The transcript for this episode is on this page at the end of the show notes.

Love to Sew episodes mentioned:

• Episode 78: Interfacing 101
• Episode 164: Wool

Pressing resources:

• Article: “A Pressing Matter” by David Page Coffin on Seamwork
• Book: Threads Sewing Guide

• IGTV (Instagram) Series: Stitch Collective – Pressing Like A Pro Series 
• Blog Post: Brooks Ann Camper’s DIY Professional Ironing Table

• Article: “Four Myths Regarding Iron Water” by Emily Jansson on Nancy Zieman’s Blog
• Article: “Simple Ways to Clean Your Iron, Inside and Out” on Quilting Digest
• Youtube video: “How to Set-Up a Gravity Fed Iron” by Cleaner’s Supply
• Article: “How to Clean your Iron so It’s as Good as New” by Beth Galvin on Craftsy

Helen’s Pressing Setup:

Helen’s pressing setup with ironing board, iron rest, and utility cart with pressing supplies.

Black + Decker The Classic 1100W Iron

Inside the utility cart: Tailor’s ham, seam gauge, rulers, tailor’s sausage, point presser, glass bottle for refilling iron water, and (just barely visible on the second shelf) pressing cloths!

Caroline’s Pressing Setup:

Including padded-out ironing board, sleeve board, tailor’s ham and sausage, pressing cloth, iron, and iron rest! The little ceramic jug by the window is for refilling the water in her iron. Caroline loves her view of the garden from this window!

Recommended Irons:

• Black + Decker The Classic 1100W Iron – Helen and Caroline’s Favourite

• T-FAL Ultraglide Steam Iron – Helen uses these for workshops

• Oliso Smart Iron – The most recommended brand from Love to Sew listeners 

• Oliso Mini Project Iron
• Rowenta – The second-most recommended brand from Love to Sew Listeners
  • Eco Intelligent

• • • Rowenta Steamforce
    • Rowenta Focus
• Also recommended: buying an iron secondhand and cleaning it well!

Ironing Tools: 

• Tailor’s Ham

• Tailor’s Sausage (Sleeve Roll)

• DIY: “How to Make Tailor’s Hams and Sausages” by Kristiann Boos on Tilly and the Buttons’s Blog

• Press Cloths – Buy or DIY by pinking silk organza, cotton, or wool!

• DIY Dauber: “Make Your Own Tailor’s Pressing Tool” video by Threads Magazine
• Ironing Pad/Mat

• Jall Tabletop Ironing Board by IKEA

• Sleeve Board

• Needle Board  (Alternative: Fluffy Towel!)

• Steam Press Tabletop

• Seam Gauge

• Rulers/Gauges you can press on: Clover 7806 Hot Hemmer and Dritz 617 Ezy-Hem Gauge
• Tailor’s Clapper

• Point Presser

• Bias Tape Maker

• Clover Hold-It Precision Stiletto
• Dritz Thermal Thimbles

• Prym Finger Guards
• Raskog Utility Cart by IKEA – Where Helen stores her ironing supplies

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Follow Caroline! Shop: Blackbird Fabrics, Instagram: @blackbirdfabrics

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Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Hello, Love to Sew listener. We’re currently in our podcast off season. So we’re taking a little break from recording right now.

Hello and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: And I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Helen: Join us for today’s topic: pressing.

Caroline: Hi, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you today?

Helen: I’m doing well. Actually, I have a pressing issue I want to discuss with you.

Caroline: I love talking about pressing matters with you.

Helen: And our listeners, too. This episode was a beast to prep for, I have to say. It was a lot of information. Who knew there was so much to say about pressing? Not ironing, pressing.

Caroline: More on that later. Yeah. No, it was a fun one to prep for because it made me reflect on my own pressing and ironing and all of it, anything to do with using heat in sewing. It made me think about that and how I approach it and how I can make little tweaks to, maybe, have better results in the end. So I’m excited to talk more about it with you today.

Helen: Yes, pressing is such an important part of the sewing process, and it can make a really big difference to the finished garment. If you’ve ever struggled to get your handmades to look polished, ironing and pressing during and after the sewing process can help you to achieve that professional look that you might be looking for.

Caroline: Yeah, and there are lots of tools, techniques, and tips when it comes to pressing. We have so much information, and we’re so excited to share it with you today. So I think we should just jump right in and, maybe, first, Helen, tell me about your pressing experience. Do you have anything you want to share when it comes to pressing before we get into the episode?

Helen: Well, I’m one of those sewists that really does love to press. I find it soothing and satisfying. I also like ironing my clothes, um, just flattening things out with the iron I think is a lot of fun, and it gives me a bit of a break from my machine, too, which I have come to really appreciate. I like to set my iron up a little bit far away from my machine, so I stand up and I walk over there and I press and I get to move around my sewing space a bit more that way and stay warm. Sometimes if I sit at my machine for a long time my hands and feet start to get cold. So just keeps the blood flowing, you know?

And I haven’t had too many major pressing mishaps. I definitely overheated my iron and scalded some of my fabrics before which is always really sad when they get, kind of, shiny or you get those iron imprints on the fabric, but thankfully, I’ve never burnt a hole in my project. No shade, Caroline. And I’ve also never burnt myself too badly, but I have had my fair share of, you know, minor iron burns on my arms and hands and that’s, kind of, a, kind of, the part of the process unfortunately.

Caroline: Uh, yeah, I definitely have some burns on my arms and hands, and I’ve also dropped my iron more times than I’d like to admit. I have a lot of, like, dents in my floor from my iron, just, like, hot iron flying through the air, and I’m like, ah! Step out of the way and then the iron, like, bounces on the ground, and somehow it’s still working.

Helen: Oh my goodness. Yeah, you know what? The other day knocked mine off my board, and I had this magical moment where it was falling and I went and I reached for it and snatched the handle like out of midair. I felt like I was in, like, a superhero movie or something. It was so awesome. And you probably shouldn’t reach for your iron when it’s falling because it’s dangerous, but it was an instantly ref-, it was, like, an instant reflex, and I nailed it.

Caroline: That’s your superpowers: iron snatching.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Oh my goodness. But I also love ironing tools. And I know we’re going to talk a lot about tools. But I wanted to say that my favorite tool is my tailor’s ham because it’s so handy, and it’s so cute.

Caroline: It is very cute. I love my tailor’s ham, too. Interesting that you say that you love having your ironing board far away from your sewing machine so that you can take a walk which I definitely see the value in that. Personally, I love having a setup where I can actually wheel my chair over to my ironing board during the sewing process. So I actually like having my iron right near my sewing machine so I can, can just, sort of, spin around on my wheelie chair and just do my ironing and then spin back to my sewing machine.

And I, that, so that’s, like, my setup is, like, a big part of it, what of, what I love about ironing and, kind of, like, making sure that everything is right there. All my tools are ready to go, and I definitely have told the story before on the show where I melted a hole in my blouse in the final stage. This is a while ago. I want to say it was almost 10 years ago. So I’m over it. I’m telling you. I’m over it now. But it was a poly satin which is really easy to ruin with high heat. Like, a poly satin, if you just go over the edge of, like, it’s, sort of, heat threshold, you will melt a hole in it. I haven’t had any major drama since then but I do occasionally have that shiny fabric situation if I use too high of heat which is always a huge bummer.

