Aunt Norie’s sewing room
Though we seldom ever ‘starch’ things anymore, like we used to most cotton, a can of spray starch is very handy to have around. It’s great for removing those stubborn wrinkles and fold marks on new fabric. They can be so hard to press out, a little starch sprayed right on those wrinkles and your steam iron takes them right out. They can be such a problem when you are trying to cut new fabric.
As you do those light and quick touch-ups right from the dryer – those collars and cuffs, pocket fronts on those cool cotton shirts and blouses, etc. – just a spritz of starch perks them up, too.
I use organdy, one of our old favorites. I use it for facings, buttonhole reinforcement on sheer fabrics. It’s very strong and durable, more so than pellon, as it won’t stretch. It makes a good buttonhole base for the buttonhole stitches. Here again I grab the spray starch as I press out a scrap of organdy, (keep it rolled in a drawer), before cutting it.
This little tip from S.T., I say “why not,” never tried it myself though. If you snag or tear a new garment, just right away smooth it out and place a strip of adhesive tape on the wrong side, being careful to let the frayed edges lie very smooth. She adds, “I’ve even left the tape, if it’s cloth tape, on as in iron on mending tape, and then when I get home, stitch it in place with very small stitches, seems to last and does a neat job.”