NOTIONS
Below are notions that I currently carry on a regular basis. If you don't find what you are looking for, please contact me as I can generally get it from my distributor. It takes about 1 week to arrive.
Visit Creative Grids USA to see all rulers and mats available by order.
Purse & Bag Supplies
For Purse & Bag Supplies, check out my Purse & Bag Supplies page.
Rotary Cutting Tools
Other Notions
or see All Notions
AN ANALYSIS OF FABRIC TREATMENTS
Non-Aerosol Starch Alternatives
Easy Press from Acorn (Canadian) is a starch alternative that you spray on your fabric before cutting to smooth out wrinkles and add a bit of stiffness. It is designed to improve accurate cutting and helps with bias cuts and fraying.
To use: Spray it on, wait a few seconds for it to soak in a bit (can smooth out with fingers), then iron. Repeat for additional stiffness. You can also use it to flatten your block after it's made, or put it in a special pen to flatten seams. This is the same way you would use Best Press by Mary Ellen's or Magic Quilting and Crafting Spray by Faultless.
When doing my tests, I found that the amount of stiffness as follows:
Magic Quilting and Crafting Spray - 1st in stiffness & use
Acorn Easy Press - 2nd in stiffness & use
Mary Elen's Best Press - 3rd in stiffness & use
Please note, I only found a slight difference between the 3 products. Mary Ellen's does have a new product called Best Press 2 which provides slightly more stiffness than any of the 3 above, but it comes with a slightly higher cost and does not come in a gallon jug - just the 16 oz spray bottles.
My 1st choice is the Acorn Easy Press because the stiffness is great, it's Canadian (that's a big plus in my opinion), and when purchased by the jug it is the same price as the other 2. I also like their mist bottle which has to be purchased separately. Or, you can purchase a mist bottle from a beauty supply store like Sally Beauty for about $15-$20.
My 2nd choice is the Magic Quilting and Fabric Spray. I love the spray bottle that is available in the 16 oz size.
Last choice is Mary Ellen's Best Press, which is very familiar to most of you. It does the job adequately, and is a bit cheaper when buying smaller sizes. I really don't like their spray bottle though. I found it leaks and doesn't spray evenly.
My rankings are from personal observations after performing the same test on all products and I was very consistent and thorough. The tests included creating a pinwheel block on the bias, after machine washing and drying fabric squares.
Please note that I am not affected by scent, but I did use the scent-free on all products. I did not notice any scent, but someone who is sensitive might. So therefore I can't comment on whether the scent-free is truly scent-free or not. Sorry.
Aerosol Starches
Faultless Spray Starch comes in aerosol spray cans and are very reasonably priced. They come in 3 stiffnesses - Heavy, Medium and Light. The heavy is what you will find at Canadian Tire. I carry all 3 (which are not easily available) for only $5.99 per can.
Some people don't like to use aerosols, and some are wary of the sugars in a regular starch, so their use is a matter of personal preference and what you are using them for. When quilting, I like the 'light' which is an aerosol version of the Magic Crafting and Quilting Spray. It is economical, and provides a bit more stiffness than any of the starch alternatives. I like the heavy and medium for other projects, shirts & linens.
Other Fabric Treatments
Flatter is a fabric wrinkle releaser from the Soak Company (also Canadian). Use it to release stubborn wrinkles in clothing or fabrics. Spray on, allow to soak in a bit and then iron or hang to dry. I use this mainly for my clothes, but would use it on quilting fabric if I did not want to add in any stiffness and just want to get the wrinkles out. It is NOT a starch alternative.
Soak is also made by the Soak Company and is used to wash delicates. Apparently you do not need to rinse after handwashing. I haven't used it yet, but plan to purchase some for my sweaters and delicates.
