Anne from Guam Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 I bought a quilt top from an estate sale and it seemed like the material was a bit stiff, so I rinsed it out a couple of times. Then when I pressed it the quilt top was super flat and almost stuck to the ironing board. So I figured out that the quilt maker must have used laundry starch for some reason. Do I just keep soaking it and rinsing until the fabric becomes much softer? I think that if I try to quilt this top as it is now the needle will make permanent holes in the starched fabric. The fun part of this quilt is that as I was ironing it from the back side, I found a signature! It says: Summer of 1958, Patricia - Mom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Primitive1 Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 I would think another soak would help. How cool that you found this. Too bad the signature was on the back and will be on the inside when you finish. Maybe you can take a picture and then print that out on fabric as part of a new label for it when you finish it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Are you sure it is not a poly fabric? That fabric will scorch so easily. If it is starch you can just give it a good soak and it will wash right out. Personally I'd quilt it as is and then wash it. You might have a lot of ironing to do if you wash it completely before you quilt it. What a treasure you've found. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne from Guam Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 The signature is on a piece of muslin (background) so I was thinking I could either flip the piece over and then it would show on the front, OR I could take the piece out and replace it with new muslin and use the signature as the label on the back. Vickie I also like your idea of a picture of the signature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne from Guam Posted February 9, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 Heidi - the fabric is cotton and its only the muslin that seems to be heavily starched. The pattern is the apple core, and I think that is why the quilter starched her fabric in the first place. You are so right about the IRONING! One good thing about all of the heavy starch is that as I iron it is taking all of the fullness out where the fabric stretched due to the curved seams!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustSewSimple Posted February 9, 2013 Report Share Posted February 9, 2013 It must have been well protected if it had that much starch and wasn't eaten by buggie boos over the years. Also, I am a bit surprised it was that well startched and has not broken where it was folded. You know, must people used a dip starch back then. I'll bet that puppy was dip startched which helped it to together so nicely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fineseams Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Boy does that bring back childhood memories of helping Mama starch my father's shirts. I'm sure not as stiff as you describe your quilt top, or he would never have been able to wear them. But starching was quite a process. Of course, followed by sprinkling and rolling and storing in a pillow case for a few hours to get evenly damp, and then ironing - no steam irons in those days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisquilter Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Boy does that bring back childhood memories of helping Mama starch my father's shirts. I'm sure not as stiff as you describe your quilt top, or he would never have been able to wear them. But starching was quite a process. Of course, followed by sprinkling and rolling and storing in a pillow case for a few hours to get evenly damp, and then ironing - no steam irons in those days!I remember my girlfriends mom, who took in ironing, using a coke bottle with a shaker top to sprinkle the clothes with water and then roll them up and put in the the fridge. My mom did not do that, so I though it was pretty cool. LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quilting Heidi Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Chris I remember my mom spraying down my dads fatigues and rolling them and storing them in the fridge too. That is too funny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie H Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 Heidi, Chris, and Bonnie, I remember those same techniques my grandmother used. Cold, damp clothes in the refrig! It brings back memories of hanging out with her when I was little. She will be 92 years this year and is still pretty spry. She has many great things stored in her brain from things they did in the olden days, anywhere from boiling pomegranates to use as cough aids, to ways she cooks and gardens. She's a health food "nut," has been for 50 plus years, and does tai chi or some such exercise with my mom. Our elderly are so full of knowledge that is soon to be lost to our generation! She used to save all old clothes and blankets, sheets, everything, saying one day those may be made into a quilt. If only I had paid more attention to the things my grandma did when I was a kid and lived close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mestuart Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I remember my girlfirends Mom ironing her cotton sheets after she brought them in from outside. Oh the work involved. Glad its not me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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