What else about pressing do I want to share? I love my extra padded ironing board, and it actually has a dock on the end for my iron which I really like that set up, the, the ironing boards that have that little metal piece on the edge where you can set your iron down, so it doesn’t take up that precious real estate. But I added, like, an extra layer of batting to my ironing board which I think really helps to not have those, like, marks on your fabric as you’re pressing.

Also love my ham. Love my sleeve roll. Love my press cloth. Love having my tools nearby.

Helen: You have all the pressing tools.

Caroline: But I definitely learned the value of pressing in fashion school. I did not press early in my sewing journey, but now I always press as I go because I think it does make a really big difference in the finished garment and the look of the finished garment. So we’ll talk more about that today.

Helen: Yes, let’s get into the basics for any of our newbies out there who are wondering, what is the difference between ironing and pressing? So ironing is a back and forth motion that’s usually used to remove wrinkles from the fabric. So you might iron a sheet or a tablecloth or something, you know, to get those wrinkles out, and it does smooth it out and stretches the fabric slightly, getting rid of those wrinkles.

And pressing is an up-and-down movement, so putting your iron down to press down, picking it up, moving it over, going to the next spot which prevents any stretching and warping of the fabric, which as you can imagine you would not want during your sewing process, cause we’re dealing with these cut out pieces that are kind of delicate, and they have areas cut on curves in a bias, and they can get stretched out and warped, so we don’t really want to be messing with it too much. We want to pick up and press.

Caroline: Such a good point and past guest, David Paige Coffin, wrote a Seamwork article where he recommends that you explore pressing in different ways. So this helps to provide an understanding of how the fabric changes shape and becomes distorted depending on the amount of pressure you use, the direction and movement you can manage with your iron, and heat resiliency. So fabric can really, kind of, change and perform in different ways when you’re pressing it and ironing it. So he recommends taking some swatches of fabric that you often work with and do some testing to actually witness the changes that happen when you’re dragging your iron across the fabric.

Helen: I love this idea. It’s so helpful sometimes to do those tests and actually see it for yourself. And it also proves how much pressing can help us to shape fabric in our garments. It’s amazing how much you can mold the fabric with pressing to get fabric to sit in an intended way like across a bust, or in tailoring for blazers, they often use pressing to actually shape the garment. And garments that are unpressed during the construction process tend to look more wrinkled and the seams tend to have a bit of a wavy or bumpy look so if you’re noticing that maybe you need to do a little bit more pressing during your sewing.

Caroline: Yeah, also I always think to knit neck bands when I think about the power of pressing because it’s amazing what a difference a little bit of steam and heat will make to a neck band on a knit garment looking really beautiful and flat and almost, like, molded to the shape of the neckline. When you look at it before and after pressing, it can be so different. And that is the power of pressing and, kind of, understanding your iron as a really valuable tool in your sewing room that you can use to make your garments look more professional.

Helen: Definitely and because we spend a lot of time pressing, as sewists, and pressing can be physically demanding, you want to make sure that your pressing setup works best for you. So for some of us this might mean setting up an ironing pad or mat right next to the sewing machine so that you don’t have to move to an ironing board, or use Caroline’s method where you use a rolling chair or rotating chair, so you can easily just turn around or roll over to your ironing board, and then you’re good to go.

Caroline: Yeah, and on the contrary some of us, like Helen, may prefer getting up from a ergonomics standpoint and simply changing positions. It can be good to, kind of, stretch out your back. So ironing board height is important. It’s an important thing to consider as well. So you can try a few different heights if your ironing board is adjustable. And once you find your preferred height, you can even mark it on your ironing board leg, so you can always have that setting. If your ironing board isn’t always set up, when you do set it up, you’ll know exactly where to put it. And if you can’t adjust your ironing board, maybe you could stand on a little step-up or put your board on a little platform or step-up to help you to get it to that height.

Helen: I love this idea. It can make such a big difference on the back.

Caroline: Yeah. I want, like, a sewing ergonomics chart or something to help me to figure out, like, exactly what level everything should be at.

Helen: Right? How far you should be sitting from your machine or where your, uh, presser foot should be, but of course, it’s different for everyone because we’re all different, right?

Caroline: Totally true.

Helen: Yeah, some of us might have a whole ironing station set up. So if you have a larger studio at your disposal, you can keep your ironing tools nearby, too. Maybe you have an even larger ironing surface that you’re using or whole ironing table and the important point here is just to think about how you can make your pressing setup work for you no matter what your studio size is and no matter what your needs are.

Caroline: Yeah, make it work for you. Okay, let’s talk about when to press. Obviously, you want to press your fabric prior to cutting. I think that’s our first thing that we need to press in the sewing process and not pressing your fabric can possibly result in inaccurate cutting. We want to avoid this because it could affect the overall finished garment. So, for example, if your fabric when you wash it, kind of, crinkles up a little bit, you definitely want to iron that out before you sew it if you think that you’re going to be ironing your finished garment, and you want that fabric to have you know a flat texture. Sometimes you might not iron it if you want to keep that, kind of, like, crinkly bit, but that’s, that’s another story, another topic.

Helen: You can also press your pattern pieces, too, to help them lay flat, as well, and that also improves the chances that you’re going to cut your pieces out accurately so you can iron on the paper an-, or the tissue paper if you’re using a tissue pattern. You just want to do this with a low heat, no steam. We’re not trying to wet the pattern here.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And if there’s any tape used on the pattern pieces, if you use the print at home pattern, press from the back side where there’s no tape, so you’re not melting the tape as you go. So just be cautious, but I love giving my pattern pieces a good press before I get started because then they don’t roll or fold up or anything. It’s great.

Caroline: Low steam is actually, or no steam, is actually really important because I’ve actually seen paper shrink if you use steam, so you have to be careful when you’re ironing to use that low heat just enough to iron out the wrinkles because if you use too high heat, your paper can actually shrink down a little bit.

Helen: Ooh, okay. I have not noticed that, but that’s a good tip. And you mentioned pressing your fabric before you cut it out, and I have to say that I almost never do this. I like to put my fabric in the dryer and then immediately use it if I can, so take it right out so that way you’re minimizing the amount of wrinkles that might appear because you’re taking it out of the dryer when it’s still hot and putting it out on the cutting table and, like, you’re good to go. So obviously, if there’s a lot of wrinkles or if there’s an area that I need to cut a piece out on and it’s all wrinkly, I will press it. But I do try to avoid this at all costs because I find pressing a large piece of fabric just difficult and, and annoying. So…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …I will often just try and do some, like, creative cutting so that I’m not cutting, you know, close to the selvedge where it’s really wrinkly.

Caroline: I definitely have noticed that about your sewing practice that you don’t often… I’m
laughing cause you have this, like, magical method of, like, you always take your fabric out of your dryer, like, really quickly so that it’s not wrinkly, and I’ve seen this happen, and I am not capable of taking my fabric out of the dryer in a timely manner. Like, I just…

Helen: It’s called a phone alert.

