Label your jars


according to the colour types you have stiffened to avoid cross-contamination. Keep brushes and stiffeners for light materials separate from those used on dark materials to prevent discolouration.


STARCH (POTATO, RICE, CORN, OR WHEAT FLOUR)


Starch is a carbohydrate extracted from various plants, most commonly potatoes, rice, maize (corn), and wheat. When boiled in water, starch granules swell and form a paste which dries to a thin, rigid film.


In millinery, starch pastes or solutions are used as light stiffening agents for straw, linen, and cotton hats, providing body and shape without making the material brittle. Starch stiffening is inexpensive,


easy to prepare, and non-toxic, making it a practical choice for delicate summer hats and children’s headwear.


Its main limitation is that starch is not


water-resistant: exposure to moisture can soften or remove the stiffening, which is why shellac- or resin-based stiffeners are preferred for waterproof finishes.


Letter to the technical editor of


Textile World Journal, April 1927


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