Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Spray Starch Isn't Just for Wrinkles

I like to iron.  I have some lovely linens that I starch and iron before they go on the dining room table or before I use one as a pocket hanky on a suit.  I never would have thought to use starch this way, however!  I don't think needlepointers can use this tip, but so many of us do other forms of hand work that I had to write about this Mary Corbet article on how to best trace embroidery using spray starch.
http://www.needlenthread.com/2013/07/spray-starch-embroidery-design-transfer.html

By the way, I much prefer aerosol spray starch as you can add just a little bit where you need it.  The pumps add more starch than I usually want for the first ironing.  (Yes, I normally starch my linens, then iron them, then starch again and iron a second time.  You can file that under She Is Nuts.)

UPDATE:  Beth reminded me that a good way to get a lot of wrinkles out without too much starch is to put the damp item to be starched into the refrigerator for a while, the use a hot iron.  My mother used to put her damp tablecloth into the freezer for a little while before ironing it before a party, come to think about it.  Does anyone here until forty even OWN an iron, much less linens that need ironing?

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

2 comments:

Anne Bloom said...

Jane, you are not the only nut. I iron my bed linens in addition to placemats and Of course any table cloth! I also store ironed linens in the freezer because they turn out so well when they are ironed cold. Really this is not being a nut. It is old school.

The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure said...

I don't iron sheets but I do the embroidered pillow cases. Sometimes I do placemats (we only use those with company) and always iron the table cloths. We were just very well trained in house keeping!