Hi,
I'm using a recipe for homemade spray starch and it's working very well. The problem I'm having is with the spray bottle. It sprays globs along with the fine spray. It gets the area very wet. I've used 3 different, brand new bottles. Does anyone know of a quality spray bottle?
Thank you,
wendy

Wendy, welcome to BC I have never used homemade spray starch, so I'm sorry but I can't help you with this one... hopefully someone will be along to help you out soon.

Tell us more about yourself....

Wekebu ...

to Block Central!

I have never used homemade spray startch either ... sorry I am not much help.

I do use a commercial starch in a spray bottle and have not had problems with the sprayer. I wonder if it is a special spray nozzle ... looks heavier duty than the one on my other spray bottles. Maybe it would be worth your while to invest in a small bottle of the commercial stuff and then try your homemade recipe in this bottle. Just a thought. It's all I got.

Hi, thank you for the warm welcomes!

Pat, what an excellent idea. What's the name of the commercial starch that you use? I would be very happy to buy a bottle since I just paid $3.99 for an empty bottle.

Denise, Hi. I'm 53, married with grown children. Sometimes I suffer from Empty Nest Syndrome and other times I just love that I have that room to use for sewing!!! I love ponding, gardening and just started brewing my own beer. God, I can't wait for retirement as Work cuts into my HobbyTime.

This seems like an active community, huh?

Good Morning,

This is the spray starch alternative I use:
http://www.maryellenproducts.com/shop/product.php?productid=16148&cat=6&page=1

It is available in many quilt shops and comes in a refillable 16oz plastic bottle with the nozzle attached to the outside ... so you could get a good look at the nozzle before you buy. The nozzle has a spring inside and does, like I said, appear to be heavier duty than the standard spray bottles. Hope this helps.

If all works well, we will be asking you for your homemade recipe.

I am pretty much an empty nester in my 50's, too. My oldest is in his own place; my two youngers are in their 20's and only come home for semester breaks and are gone more than they are here when they are living at home. I started quilting over three years ago when the nesting need hit in reverse and I had to make a quilt for my baby girl to take to the dorm. When I am not sewing, I am usually reading ... hmmm ... or on the computer

We love to talk quilts here ... and just talk ... and we love pictures.

I love Mary Ellen. I have a quilt shop here in town so I'll look there. I haven't been there in a bit. Thanks.

Oh, I bet you cried over that quilt that you made for your youngest went she went off to college. Bittersweet.

Pat, I love your clothesline quilt signature. Very creative.

Wendy,

Maybe you could try an Olive Oil spray bottle like this http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Brushed-Aluminum-Sprayer/dp/B00004SPZV . They atomize the stuff into a pretty fine mist. Might it also be a problem with your mixture? Starches usually dissolve well only in cold liquids, so be sure to keep it cold. Also, you probably would need to mix it before every use to make sure the starch is suspended.

Just a thought. Let us know how it goes!!

Wendy, welcome to Block Central. You know I've thought about doing this several times but just never got around to it! I'll have to try it now.

Would you mind sharing your starch to water ratio? I use Magic Sizing right now and have never had a problem with it but making my own would certainly go a lot longer and I could add a drop of lavender essence oil to make it smell good.

Betty

Hi Betty,
I love how plain old cornstarch is working! It gets the fabric fairly stiff. You can add more or less starch if you find the original recipe is too weak/strong. I like 3 teaspoons. Here is the recipe that I used, I got it from a google search:

Spray Starch, makes 1 quart
2-3 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 quart of tap water
1/4 cup of cold water
Directions:
1. Combine all cornstarch with 1/4 cold water in a small bowl. Put it aside.
2. Put 3/4 quart of tap water to rolling boil.
3. Re-mix cornstarch in the bowl, slowing pour into pot of rolling boil water, constantly stir mixture. When you first pour the cornstarch into boiling water, the starch should immediately become transparent. After finish adding starch, continue to stir for couple more minutes. Remove from heat.
4. The starch liquid should be a clear liquid, almost water like. When cool to room temperature, transfer into a spray bottle.
5. Spray starch directly onto flat surface of fabric that needs to be iron. approximately 1-2 feet away from fabric before the surface of the hot iron touch the fabric.
6. If more starch is needed, repeat item 5.
Please note: this starch only last 1-2 days. It kept longer, it will give a sour odor.

Betty, I keep my starch in the refrig when not using it. I've had it for 4 days now and no odor. It's cheap enough that I suppose I could make 1/2 batches and not refrig it, then dispose after a day or two?
Also, there is a microwave recipe online, but it doesn't get the liquid transparent, which from my reading will cause white flakes on dark fabrics?

Thank you for the Welcome to Block Central.

quote:

Originally posted by Delia:
Wendy,

Maybe you could try an Olive Oil spray bottle like this http://www.amazon.com/Misto-Gourmet-Brushed-Aluminum-Sprayer/dp/B00004SPZV . They atomize the stuff into a pretty fine mist. Might it also be a problem with your mixture? Starches usually dissolve well only in cold liquids, so be sure to keep it cold. Also, you probably would need to mix it before every use to make sure the starch is suspended.

Delia,
Hi, have you used this spray bottle? I got one years ago and it 'spit' out the olive oil. Maybe I got a bad one? I pumped it with air several different times, once, lightly, building up to lots of pressure.