A garment that is beautifully sewn but badly pressed1 will always look homemade. A good iron is a sensible investment, second only to the sewing machine.
In a perfect world, we would all be using a super-heavy industrial iron powered by a steam generator attached to a boiler. Underneath our fabric would sit a bolted-down vacuum ironing board to suck out all that steam and leave our garments cool and dry. In our day-to-day practical reality, we can consider the best of these features when choosing equipment. For clothes making, you will need a steam iron and sturdy ironing board. There are many other interesting tools and devices, which we will introduce once the basics have been covered.
A small handheld appliance used to remove wrinkles from fabric. It is also known as a clothes iron, flat iron, or best of all, a sad iron. The piece at the bottom is called a sole plate. An iron that will serve well and last many years should meet the following criteria:
A portable, foldable table with a heat-resistant surface. The seamstress is best served by a hard and sturdy metal ironing board, ideally with holes beneath the cover for steam to escape.
It is essential to have a thick, even cover with no lumps and bumps, and you should set the board up at the correct height to avoid backache. Make yourself a removable cover to reflect your personal style (see project on page 81). Think: If I were an ironing board, what would I look like?
Protects your garment from shine and imparts moisture. A damp cloth allows you to press the face of a garment without creating shine. Extra moisture can help achieve perfectly flat seams.
Linen is best as a pressing cloth as it retains moisture without becoming too wet. Cotton works well too, while using lightly dampened wool is good for fabrics with pile, helping to prevent crushing the fabric. All pressing cloths should first be softened by washing.
Traditional padded shapes made from both cotton and wool and tightly packed with coarse sawdust. The shapes may vary yet the purpose remains similar. Specialist sewing retailers do sell hams but they are so easy to make we want you to do it yourself – see project on page 77.
These contoured pressing aids have one face in cotton for flat fabrics and the other in wool for fabrics with nap (or pile). The curved surfaces allow you to press awkward shapes such as darts, sleeve heads and curved seams. Maneuver the curved or tapered area to a matching curve on the ham. The results will be far more successful than pressing on a flat surface.
Resembles a small, narrow ironing board and enables perfect sleeve pressing. A proper sleeve board may be considered a luxury in the sewing room, yet it makes light work of an otherwise very tricky job. The better ones have the stand at the far end of the board to press the full length of sleeve and cuffs.
Fig 1 Iron
Fig 2 Ironing Board
Fig 3 Pressing Cloth
Fig 4 Tailor’s Ham and Sleeve Roll
Fig 5 Sleeve Board
Fig 6 Tailor’s Clapper and Point Turner
Fig 7 Seam Stick
Fig 8 Needle Board
Fig 9 Fingers
Used to flatten thick facings, collars or buttonholes where a lot of pressing is needed and an iron alone will not do the job. Traditionally made from hardwood, there are two schools of thought on how best to use this traditional device. It can either be used by steaming the fabric, placing the clapper on top and pressing down with all the force you can muster, or by steaming and then whacking the area with the clapper until the seam is cool and quite flat. A clapper may have point turners in the handle, allowing you to press into hard-to-reach places like collar tips and cuffs.
A wooden stick with a rounded top and flattened bottom edge used for pressing long, flat seams. It has both curved and flat surfaces and can be clad in cloth for a softer press. A 20 in/50 cm length of smooth banister molding is ideal.
A small rectangular board covered on one side with fine wire needles in a hedgehog style. It is used when pressing fabrics with a pile, such as velvet or corduroy. The fine wires stop the pile from being flattened.
For fine and difficult pressing. Some fabrics, such as fragile synthetics, brocades or metallics, will not take a heavy iron. Open the seams with your fingers, steam and hold flat, using your hand to press down with force. Remain in position until the fabric is cool (or your hand is cooked).
Various pressing techniques are needed for successful results during construction of garments.
All seams should be steamed flat first (Fig 1) before pressing them open (Fig 2). While you do this you can gently pull the seam to press out any contraction. Press dry without steam before pressing the seams open.