Caroline: …because I definitely will, like, leave it in there for a day and then take it out, and it’s just, like, a big crumpled mess, and it, there is no chance of me cutting into that fabric without ironing it, but I understand the appeal of of trying to figure out how to avoid ironing because it is a bit of a pain when you’re ironing, you know, three, four meters of fabric. And…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …the full width doesn’t fit on your ironing board. So it really does take a while to get through the whole yardage.

Helen: It does. It might not be possible for some people, so I’m just here to say that it’s okay…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: …not to do it, but I also have another tip about the dryer which is it can get really twisted up especially if you’re washing a long yardage, so what I like to do is fluff it before I put it in the dryer. And then also I’ll check the dryer every 20 minutes or so and flu-, re-fluff it because it gets twisted, right? It gets all twisted up in there, and sometimes if you have multiple pieces of fabric, they get tied in knots and stuff. It’s, it can be a lot, so checking every once in a while to make sure that it’s not getting like that will improve the chance that it’s not wrinkly, as well.

Caroline: I love this. You have, like, a high commitment to your, like, drying process so that you can have a low commitment to your ironing process.

Helen: Right? It’s true. You got to put the effort in somewhere else.

Caroline: Yeah, I mean I do press most of my fabric yardage before I cut out, especially I find, like, cottons, linens, and rayons because I forgot them in the dryer are, you know, it’s really hard to get away with not pressing, but I can usually get away with not pressing with knit fabrics, especially if I, kind of, fold them up or sort of prep them ready to cut, like, right out of the dryer. Usually, they’ll just, sort of, like, settle, and I won’t have to iron my knits which is always a treat.

Helen: Yes. This is true. Okay, so getting back to the sewing part of things. Pattern instructions will often indicate to press a seam after sewing it. Some pattern instructions don’t tell you this, so you do, kind of, have to guess as you go along, but lots of patterns nowadays will tell you when to press, and they will also tell you whether to press the seam open or to one side.

And this is important to follow because how you press the seam can affect the bulk in the project or the seam and how it looks on the outside of the garment. So the designer’s probably taken this into account and planned if you’re going to press this seam one way then the connecting seam’s going to be pressed the other way. So paying attention to those little details can really pay off.

Caroline: Yeah, like, for example, a curved seam may look better when it’s pressed to one side versus a flat seam looks better often when it’s pressed open because you’re, kind of, redistributing that bulk behind the seams, but you also may want to use your iron differently. Again, making that iron work for you, really using it as a tool in your sewing room depending on the type of seam that you’re pressing.

So for flat seams, you can use the full soleplate of your iron. When you’re pressing and for curved seams, you might want to use the tip or the side of your iron to maneuver around those curves. And this is also an area where that tailor’s ham that we love so much really comes in handy to give yourself almost, like, a smaller surface to press on, and it just makes it a little bit easier to get into those tricky areas around curves.

Helen: Yes, definitely and one area where you’ll often press, especially as a beginner getting into garment sewing, is a dart perhaps, so we want to press darts after they’ve been sewn to get them to line nice and flat. And to press a dart you want to press to, but not beyond, the dart point. And I’ll be honest, I had never read this tip before, and I often press way beyond the dart point, especially if I’m laying it over my tailor’s ham to get that curved area. And I haven’t experienced any issues with that, but apparently you’re not supposed to go beyond the dart point. Did you know that, Caroline?

Caroline: Uh, I can’t say that I knew that specifically, no. I don’t think that I press beyond the dart point anyway, but it does make sense, I guess, right? Because it’ll just not sit as the dart intended if you’re pressing too far beyond it. That being said, Helen, I mean the garments that you sew are beautiful. And so…

Helen: Thank you.

Caroline: …I really think little things like this, like, little rules like this bother me a little bit because it’s, like, everyone is, if you get there in the end, does it really matter? Whether you press beyond the dart point or not?

Helen: No, I think it only is something to think about if you are unhappy with the way that it looks in the end. Maybe you got some, like, bagged out, kind of, areas around the nipples which is not really what we’re looking for with a bust dart, especially, so in that case if you’re experiencing, like, warping a fabric around there, maybe just try not pressing beyond that dart point.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: And pattern instructions might indicate the direction to press the dart as well. Typically, like, horizontal darts are pressed down, and vertical darts are often pressed towards the center back or center front. That’s from the Threads Sewing Guide Book, but you may encounter darts that are also cut open and pressed open, especially if you’re using a bulky, like, wool fabric. And in tailoring, sometimes adding padding opposite the dart to balance that bulk so you might actually add some padding on the other side of the dart so that again, over the bust, it isn’t, like, a super bumpy area where it’s, you can really tell that there’s a dart there.

Caroline: Mhm That’s a really, really good point. And then pressing after, uh, turning a piece right side out helps the piece to lie flat so that’s an important step I think. And then pressing also comes up, of course, when we’re hemming, so this includes pressing your hem prior to sewing and also after hemming, so I think there’s value in both of those. You have a cool technique that you’re using now where you, kind of, like, pre-press your hem even before sewing the side seams or, like, the sleeve seam, right?

Helen: Yeah. I’m obsessed with pre-pressing. I’ve been putting it in all of our pattern instructions now because I think it does make such a big difference in so many areas of sewing where it’s easier to press, say a sleeve hem, when it’s flat before it’s even sewn onto the garment. It’s just the sleeve pattern piece, and then you can go ahead and you can make that nice clean press along the bottom, both the lines if you’re doing a double fold, and then you just unfold it, and you go about your sewing, and when that sleeve is finally sewn and it’s a long tube you already have those press lines, so you just, kind of, flipping them up, and they’re good to go. And you can repress if needed, but a lot of the time it’s just ready to go and ready to sew, so I find doing that extra little bit up front just makes it, makes you so happy when you get to that point, and it’s all done.

Caroline: Oh, yeah, I can totally see the value in that, and then you have it’s so much easier to work with the fabric when it’s flat, right? So…

Helen: Exactly.

Caroline: Makes so much sense.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. I think we should touch on different pressing techniques and, like, principles to, sort of, keep in mind throughout sewing practice. So the first one would be that you want to ensure that you’re choosing the correct iron temperature for your fabric, and this is so important because for some fabrics you can actually scorch them, and it really does change the look of the fabric. And if you’re working with a fabric that maybe you spent a lot of money on or that’s really special to you for some reason, it’s so important to think about this before you, like, dive in with the iron because, you know, it can ruin your fabric if you use too high heat on a fabric.

So test on a swatch before you dive into your project. Even Google that fabric plus pressing to, kind of, understand what tools you might need to have on hand or what iron temperature to use with that particular fabric. Sometimes there is a suggested iron temperature that’s, like, included in the fabric details when you purchase it or maybe on the hang tag if the fabric store provides that. That is usually found within the care instruction, so after the washing instructions, there will be ironing instructions as well.

Helen: Yes, and what are you looking for when you’re testing if you do decide to do a swatch? What is it that you’re actually looking to see?

Caroline: So you want a temperature that allows you to fold and press the fabric. So you want the fabric to be able to hold that crease line but not so hot that it scalds or scorches the fiber. So you can look for shiny spots or iron imprints. If your iron is too hot, you can even melt your fabric. This is especially with synthetic fibers like polyester. If you’re using too high heat, the fibers will actually melt because poly is, you know, at the core of it, it’s plastic, so it will melt.

