Reasons to Iron When You Sew

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I had the opportunity to retire back in April and took it. Wonderful choice. Then I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Luckily it was caught very early. I will have surgery this week. Then my uncle became ill. Very ill and being the good niece that I am, I spent a lot of time with him. He is still sick but in rehab. One day at a time.
Anyway, I wrote a few posts a while back and thought maybe I should finish them. Here's one about one of my favorite chores, ironing. I like it better than mopping floors and cleaning toilets.

Years ago I remember my dad getting clothes out of the dryer and shaking them out. "Look, no wrinkles! No reason to iron," he said. Like magic the wrinkle were gone. There's a trick to that, though. Your presence is required to shake the wrinkles out as soon as the dryer is done. Really? I have to stay in one place and wait for the dryer? Hmmm...
When I went into the Air Force, he packed up the old family iron and sent it with me. Good thing. I found I could iron uniforms a lot better than I could polish and spit shine my shoes. Talk about trading labor. My iron was my ticket away from shoe polish and dirty fingernails.

For many people ironing is a chore. I refuse don't  iron my sheets or napkins (I know folks who think I am a slacker). I also don't like to iron my t-shirts or jeans. Such a slacker.  Most knit fabrics require little, if any, pressing to look good, however, there are a lot of other fabrics, even some knits, that benefit from a good press.

Ironing and pressing are a very important part of sewing and quilting.

Sewing, whether  sewing for clothing construction or any other project, requires the use of an iron and, preferably, an ironing board, though a table and a towel will work in a pinch. My iron and ironing board are standing on the ready at all times, plugged in when the sewing machine is going.
So, here goes, expert (sort of expert at least) advice about ironing.

Know your iron. Really. Know how to set the proper temperatures, how to use the steam setting if you like it (I don't like it), and how to fill the water reservoir. Know about the automatic shut off and how to reset it (nothing like a warm iron when you expect a hot one).

Handy-dandy ironing tools:
Press cloth: I love my press cloth. It is essential when pressing silks.
Spray bottle: I keep mine at the ready with water for those times a light misting is necessary. I heard a water/vinegar mix is good, too, but haven't tried it yet.
Ham and sleeve board: both nice to have but not essential.

When to iron:
Before sewing:
An iron is pretty handy to get the wrinkles out of patterns before placement on fabric for cutting. Use a barely warm setting.
Iron the fabric prior to pattern placement as well. Your pattern pieces will have a much better chance of accuracy.
Set your iron at the appropriate setting for the type of fabric you are using. I used to have an iron that had different settings but only one worked....very hot. I got good at used it, most of the time. Then there was the time the fabric melted as soon as the iron touched it. I bought a new iron.

While you sew:
Press your seams when you sew.....Quilters press to the dark side (ha ha ha..quilting humor), otherwise, press your seams open. Doing so sets the thread and decreases the chance of those aggravating little unwanted creases that appear. Always press your darts in place before sewing over them.
Take your pins out before ironing. Never iron over your pins. They could melt (if you are like me with plastic headed pins) or leave marks in the fabric.

After sewing:
Give the object a once over with your iron. The look will go from "not bad" to "Damn, I did good."

So, that's it in a nutshell. Love your iron. Be one with your iron. OK, a little too much but appreciate it. It's a great tool.

Post by Eileen of GoofingOff Sewing