ever... and productive... and I want to visit your studio to see it 'for real'...wink!

see you in Salt Lake!

[Nancy E]

I always press with steam! I have used Best Press, but it is expensive! Thanks for the great tip about Niagara spray starch. Next time I'm at Target I will look for it.

[Bonnie Nyquist]

I read with interest about the Niagra Starch,and I found it at Wal mart! When I used it,I was in love! Fabric feels like silk! Thank you for sony good tips and information, You are the best!

[Iris]

I have an old wrought iron table (did have a glass top until it broke) that is 35 X 69". I had a 3/4 inch exterior plywood top cut to fit and covered it with a layer of cotton and made a heavy duty 100% cotton "fitted sheet" to go on top of it. Washed it with hot water to shrink it and put it on the table wet and let it dry, I now have it in my sewing roon and use it to iron on and have my cutting mat on the other end. My sewing chair rolls between it and my machine cabinet just perfect. The fancy wrought iron makes the perfect place for the hangers my husband made for all my cutting tools,rulers and templates.