And with napped fabric, you also want to make sure that you’re not crushing them. So, like, a velvet or corduroy, if you iron it with too high heat or too much force, you can actually crush those fiber piles, and it really does change the look of the fabric. Not all fabrics are, like, a good time to press. I’d say polyester can be a little bit frustrating because it does need that really low heat. Often, it doesn’t want to hold a press, so that’s why we love working with natural fibers because they’re just satisfying to sew with and press. They, like, hold that crisp line that you need, but I would say you want to go as hot as you need to to be able to have your fabric do what you need it to do, like hold a press but not so hot that, you know, you’re just, like, burning the, the bleep out of it, you know?

Helen: Yeah, I totally agree, and I think that doing a test is really good or at least starting your ironing on the wrong side of the fabric just in case, and I often will try and iron always on the wrong side as much as I can because that’s the side that’s not going to be seen. So if you do happen to get, like, a shiny spot or your iron gets a little hotter than you intended, hopefully, it’s not in a visible area. So it is important to test, and it’s important to find that right temperature. And err on the side of caution here, I would say.

Caroline: Yes, definitely.

Helen: Okay, let’s talk about a pressing technique that can be easily overlooked, but it is important, and this is pressing after a seam has been sewn. And I’m not talking about pressing to one side or pressing open, actually talking about just pressing the seam the same way that you put it through the machine, taking that to your ironing board and just pressing on it. And this is called setting the seam or setting the stitches, and it’s simply pressing the seam that was just sewn which helps to set the stitches into the fabric, making it easier when you later press your seams open or to one side or however you end up pressing them, so setting those stitches. Now, Caroline, do you do this?

Caroline: I definitely do not do this, but I could totally see how this would help. And I’m thinking specifically of, you know, when you sew a seam and sometimes, like, no matter how good your tension is, no matter how well-behaved your sewing machine is being, sometimes you just get, like, a little bit of waviness in the seam or a little bit of pulling almost where seems like the tension is maybe a little bit too tight and setting that seam before you press it open or do anything else, I think will help to have your fabric just, like, lay beautifully and flat.
And it’s, like, this extra step that’s just going to give you a little bit more of a professional finish. That being said, I don’t do it. Do you do it, Helen?

Helen: I don’t do it. But after prepping for this, I really want to try this because again, as I said, I love pressing, so this is just another opportunity to do more of it, and I’m interested to see if I notice a difference. Like you said, maybe it will actually be a game changer for me.

Caroline: Yeah. No. I, I, this is one of those do as we say not as we do situations.

Helen: We want to give you the information that you need to make your own decisions

Caroline: Yes. It is very cool, and I love learning these little things that you can, kind of, work into your sewing practice to just take your sewing up a notch. So I think this is a cool tip.

Helen: Yeah, there’s also something called finger pressing. Have you ever finger pressed, Caroline?

Caroline: Yes. I’ve definitely finger pressed. I find finger pressing really useful in shirt making when you’re, kind of, there’s a lot of fiddly bits. There’s a lot of little areas where you just need to get something to lay flat before you go to the next step, and going over to your iron might seem like a slog, and, you know, things like cotton that you work with when you’re shirt making can, can be finger pressed quite easily.

So let’s talk about what that is. This is when you maneuver your fingers to separate the layers at the seamline, so it can actually work really well, especially if you can use like a nail along that seamline, but I also just find that, like, the heat of your hand is enough, if you rub it, if you rub your finger across the fabric to heat it up, just enough to make your fabric, kind of, lay flat. It’s definitely not as powerful as using an iron, but it can definitely do the trick in some instances.

Helen: Yeah. I’ve been seeing it a lot in quilting because I’ve been watching more quilting YouTube videos and things, and it seems like finger pressing is really common with quilting. It works very well with cotton, and you’re using a lot of small pieces, or you just want to get that thing pressed so you can sew the next piece on. So I think it’s a really good tool for when you want to sew a small area or if you’re working with a cotton or maybe you’re sewing two intersecting seams before going to your iron just so you have to get up and move around less. Or maybe even three intersecting seams, you can just finger press one, sew the next one, and then you can go to your iron and give it all a good press after.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Yeah. Okay. So I have another random pressing tip for you that you might not know about.

Caroline: Please share, Helen.

Helen: Did you know that you also want to pay attention to how you angle your iron when you’re pressing? So, you can avoid tucks and pleats in the fabric by matching the grain with the direction of your iron. So, for example, a bias seam should be pressed with a 45 degree angle on the iron to prevent distortion, and I thought this was really interesting because when you’re thinking about, like, a bias bound neckline and sometimes when you’re pressing that you see all of these, like, diagonal lines forming, sometimes we call that, like, roping or just, like, little tucks and pleats can start to form. Maybe just angling the iron would make a difference there, you know, and I’ve never tried this. So again, I will be working this one into my sewing, but I like the idea of paying attention to that. Or when you’re hemming, holding the iron in line with the grain of the fabric.

Caroline: This makes so much sense.

Helen: Very cool.

Caroline: Yeah. Great tip, Helen.

Helen: Oh, thanks. I made it up myself. I’m just kidding.

Caroline: Okay, as we mentioned earlier, some patterns may indicate when to press a seam open or when to press a seam to the side. So we press seams open when we want to evenly distribute the added bulk from the seam allowance. So this creates some symmetry around the seamline. This simply looks like opening up the seam allowance on the wrong side and pressing it open to both sides. And in this case, you may want to finish each edge of the fabric before you sew it cause it can be tricky to get in there with your zig zag stitch or your overlocker when it’s pressed open and make sure that you’re, like, not, kind of, catching anything underneath. Pressing to the side is just as it sounds. So this involves pressing the seam allowance to the right or left side on the wrong side of the fabric, and when you’re using this pressing technique, you can finish the seam allowance after you sew it. So…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: …something to keep in mind when, if your pattern instructions don’t tell you when to finish the seams you can, kind of, keep that in mind.

Helen: Exactly, and I think we need to talk about steam as well because steam is a huge part of pressing and ironing. So when do we want to use steam and how do we want to use the steam?

Caroline: Okay. So steam allows us to add moisture in the pressing process which is gonna help us to shape the fabric, and this moisture is commonly added through steam irons. I think a lot of us have those irons that, kind of, create their own steam. But sometimes you can also add that moisture yourself so you have a bit more control, and this can be with a spray bottle or something called a dauber.

Helen: A dauber.

Caroline: So a dauber is a tightly rolled up small piece of woolen fabric that’s often secured by some sort of, of band, like an elastic band, and it’s actually dipped in water and dabbed on to a seam which is then pressed with a dry iron. Whoa.

Helen: Cool. Again, this is from the Threads Sewing Guide. Thank you Threads. I’ve never used a dauber, but it makes sense because it can make a huge difference to actually wet the fabric before you press it, and that does depend on the fabric, so again, always do your research on your testing before you start spraying water everywhere.

Caroline: Definitely, and it’s important that your iron is fully heated before you’re applying steam. So if you’re using that steam function in your iron, sometimes if you don’t wait for it to be heated up, you might get water drips which could damage your fabric. And steam can also be used when you’re pressing to help manipulate the shape of a garment, so it helps to make pressing easier and to achieve that, kind of, smooth result that we’re going for.

