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Everyone knows what ironing is, but few who start out in sewing know what pressing is. Many don't even realize that there is a difference, and knowing about it can be the difference between a homemade looking garment and a professional looking one.
Ironing is what you do after the garment is washed after it's already been worn. When you iron you use a sliding motion and go back and forth to get all the wrinkles out.
Pressing is what you do before the garment is finished. When pressing you should never slide the iron over the fabric because this will distort the material and the finished work won't look right. Instead place the iron where you want to press and hold for a few seconds using minimum pressure, then lift the iron and move to the next spot.
If you have pretreated the fabric you should press the fabric before cutting. All seams should be either pressed open or to one side before being crossed with another seam. This may seem time consuming, but if you skip this step your garment will look home-made.
Pressing the seams will blend the thread with the material, (also known as setting the seam,) remove the puckers and give it a more professional look.
Pressing results are not achieved by the amount of pressure applied but with the right temperature and steam. Always test on a scrap piece of material to determine the right temperature.
When setting the seam always press on the wrong side to prevent iron shine. If you need to press on the right side, always use a pressing cloth.
There are several tools to help you obtain that professional look when pressing. An ironing board and a good steam iron are the most essential tools.
A tailor's ham is a firmly packed cushion with rounded curves which helps when pressing curved seams, darts, collars, and sleeve caps.
A pressing cloth helps to prevent iron shine when ironing on the right side of fabric. It is also used to apply infusible interfacing.
A sleeve board is basically two mini ironing boards with one on top of each other. This is used to press sleeves and pant legs.
A seam roll is a firmly packed cylindrical cushion ideal for pressing straight seams.
These tools are not a must if you're just learning how to sew, but they sure can help to make your job a lot easier and give you that professional look.
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