Pressing Matters

 Pressing matters.

If I press what I am sewing while I sew it (to open a seam, to close a seam, to set a row of stitches), I don't have to iron it when I wear it. That, and constructing the item on grain, really makes the difference.

This pile of junk is my arsenal of pressing. Most of it is homemade from scrap.

I do keep most of the tools/toys in one rack adjacent to the ironing board.

No, the Barbie sewing toys are not part of the pressing set.

Because I have a room and I have space enough and haven't had to move, I can keep all the things I've ironed with at hand.

No, the foam isn't for pressing either.

Or the Captain Marvel lunchbox (that's my work sewing box)

I don't remember where I learned this (probably a Kenneth King book) but that pressing is more effective if you keep the heat evenly distributed (don't move the iron around, keep it on the place you want to make the crease/remove the crease). And that there are fabrics you want to trap the heat on to set the crease/no crease, and fabrics that you want to move the heat/moisture though.

I find myself hemming a lot of poly blends that would burn if I kept the iron on them, but they react better if I can steam them up and then put something on them to trap that heat. This way, they won't burn but they will do what I want.

Generally, I use the iron and my overly padded ironing board. It's got two layers of wool blanket under that dodgy grid cover (good for general eyeballing a measurement but totally warped and stretched). If I am doing work for someone else, or am using rayon or a blend, I add a silk organza pressing cloth (I can see through it and it won't burn unless I'm a total dope)

It was an extravagance 20 years ago. I haven't needed a second one, so it's paid off.

I made a pressing board from a hunk of clean (no paint) plywood and covered it with muslin. I only use it to cover what I've pressed to retain heat; it's got glues in it I don't need to cook with a hot iron and it can stand the heat (unlike plastic) and draw it off slowly.

To the right of the iron is a rounded stand made from pine board that I made to expedite making masks at home. It's screwed to another piece of scrap and I probably use it more than my fancy tailoring board.

It's nice for isolating a seam and not ironing the whole area.

I really wanted a ham and I didn't need a whole one, so I slapped together an acorn from upholstery and oven mitt fabric scraps (this is a toy ball pattern, with one repeating quarter rounded panel, like in a baseball cap). It has a lot of squish to it, and it's full of scraps and wool bits so it won't hold heat on the other side. It's really useful for short curves; I can get all the curve pressed and not burn myself holding it.

I am working on a new pair of polka dot jeans, and I have a short dart at the high hip area. I have it shown on the 'acorn'. I got the rest of the long crease out on the next pass.

Here's the toy list.

I made the silk mohair upholstery velvet sleeve/seam tool for a season of prom and wedding alterations. That fabric is indestructible, also expensive unless you find an old couch pillow. Like the silk pressing cloth, it's been a perfect tool (won't crush a nap, won't burn) and paid for itself over time.