Helen: Yes, and I’m thinking how much steam should we be using? Because I think it really depends on the application and the fabric, so it’s hard to give our listeners a hard and fast rule here. I think as sewists we love steam. It’s so satisfying often when you’re pressing. It feels like if the steam is on, everything’s going smoothly, and it’s, like, really getting the job done. So maybe we actually over use steam in some cases just because it is so much fun. I know I do, but you can choose not to use it, too, and that can really work to your advantage. For example, when you’re getting in close to the iron with your fingers, turning off the steam really helps because you do not want that hot steam, like, exploding out from under the sole plate and hitting your fingers.

Caroline: Yeah, our hands do not need a facial.

Helen: No, and it’s important that the fabric is completely dry and free of steam before moving it which leads us to a very important point in the pressing process which is after you press, don’t forget to let it cool down. It’s so easy to want to pick up your fabric and move on to the next step, rush back to your machine, but this can cause unintended distortion of the fabric. Again, these pieces are delicate. They have areas that can stretch and warp. So letting everything cool down, taking the time to just let it settle, that is the finalizing part of that pressing step. So, let everything cool down. Let it settle in, and that will finalize that pressing step before you move on.

Caroline: Yeah, great tip. Okay, let’s talk about pressing tools.

Helen: Ooh.

Caroline: I think there are some really fun tools that you can have in your sewing room for pressing and some of them are more of an investment, definitely not all of them are needed, but we’ll go through some options today for everyone. Certain items can be picked up along the way in your sewing journey. So if you’re new to sewing don’t feel like you need to go out and buy all of these things right away, and there’s definitely also some cost-efficient hacks that you can use for some of these tools which we’re going to talk about as well. But starting out, you’re, of course, going to need an iron and some sort of ironing board or surface.

Helen: Yes. So let’s talk irons. A good iron is going to help provide you with ideal press, and it’s actually one of the tools we get asked about the most, and not only just on the podcast, but at Helen’s Closet, we get asked about irons a lot because I share in my tutorials using the Black & Decker Classic 1100 watt iron, and it’s such a great iron. I really like it. Caroline, you recommended it to me, and it’s an affordable option. It’s nice and heavy. It has a classic look to it. So I think it’s a really great option. We’ll definitely link it in the show notes.

I do wish it had a steam button, like, you can’t push a button and have steam explode out of it, like, my old iron had that, and it was really satisfying. This one is, like, the steam’s either on or off, and depending on how hot you put it, it might make steam or not. So you don’t have quite as much control over the steam, but I’ve, kind of, gotten used to that now.

Caroline: Yeah, I agree. That’s definitely one of the drawbacks from this Black & Decker iron and what I love so much about it is how heavy it is. It reminds me of a gravity feed iron, both in the way that it looks, but also just in the weight of it, which I really like a heavy iron when I’m working on sewing projects. It just makes me feel like I have more control. It makes me feel stronger. But I agree about the steam button, I think that would be really useful.

I have that iron in my sewing room. We also have used T-fal irons for workshops in the past. I think they’re, like, a really affordable option that can be pretty reliable. Costco has some really good T-fal options. We’ll link some in the show notes, but those are our favorites pretty much, right?

Helen: Yeah, I would recommend that Black & Decker one for sure, especially for new sewists because it is, I think it’s, like, 40 or 50 bucks, which is a pretty good price for an iron, especially one like that that I think will last you a while. And it does have an auto shut off which I know is a bit of a controversial opinion when it comes to irons because, of course, when you’re in the middle of your sewing project, the last thing you want is to go over to your ironing board and find that your iron has turned off because you hadn’t been there in a while and then you have to wait for it to heat up again, but I think for safety purposes, and for me personally, as I’m bad at remembering to turn these kind of things off, like hair curlers and stuff like that, too, the auto shutoff is an important thing for me.

Caroline: Yeah, I agree. It’s good for me, too. I would not want to forget my iron on, so I, I’m a fan of the auto shut-off. But we also asked on Instagram what iron our listeners use, and we wanted to round up some of the results of that. So Oliso was the most popular brand. They have one standard iron option currently, which is the Oliso Smart Iron. It’s approximately $150 U.S. They also have a mini iron, which is about fifty dollars, and some of you wrote in and said that you really like the mini irons just because they’re a great space saver.

Helen: Mhm. And Rowenta was another really popular brand mentioned. As a brand, Rowenta has several different kinds of irons. The most popular Rowenta irons were the Eco Intelligent, the Rowenta Steamforce, and the Rowenta Focus. Loves the names.

Caroline: And quite a few of you mentioned that you had a cheaper iron picked up from a thrift store or stores like Wal-Mart. This can totally get the job done. Do what works for you and your budget. I’ve actually found some pretty nice irons at thrift stores. I scored a Rowenta, like, 10 years ago at a Value Village, and it served me for a good number of years. So keep your eye out for those, like, kind of, fancier irons at the thrift store, so you can save a little bit.

Helen: Yes, and do clean them if you’re buying used irons and you don’t know where they came from. Because people use irons for, like, melting wax onto their snowboard and stuff like that so, you know…

Caroline: Good point.

Helen: …you don’t know where that iron’s been. A number of you also recommended gravity feed irons which are really cool. And if you don’t know, gravity fed irons have a water tank that’s a separate unit, and that’s often hung above the ironing surface or, you know, the iron has a really long cord that, kind of, goes up and then down. So essentially the water is gravity fed down into the iron, and a huge pro of having a gravity feed iron is that you don’t have to regularly refill the water tank because it’s so much larger than what would be inside your standard iron. These irons also get really hot. There what’s used most commonly in the fashion production industry. So, yeah, it’s, I guess it’s more of an industrial approach to your ironing which is pretty badass.

Caroline: Ooh, I want to mention a tip that I read, I believe it was in that Seamwork article by David Page Coffin, where he recommended putting a hook on your ceiling even if you’re just using a regular iron, just to hook the cord out of the way so that you’re not always, like, tripping on it. And this is an issue that I have all the time where I’m like, my iron’s attached to an extension cord, and then there’s just, like, so much happening, and then it gets caught in the fabric. So I definitely want to try that because I feel like it would really, kind of, up my sewing setup.

Helen: That would be cool. If you have, like, a really high ceiling you could also just put a hook, like, on a wall depending on where you’re situated, right? Make it work.

Caroline: Mhm. Okay, and then finally, there are also steam press tabletops. So, these are much larger, and they, kind of, operate like a grill press where you slide the fabric inside and push down the handle to press. They are really handy for bulk fusing interfacing. These can cover a large surface area, but we think it’s important to have, like, an iron that you can really use the tip of and, kind of, use it as a tool that works for you. So, I think that the steam press tabletops can be cool for certain applications but really, like, getting in, you can’t, like, you know, press a dart on a steam press table top. So I think having an iron…

Helen: It would be challenging.

Caroline: …is also important.

Helen: Yeah, for sure.

Caroline: They’re a cool tool.

Helen: Very cool. I think I’m, there might be one of those in my future one day if I have an even bigger studio.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: We’ll see. Okay. Now that we’ve discussed irons, the next important component is an ironing board or surface. So the classic ironing board table is something we can all easily recognize, and you can get them, you know, at Costco, IKEA, Walmart. You can get them used. I found one in a back alley once, and I’m still using it, so, you know, they’re everywhere.

