Ironing your hand-sewn clothing is what takes your sewing from fair to fabulous. I’ve seen so many me-made garments that look poorly made due to incomplete or poor pressing. It’s truly a skill that every sewist needs in their repertoire and the right tools can make your sewing look professional.
Essential Tools:
- Iron
- This is quite obviously the most essential tool of your ironing arsenal. I recommend purchasing the best you can afford. I’ve used many different brands and I like my Rowenta better than others I’ve used. I like the weight of my iron, how quickly it heats up and how it steams. I’ve also found that some vintage irons are of similar quality.
- Ironing Board
- If you don’t have an ironing board (or the place for one), a table covered with a towel or blanket can also work.
- Spray Bottle
- It’s good to have a bottle of water nearby to soften up the fabric and get the fibers to relax. I like to fill mine with distilled water. Your iron also has this function, but I find a spray bottle to work better.
- Pressing Cloths
- Made of either muslin or silk organza, use these cloths to protect your fabric from the heat of the iron.
Ironing Accessories
- Tailor’s Ham
- Used for pressing curved seams and darts.
- Seam Roll
- Placed inside a sleeve or pant leg, it helps to press seams in hard to reach places without flattening the sleeve or pant leg.
- Tailor’s Clapper
- Presses and flattens fabric without burning or scorching and leaves a long lasting sharp crease.
- Starch
- Starch (or sizing) is used to keep clothing looking wrinkle-free.
Pressing Extras
Some of these tools are not yet in my sewing room and I don’t necessarily deem them essential to ironing, but they all help to make ironing your garments easier.
- Sleeve Board
- Useful for ironing sleeves and other hard to reach places.
- Needle Board
- Helpful for pressing fabrics with a deep raised nap like velvet, velveteen and corduroy. It has a needle-like surface that the nap falls so you can steam the fabric without crushing it.
- Point Presser
- These are sometimes included as part of a clapper. Inserted into points to press hard to reach seams.
- Seam Stick
- Presses open seams without leaving iron imprints.
- Cuff Clam
- Tool for steaming and pressing cuffs while keeping their shape.
- Pressing Mitt
- A glove with a padded surface that helps protect your hand from steam and heat while reaching into hard to reach places.
- Iron Cleaners
- It’s good to have a cleaner for both the heat plate and the water reserve container. I use natural homemade cleaners to clean mine.
- Steam Press
- Quickly steams by applying pressure and pressing a garment quickly.
Extra Tips
- I was always told to use distilled water in my iron, but the instructions for my Rowenta suggests using tap water instead. I like to add a little lemon oil to my water container.
- I use my bamboo point turner in place of a point presser.
- There are sewing patterns for pressing tools and accessories from the “Big 4”.
I use a large-gauge knitting needle like a 17 to turn points. I also use it as a nostpinne when winding center-pull balls. I think that size gets used more for non-knitting purposes than knitting ones!
I use one of those white sponges (mr Clean magic eraser, no affiliation) to clean my iron plate. I don’t scrub it, I pass it softly, carefully, the idea is to clean it, not to scratch it. After that a soft cloth and it’s ready to go! My iron has a metallic plate and has no especial coating. Also a good ironing board cover is necessary: it has to be clean with no ripples. I need one of those taylor’s clappers !!! Thanks for the post!
Add paper strips to your pressing equipment. Strips cut wider than your seam allowance (paper grocery bags are excellent) can help keep seams (or darts) from shining through on the public side of your garment. Place the strips under the seam on both sides when you press the seam open. Not all fabrics have this issue but when it does, this cures most of your woes. Silk charmuese is one such fabric.
Also a wool press cloth is a nice addition if you are pressing or blocking wool. It helps keep the wool from getting a flattened look. Again, use when needed on wools that have a loftier look.
If you do a fair amount of darts, collars and other curved items a pressing ham holder can come in handy. If you have ever had to hold the ham steady while pressing a specific curve or dart you know why you may want one. They hare difficult to find but oh so useful in cutting down frustration in making a garment.
Many more techniques but they usually are for specific fabrics.
Such a wonderful, helpful round-up, Tanya! I’m currently talking myself into a needle board. Previously, I’ve been pressing napped fabrics with a towel, but a needle board would be so efficient!
I haven’t purchased one yet, but it’s on the list!
This is great, thank you! You mention “natural homemade cleaners”… what do you use?
I use a mix of baking soda and water in a paste to clean the heat plate and vinegar to clean the steam vents. I used vinegar in my water reserve, but the smell lasts a long time. Lemon oil does the same thing, plus smells better.
Lemon oil like essential oil? Or like furniture polish? Or like the flavoring oil?
Yes, lemon essential oil.
I have always heard that it’s good to press your seams as you go and I always tried to do this. I recently did a Craftsy class with Alison Smith, and for the first time I learned that you should press each seam, on the stitches to set the stitches. She said it made them merge into the fabric, and if you feel it, before and after you can tell the difference, they are softer.
Just thought I’d share this as it gives more purpose to pressing.
Excellent tip, Alison! That is how I press, as well: along the stitches on both sides, then pressing the seam open. It makes such a huge difference in the end quality of the garment. The thread really blends beautifully, with proper pressing!
It’s been a bit of a revelation for me, who knew? Not me, now I have an extra reason to press, not just simply because I should!
I think it makes it easier to sew the next crossing seam, or pin something open – I’m getting the seam on it’s full length. I can’t sew well without pressing.
I’ve gone to the ‘as cheap as I can find’ iron, as we have an ongoing gravity problem in my home. Adding Sugru or some other moldable material that will stick (nonbake Sculpy?) to the feet of my iron to ‘widen it’s stance’ helps with that gravity issue.