Johanna, There's starch, and then there's a wee bit of starch.
I make my greeting cards by tacking a piece of lace (tatting or bobbin lace) onto cards. These are small motifs, they are not heirloom pieces, and they will be given to people who have no clue how to treat lace, but who love the work. Many of the cards I have given have ended up framed, and some ladies who have gotten quite a few cards through the years have been put in photo albums. That said, I want the motifs to hold their shape and sit well on the card, but I also want them soft and lacey. This means that I want to use just a tiny bit of starch to help, but nowhere near cardboard texture (I don't like cardboard texture, soft or hard). Step by step: I start by laying a white towel on the ironing board. I place the motif on the towel, laying it exactly as I want it to be; if the motif doesn't want to behave, I use a few pins, but I try to keep pins at a minimum. I spray lightly with spray starch, the kind for collars and shirts, just a quick pass over the motif. Then, I put a wet pressing cloth on the motif and press with the iron a bit cooler than recommended (ex: if cotton, use the setting before cotton). I move the pressing cloth so another wet part is over the motif and press again. I turn off the iron, put away the pressing cloth, remove any pins from the motif and walk away. I never touch or move the motif when wet. When the motif has completed dried, which will take a while because the towel has to dry underneath (I usually work on the idea of overnight), I use the motif. Just a tad of spray starch will leave the motif soft and lacey but help it keep its form. I am known to do this with mat/doilies also, but then I use or give what I do, and don't consider any of it heirloom quality. Hope this helps, Lise-Aurore [EMAIL PROTECTED] - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED]