Caroline: I love that. One man’s trash…

Helen: Right?

Caroline: …is another woman’s treasure.

Helen: It was a metal ironing board, you know, so, like, they don’t really go bad.

Caroline: Yeah, they are very, I mean re-padding and recovering a board is easier than you might think, so it’s totally worth it if you, you know, see something in a back alley that looks like it could be useful. You never know.

Helen: And looks like it’s free. Don’t just go taking stuff.

Caroline: I mean if it’s in a back alley, I think it’s fair game.

Helen: That’s how I view things. Okay, and you mentioned the good cover which I think is a great tip. So if yours is thin, or maybe it’s a little dirty, a little old, consider cleaning it or replacing it. You can always sew your own ironing board cover, too. You don’t have to pad the cover when you sew it. You can just sew, like, a cotton cover and then buy it some padding to go underneath it, or you can also work the padding into the cover when you make it, it’s up to you.

You can put multiple layers in there, too. Like, if you buy a, kind of, cheap ironing board from Walmart, and you notice that, like, when you, kind of, push on it, you can feel all the bumps underneath. You can feel that, like, metal grate underneath, that’s not great. So you actually want to have, like, enough padding in there so that you’re not feeling all those bumps, and they’re not going to show up on your project. So you can just buy a cheap ironing board pad and put that underneath and just layer those until you feel like you’ve got a good surface.

Caroline: Yeah, you can buy, like, specific pads for ironing boards. You can also just use quilt batting. That’s what I’ve done, and I just have a piece in my stash, and I, kind of, cut it to size as needed. I also wanted to mention, regarding ironing boards, for the longest time I just used one of those little IKEA table top ones when I was sewing in a really small space.

I think those are super handy, like, you can even put it next to your sewing machine or on your cutting table, and it’s really easy. It even has a hook attached to it that you can, like, hang it on a wall afterwards. So having something small that, you know, kind of, worked for your space can totally work for your sewing practice. I don’t think you have to have, like, a huge elaborate ironing board set up to get a good result. So those like little mini ones work great, too.

Helen: Yes, they can be super handy, and I love this idea of customizing your ironing board by making your own cover. So, use a fabric such as, like, a cotton canvas or linen or hemp or quilting cotton can be great option for ironing board cover. Um, you want the fabric to have some texture to it to provide a little bit of resistance. So you don’t want something, like, slippy, and you don’t something polyester because we want it to be able to take that super high heat. So if you’re using quilt batting make sure it’s wool or cotton quilt batting. But get creative, and there’s lots of blog posts out there that will walk you through making an ironing board cover if you want to do that.

Caroline: Definitely. Okay, so alternative to an ironing board are hand built pressing tables or ironing mats. These are so cool. Brooks Ann Camper has a dreamy pressing table setup which is similar to her hand built cutting table but with batting and cotton canvas on top, so we’re going to link this in the show notes. It’s so, so good.

But for those of us that are limited on space an ironing mat or mini ironing board, like I mentioned, could be a good option. You can purchase these online or you can make your own, and these are really great because after sewing, you can simply fold them up and put them away. I’ve seen some really cool, kind of, custom setups like this where, either using, like, a little kitchen island that you then cover with batting and canvas or even just, like, a board and that you then cover with batting canvas and then you can, kind of, stow it away under your table or, you know, in a closet.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: I think you can really, kind of, customize your ironing board based on the space that you have and, sort of, the setup that you like personally in your sewing practice.

Helen: Yeah, and it’s, like, a beginner upholstery project.

Caroline: Yeah, and such a fun way, like, doing these custom covers or even custom, kind of, pressing table setups, it’s such a fun way to use those quilting cottons in your stash. I don’t know about you, but I definitely have a bunch of cottons that are, like, really fun prints that I bought early in my sewing journey that, maybe, aren’t right for garment sewing, but you’re, kind of, saving them for a project. That’s a fun way to, like, inject color and print into your sewing room with quilting cottons.

Helen: Yes. Okay, what about sleeve boards? Because I see these, like, little miniature almost ironing board shaped things, but they’re not really big enough to actually press anything on. Caroline, tell me about sleeve boards.

Caroline: So, sleeve boards, they, kind of, look like miniature ironing boards, and these are really great for pressing seams in sleeves or other, like, tube-like sewing things.

Helen: Like pant legs.

Caroline: Yeah, so they’re, kind of, you know, these, like, long skinny ironing boards, and I have one I pull it out when I’m, you know, really in need of, kind of, getting into those tricky spots. I think it’s one of those tools that you can have if you’re wanting to invest a little bit more in your sewing practice and have, like, a few more, kind of, handy tools around. I don’t know. Do you use your sleeve board?

Helen: I think the name says it all, and I don’t wear a lot of sleeved garments, so I don’t really have, like, a need for a sleeve board. But I think if you do wear a lot of button up shirts, it’s a handy thing to have, just for maintaining those items in your wardrobe and actually pressing them, you know, making them nice and crisp for, for your Zoom meetings.

Caroline: I find a sleeve roll is something that I’ve reached for more often than a sleeve board. I think my sleeve board can be a little bit cumbersome, and it’s not the best. It, kind of, like, collapses on me sometimes, so I don’t reach for it as much as I reach for my sleeve roll which is next on our list of tools that we want to talk about: the tailor’s ham and the sleeve roll or what I like to call the tailor’s sausage because when you have a ham, of course, you need a sausage to go with it.

Helen: Yeah, it makes total sense.

Caroline: But these are often sold in a set of two. They look really similar. Um, you know, the tailor’s ham is, you know, ham-shaped and the sleeve roll is more, kind of, long and sausage-shaped. And the tailor’s ham is a stuffed, curved pillow that makes for a great pressing tool when you’re pressing curves, like sleeve caps, necklines, darts. Because of the curved nature of the tailor’s ham, it allows us to press those curved seams more easily and really get into those, kind of, trickier areas.

Helen: Yes, and a sleeve roll is similar to a tailor’s ham, but it’s more cylinder or sausage-shaped, as Caroline said. You, so you can use it to press seams in sleeves and pant legs. You can stick it inside, up the arm of your sleeve and get in there and be able to press on top. So you’re just pressing right onto these tools. You’re pressing on the tailor’s ham and on the sleeve roll, and you want these tools to be packed really tightly. They’re almost hard to the touch if you actually buy one from the store, but you can make them yourself. You just have to make sure that you’re really stuffing the padding in there because you do want them to be really solid.

Caroline: And if you want to make your own tailor’s ham or sleeve rolls, Kristiann Boos from Victory Patterns wrote a really great blog post for Tilly and the Buttons, and we’ll link that in the show notes if you want to explore that.

Helen: Yes, I like that these tools have this traditional look to them, like, they often have this wool plaid side and this, like, cotton underside. So, like, I have a sleeve roll that’s like the red and black buffalo check, and then my tailor;s ham is more of a red and green and, and white plaid texture, and I think those are typically what they are, and I think there’s probably an origin story there, but we didn’t include that in this prep. We’ll have to look that up.