Fig 1
Fig 2
You can use a seam roll or seam stick to prevent the seam’s edges showing through to the front side of the fabric.
First, press your dart flat (Fig 3) and then move the dart over and from the other side press flat again (Fig 4). Turn your garment over and press on the right side using a pressing cloth. If necessary, put layers of paper under the dart so that it does not show though. Finally, press to the correct sewing position (usually downwards for a bust dart and to the right on a waist dart). Use a tailor’s ham to press on a curve the same shape as the dart.
Fig 3
Fig 4
If you have a little bubble left at the dart end, this must go! This can be done by shrinking the bubble out. Take a damp cloth, place over the dart end and hold a fairly hot iron down until the pressing cloth is almost dry. Repeat on the other side using less dampness and less heat.
Press open, as a flat seam. It is easier to use a sleeve board or seam roll to prevent crushing the rest of the sleeve. Different patterns will indicate whether a seam is to be pressed open or left closed.
Armhole seams can be pressed open using the tip of the iron. Use a tailor’s ham (page 58) for a perfect result.
Fig 5
We prefer to give a final press with the seams lying together. Press in the direction of the sleeve (Fig 5) but don’t over press.
These usually need to be pressed from the right side. For best results put a piece of the garment fabric and a pressing cloth beneath the iron to prevent crushing and to stop seams showing through. It is easy to over press, so don’t leave the iron down too long.
Turn up the hem before sewing and press into place. Press only the bottom edge of the hem (Fig 6).
Fig 6
Full skirt hems need to be turned up and the excess can be shrunk away using a damp pressing cloth (see Dressmaking Hems, page 37).
Facings, collars and cuffs may need to have the seams rolled as you press to get right up to the seam edge. To get a crisp edge, first press seams open and then turn the garment right side out and gently roll with your fingers directly under the finished seam. This forces the top edge of the seam up. Press gently at the very edge of the seam as you go to avoid shadowing from the inside seams. This may need to be done on the inside and outside of the garment. Use a pressing cloth if necessary.
Some tips on pressing the basic fabrics you will probably use most in your sewing are included here. If using an unfamiliar fabric always test press on a spare piece, starting with a cool iron temperature.
Cotton is not difficult to press and likes a hot iron. Use a damp pressing cloth to get the best results.
Never press wool fabric dry: add water to the iron and always use steam heat. Wool is prone to shine when pressed so use a pressing cloth. Shine may be reduced by sponging white vinegar on the surface of a wool garment and rinsing thoroughly. If napped wool fabric is slightly scorched when pressing, rub lightly with an emery board. Use a diluted solution of hydrogen peroxide for a more severe scorch, testing on a hidden area first. Don’t over press wool and be especially careful of seam shadow.
Use a moderately hot iron and avoid using moisture as it may stain the fabric. Thin silks need a light touch. Taffeta is tricky as wax is used in the weaving process, so place tissue between the iron and fabric.
Always press in the direction of the nap. For best results, use a needle board. Lay the fabric pile side down onto the needle board, place a cloth over the wrong side and press gently with a warm iron. Alternatively, stand the iron on its end; grasp either end of the fabric and pressing cloth so the fabric is taut, with the pile on the outside; pass up and down the front of the iron. Do not handle velvet while still warm as it will become finger marked and flattened.
When pressing oilskin, protect your iron with a thick cloth and your board with several layers of fabric. Use a medium heat and press lightly, using the tip of the iron where possible and no steam. If you over press, the oilskin will start to discolor but, as long as you don’t overdo it, the color will come back.
Linen presses well with steam but can store creases badly so always press with a damp cloth. Linen can take a hot iron, but don’t hold the iron in one place too long as it can scorch.
1 Despite using the terms ironing and pressing interchangeably, a distinction needs to be made between them. Ironing refers to what you do with your line-fresh laundry to make it look smart, whereas pressing is a tailoring skill and fundamental part of the garment-making process.
