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A Pressing IssueGood pressing is actually more important than good stitching, because a myriad of problems can be rectified with steam and heat. Let the experts at Sew Inspirational guide you to Pressing success. The five basic rules of good pressing ALWAYS press as you sew. Never try to cross join without pressing and NEVER wait to the end of production to press the lot! If you press as you go you will never again have to send your finished garment to the dry-cleaners for a ‘good press’. Always test the heat on a scrap of fabric. Can you press on the wrong side without a pressing cloth? Sometimes. Can you press on the right side without a pressing cloth? Almost never. Direct contact of the iron on the fabric will often shine the fabric on the high points ie. Darts and cause seam ‘show through’. Gradually invest in great pressing equipment – a shot of steam iron, tailors ham, point presser / clapper and a pressing cloth are the basics. They will be invaluable on every sewing project. As you progress consider a steam generator iron and suction ironing board. I would rather live with a straight stitch sewing machine than give up my steam generator iron! Press lightly, but with loads of steam. If you have a wooden clapper flatten the steamed seam. The wood cools the seam under pressure and retains a crisp press. Always wait until the ironed piece cools and ‘sets’ before moving it from the board. When you are doing the weekly ironing, iron directly on the ironing board. But when you are pressing in construction pick a corresponding shape to press over. Use the ham for curves and the point presser for all corners and tricky seam edges. Expand Professional Pressing Techniquesby Cecelia Podolak, Material ThingsPressing is the one area, more than any other, that separates the truly professional looking garment from the garment with the home made look. Invest in a good iron that has some weight, and one that has variable steam as well as dry settings. The basic principle of pressing is to get moisture and heat into the fabric and then dry and cool it to prevent further wrinkling. Many sewers have a tendency to press everything with high steam and high heat which can be disastrous. It is always best to make test samples of seams and darts and experiment to find the best pressing techniqes. Make yourself as knowledgable as possible about fibres as this will help you to professionally press any fabric. Clair Shaeffer's ‘Sew Any Fabric’ is one of the best reference books available. It not only includes sewing techniques for various fabrics but how to press them. The following chart which I developed for my classes gives you a quick summary of fibers, their iron temperature, and the moisture required. Keep in mind that some fibers are hydrophobic and absorb little if any moisture and others are hydrophilic and absorb varying degress of moisture. TIP: You may want to use my chart as a quick and easy reference. I prefer to have fabrics listed according to iron temperature, going from low to high. And, I have also added low, med, or high after the iron temperatures FIBERS / IRON TEMPERATURES /STEAM SETTINGS
Note: When a fabric contains several different fibers, use the iron temperature for most heat sensitive fiber. Experiment with the steam setting. Hair Fibers (Camel, Alpaca, etc.) Use Low to Med. Heat & Dry Iron or Light Steam Microfibers Low Heat and Dry Iron Sewers have a tendency to underpress more than they overpress a garment because they are afraid of ruining the fabric. Garments are often pressed from the wrong side only. The steps for construction pressing always involve setting the stitch, under pressing from the wrong side of the fabric, and top pressing from the right side of the fabric, usually with a press cloth. Pressing a seam open from the wrong side does only half the job. Turning it over and pressing it again from the right side takes your garment into the realm of the professional. A stable ironing board with an absorbent cotton cover and padding underneath is a necessity. Preferably the pad will wick, or pull, moisture through from the upper surface helping to keep construction areas drier. There are vacuum ironing boards, simialar to those used in industry, that pull the moisture through immediately. The fabric is dried and cooled at once. Invest also in the right pressing tools to competently do the job. A tailor's ham, a seam roll and/or wooden seam stick, a wooden point presser, a wooden clapper, and a variety of press cloths are must have items for the serious sewer. Recommended Reading: Video – Fearless Pressing by Cecelia Podolak; Material Things Contact details: 211 Bay Street, Brighton VIC 3186 In North America – Material Things Pattern Collection ‘The Classics’, book and video are available through Cecelia Podolak at Material Things. Cecelia sells at all major American and Canadian sewing and craft shows or by mail order. 60-101 Parkside Drive, Port Moody, B.C. V3H 4W6. Canada. Book - Jackets for REAL People by Pati Palmer, Susan Neall and Marta Alto |