Caroline: Yeah. I think those, the two fabrics used are an intentional thing, right? The cotton side you can use with higher heat when you’re doing, like, shirt making and pressing things like cotton. And the wool allows for, like, a really good grip on whatever you’re pressing, so this is something that you would use when you’re pressing wool. Of course, you know, wool with wool also synthetics or fabrics requiring low to medium heat are good ones to press on the wool side. I, kind of, just, like, use mine willy-nilly. It doesn’t make a big difference, but it is interesting that there’s actually, like, a purpose for each of the fabrics on either side.

Helen: Yeah, and if any of our listeners know why those fabrics, uh, were chosen in the first place, like, other than their intended purpose, but why those prints were chosen, I would be curious to know that.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Hit us up.

Caroline: Hit us up.

Helen: There’s also something called a needle board which is used for pressing napped fabric, and it’s a surface with tiny little needles on the top. It, kind of, looks like a little mini bed of nails, and this holds the fabric up when you’re pressing so that any of the nap, like, if pressing a velvet, can go down into that needle surface, and then you can press on top without crushing which is what would happen if you did it on a flat surface. An alternative, if you don’t have a needle board, is to use just a cotton towel because it has that texture so it can hold the nap up above the ironing board.

Caroline: Yeah, it gives, like, a little buffer, right?

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Okay. Let’s talk about hemming tools. Seam gauges can be used to help mark an even seam allowance. I like to keep a seam gauge with my pressing tools to help with hemming. I find it super useful. You can find cheap ones for, like, two bucks. You can also invest in a little bit of a higher quality seam gauge that’ll maybe last a little bit longer.
So there are lots of options there with the seam gauge, but I think that that’s an invaluable tool for pressing.

Helen: Yes. I agree, and a good alternative is just keeping a ruler nearby because essentially you just want to have something nearby that you can measure with.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely.

Helen: Another great hemming tool is the hot hemmer. Hot hemmers are a ruler that you can iron on, so it’s a great tool to help with your hemming. You can put it down. You can fold the fabric up onto it. Make sure you get that hem allowance right, and then you just press right on this ruler. It’s, kind of, got, like. a foam texture to it.

Caroline: Yeah, you can find different versions of hot hemming tools depending on the name brand. So we’ve heard good things about the Clover Hot Hemmer and the Dritz Ezy-Hem Gauge. I love these names. Hot hemmer.

Helen: Hot hemmer. Yeah, I think having some of these pricing tools on hand can be fun and also super handy, obviously. But yeah use what works. Use what you got. It’s all good.

Caroline: Yeah, another tool that can be handy if you want to, like, up your sewing game is a tailor’s clapper and or a point presser. So the tailor’s clapper is something we mentioned in our wool episode, and this is a pressing tool made of wood that helps to form flat crisp seams. So you use it by pressing the seam with steam, and then you lift your iron, and you press the seam down with the clapper until the surface cools. So you keep that clapper down until the fabric is cooled, and then you lift it off, and this is going to create, like, a really beautiful flat seam.

Helen: Exactly.

Caroline: Sometimes a tailor’s clapper is attached to a point presser. And this has, like, two points to it. One is pointier. One is, kind of, squared off, and this is a great tool for pressing smaller areas like collars, cuffs, corners. So, I think if you have, you know, a little bit more to invest, you can get the whole shebang which is, like, the clapper and the point presser, but if you don’t have the budget for this, that’s totally fine.

If you don’t have a tailor’s clapper or a point presser, you can also just use a piece of wood. That’s what I do. I literally just have a scrap piece of wood in my sewing room that I clamp down, or clap down, when I’m doing anything like wool, with wool or tailoring or anything like that. So you definitely don’t need the fancy stuff for this.

Helen: No, you don’t, but it is fun to use this technique because it does make a big difference with wool garments, and I’ve also found that it helps a lot with denim as well. Those bulky seams, pressing down on them and letting them cool helps to just make sure you’re setting that press.

Caroline: Yeah, agreed.

Helen: Okay, press cloths is probably the one thing I would say, if you’re going to get any ironing tool to have in your arsenal, a press cloth because it provides protection between the iron sole plate and your fabric or your fabric and the ironing board, depending on what you’re doing. So there are lots of different kinds of press cloths you can use. You can purchase them. You can make your own.

We like the silk organza press cloths because they’re see-through, so it’s easy to identify the area that you’re pressing. You can, kind of, see what you’re doing. They can handle a really high heat. That’s why press cloths are often silk organza, but cotton is a good option, too. So, just a scrap piece of organic cotton or a hundred percent cotton will work as a great press cloth as well, and they’re usually pieces of fabric with the edges cut with pinking shears. So you really don’t need to buy them from the store, but you can just go buy some yardage of these kinds of fabrics and cut them, or you can buy, I think, the Dritz has the silk organza pressing cloth that I see most often.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah. I love those silk organza because you can see through it. It’s, like, the most convenient one for me. But when you’re sewing with wool, it’s a good idea to use a wool press cloth or maybe even just a scrap piece of wool left over from cutting. Generally with press cloths, I mean the cool thing is that you can make your own, right? So even just using, like, a piece of cotton muslin is good enough, I think. And it’s something that we think we should definitely have, so if you don’t want to buy one, just make your own, and I think it’ll work great.

Helen: Yeah, and we have an episode all about interfacing if you want to learn more about interfacing, but that’s where press cloths are often used is to protect your fabric and your iron from the interfacing, especially, you know, the fusible ones obviously where there’s glue involved. So you can layer a press cloth. You can put a cloth down on your board and then your project and then another cloth and then your iron. Just protect everything so that things don’t get dirty and messy, and I speak from experience because my ironing board is a hot mess. So I’m not careful with that kind of thing.

Caroline: I remember back when you lived in Vancouver there was an ironing board that was like very, very, very, dirty…

Helen: Sad…

Caroline: …and I used to bug you about it because it was like…

Helen: It had a hole in it and everything.

Caroline: Yeah. It was, like, there’s, like, brown stains across it. It was, like, I was like, how are you pressing on that? But you know, you know your ironing board best, Helen, you know.

Helen: I just replace them often.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: I can’t be bothered. I like to get messy when I’m creating.

Caroline: I totally get that.

You may encounter some other ironing tools, as well, that we haven’t mentioned today. We love our bias tape makers for making bias tape. We always like to keep pins on hand by the ironing board for pressing and pinning as you go, like on a hem, so obviously, there are other tools that you could use, but these are, kind of, the main ones.

Helen: Mhm, and you’ll also want to have a water filling jug or some sort of vessel to fill your iron if you don’t have a gravity fed iron. So this could be a little funnel or a watering can specific. I have, like, a little glass vial, kind of, thing that I keep fill, and it has a little spout, so it’s easy to pour in without making a mess. I think that’s the most important thing.

Caroline: Yeah. I have a cute little, like, cream jug that I use that I found at a thrift store, and I find it, like, really cute on my little window sill next to my iron, so you could use pretty much anything as a water filling jug, but it is handy to have something there.

This sparks an interesting question, Helen, and that is what kind of water should we, you be putting in your iron? And I have to admit, I haven’t really thought about this very much… until this episode.

Helen: You don’t go to the sewing store and get the iron water, Caroline, the special iron water?

Caroline: How much does that cost? It sounds like a rip-off.

HeleN: Okay, this does depend on your iron. So first, consult your iron manual. See what the best water is they recommend. If you have a water filter like a Brita or a filter built into your fridge, according to Nancy Zieman, this is the best water to put in your iron. So you want to avoid any mineral or sodium buildup by using filtered water. A common myth is that you need to use distilled water for your iron. For some irons using distilled water may be fine, but for popular brands that we’ve talked about today, for most irons that are out there, most of them say not to use distilled water.

For example, the Oliso iron we mentioned earlier just recommends using tap water or spring water but not distilled water because distilled water can remove the minerals from the metals inside the iron, so we don’t want that happening. And I will say I just fill mine with tap water, but I know that water is different wherever you live. So I think it is something to consider, and I can’t say, with some certainty, that tap water is fine everywhere, you know?

Caroline: yeah always good to do your research, but I think If you use tap water, you’ll probably be fine.

Helen: Yeah, you probably don’t need to change now.

Caroline: Okay, let’s move on to some pressing tips that we have. Um, this is the last thing we’re going to cover. So let’s get into it, Helen.

Helen: Okay, how not to burn your fingers brought to you by Love to Sew. Be careful when you’re pressing. It can be, kind of, easy to burn your fingers with your iron. So like I said earlier, don’t use the steam if you’re getting in really close with your fingers. And if this is something you struggle with often, Clover has a Precision Stiletto Tool that can help to hold down tricky spots without having to put your fingers close to the iron, but, like, you could use, like, long tweezers or something.

Caroline: Yeah, I also actually have, which I don’t use them very often, I actually forgot that I had them until now, but these little silicone finger covers that I bought.

Helen: Oh yeah.

Caroline: I can’t remember the brand. I feel like it’s Dritz or Prim. But yeah, you just, kind of, slip onto the edges of your fingers, and they make it so that you can get in really close with the iron and not burn yourself. So I’ll see if I can find a link, and we can link that in the show notes. But having those tools that work for you, I think, is a great call so that you do not burn your fingers. Okay, so you’re not burning your fingers. Number one tip.

Helen: Check.

Caroline: Let’s talk a little bit about efficiency because I feel like there are some things that you can do in your sewing practice that make it, you know, the ironing experience, go quicker, feel a little bit less cumbersome to, like, the flow state that you might get into when you’re sewing.

So our first tip for efficiency would be to sew all the seams that you can before pressing, and this is actually something that I learned from you, Helen, cause I used to be, like, a very meander-y sewist that would just be like, I’ll sew a seam. And then I’ll go press it. And then I’ll sew a seam.

But you are so serious about, like, always sewing all the seams that you possibly can before you take your project over to the iron. So you’ll, kind of, like even jump around in the steps to get to that point where you can just be more efficient with your pressing.

So, for example, instead of sewing up one side seam, going to press it, and then coming back and sewing another one, you can sew up both of your side seams before you even pick up your iron. You may also even be able to sew multiple seams in a project before you go to the iron. So jump around like Helen, and make it happen. I do think this is such a great efficiency tip, and it can make a really big difference, and it’s also really satisfying to feel like you’re like, I am maximizing my ironing time.

Helen: Yeah, I enjoy doing this, and I think I enjoy the most when it’s a project I’m really familiar with, so obviously, with designing our own patterns, I make them so many times, so I know exactly what seams can be sewn before I hit that iron. But if it’s your first time sewing something and you just want to follow the instructions, I think that makes total sense.

Another tip we have is to have all your ironing tools on hand. So try keeping all your press cloths and other ironing tools close by your ironing station. I, like, have a little IKEA rolling cart that I use for that. You could set up a little shelf or something nearby. I think having them on hand makes a huge difference when you start to get into your ironing.

Caroline: Yeah, and then just plugging in your iron at the start of your sewing session. This might seem obvious. But that way you don’t have to wait for your iron to heat up. I also like to, kind of, have, like, my third eye on my iron at all times. Like, I’m always kind of, like, checking because it flashes red when the auto shutoff goes on, and I’m always, like, looking for that red flashing light in my peripheral vision to, like, then go and, like, turn it back on so that when I do need to go and use it, it’s not the, like, doomsday red flashing, No, I have to wait a few minutes now!

Helen: I’ve definitely done that thing where you go and you press with the cold iron and you try to use the steam and it spits water all over your project and it’s, like, disaster.

Caroline: Yeah, but it is nice to, kind of, get to know your setup and get to know your ironing tools and, kind of, have it all the way that you need it to be, to be as efficient as possible for you. So I think that looks a little bit different for everyone but really embracing pressing and the process, I think, will help you get there.

Helen: Yeah, especially if you’re a beginner, because setting yourself up in the early stages of your sewing to get in the habit of pressing, I think, then it will just become less cumbersome over time, and hopefully, you’ll learn to love it, too.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. Finally we can’t leave you without talking about cleaning your iron because mineral build-up can actually burn and potentially stain your fabric. So we do recommend taking a look at your iron. See if there’s any build-up, or perhaps, you know, sticky spots that should be removed from the sole plate. Maybe that’s something you can do after you listen to this episode. Go run and check out your iron. So you can clean your iron in many different ways. Check the manual, again, to see what’s good for your specific iron, but we read that Crafty Gemini uses a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to clean her iron. She turns the iron on hot and rubs the Magic Eraser across the surface, and I love my Magic Eraser, so I might try this.

Caroline: I would wear, like, an ‘Ove’ Glove when I’m doing this or something. I feel like rubbing a Magic Eraser on a hot iron is, like, a finger burning…

Helen: It’s true.

Caroline: …risk.

Helen: I don’t know why the iron needs to be hot for this. I might try it cold first.

Caroline: Yeah, but it’s true that the Magic Eraser is actually quite magical. It can do a lot, so that doesn’t surprise me.

Helen: Dryer sheets are another popular method where you place the sheet on top of a towel and just run the iron over the sheet on low to remove any buildup on the sole plate, and after this process, you can wipe down any any residue left on the plate with, you know, a damp cloth.

Caroline: There are lots of other ways, too. We’re going to link all of these resources in the show notes at lovetosewpodcast.com. The important thing is: clean your iron to help it perform its best and prevent any unnecessary staining.

Helen: Yes. Okay who knew there could be so much to cover about pressing, really?

Caroline: Who knew?

Helen: It really is a pressing issue, and we’re glad that you stuck with us till the end. And if we missed your favorite pressing tool or technique or you have some amazing thing that you do when you’re pressing that you want the world to know about, reach out to us on social or in our inbox and share what works for you. We can’t wait to hear from you, and we’ll talk to you soon. Bye.

Caroline: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com and Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com.

Helen: We’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada, and you can get in touch with us and get links for everything we talked about in this episode at lovetosewpodcast.com.

Caroline: And if you’re loving the show and you want to help us out, you can support us on Patreon. We have so much fun over on Patreon. Contribute $5 or more a month and you’ll get access to our bonus episode feed. And if you contribute $10 or more a month, you’ll get a 15% discount code for both of our shops and a bonus mini episode. So you can go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Helen: Thank you to our amazing podcast team. And thank you all so much for listening. We will talk to you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Bye-bye.

Caroline: I’ve tried to think of a good pun to end it off, but no. What about, like, press forward with your day? Press on! Press On!