Pressing Techniques

I know we all have done this before, forgot to turn off the iron, only to notice hours or days, (yep, days once!), later that I forgot to turn it off.  I know evrey time I did it, it scared me half to death.  I tried several ideas, but this one works every time for me. 

I bought a surge protector and a plug in under-the-counter floresent light fixture.  I attached the floresent fixture under a wall shelf, and plugged both the iron and the light fixture into the surge protector, and turned on the light.  Every time I am done with the iron, or am leaving the room for more than a few minutes, I turn off both the iron and the light by turning off the surge protector.  If I forget to turn it off when I leave the room, when I walk by and see the light on, I know the iron is on, and shut it off.  No more forgetting the iron is on. 

When working with paper piecing, I have found that the ink from the paper patterns will often come off onto my ironing board cover, especially if there are a lot of blocks to piece or lots of pieces per block.  To protect my cover, I place a piece of muslin or other scrap fabric over my ironing board.  Don't be tempted to use a towel or other thick fabric because they will not allow for "crisp" pressing.

After prewashing - my wife found using spray starch - pressing the fabric will cause the fabric to lay flat, not wiggle, and stretch while cutting and sewing. Finger pressing is easier and she will not always need to iron press each seam. It gives the quilt an over all crisp, and pressed look. If she feels the block or the entire top needs additional pressing, it is easier, and requires a cooler iron than at the first pressing because of the spray starch already used.

I needed something on which to press blocks on the table near my sewing machine, but found an old towel to be too soft.  I went to my kitchen and got a brand new silicon baking sheet (like for baking cookies).  Being new, it had no residues of any kind, and since the box said it could be used in temperatures of up to 500 degrees, I decided to try it.  I placed it right side up and used my hottest setting on my iron (I do not use steam).  It discolors when ironed upon, but does not melt.  The discoloration fades away again as the sheet cools.  Being a little thin, it does transfer some heat, but I cut a piece of corregated cardboard for under it, and that seems to take care of the extra heat.  My sheet is about 16 X 10, but there is a smaller one in the box that I may use for taking to retreats. 

Make your own portable ironing board by covering an inexpensive folding wooden TV tray with two layers of cotton batting and one layer of heavy canvas.  Tightly pull the layers to the back of the tray and staple in place using a staple gun.  Do one side, then the opposite, until all sides are secured on the back.  You can take your portable ironing board with you to classes, retreats, small group gatherings, etc.  Purchase a small iron and you have a complete traveling ironing center!  Note: You can also use regular heat resistant ironing board cover fabric but I prefer to use the canvas.

I found that an electric mini iron was a great tool for pressing seams as you piece.  Looks kind of like a curling iron with a flat piece at the end.  Just smooth over the seam which makes it lay flat.  This can be done as you go and then you can press your whole block when finished!  No more up and down to the iron to make those perfect seams!

When pressing, make sure your iron is completely free of water. If your iron produces any steam, you could cause the paper to disintegrate. If any ink is on the paper, the steam could make the ink run and possible damage your fabric. Also, steam can shrink your fabric, as the wet, hot air will negatively affect the fibers of the fabric. Before using any iron, test it on a clean cloth. This will let you know if your iron is dirty or if any water is present.

Instead of pressing the foundation directly on your ironing board cover or another surface, create a surface using felt. Be sure to make this felt surface larger than the foundation. This will protect your ironing board. Even with this felt protection in place, your ironing board cover may become stained, so it is best to wash your cover regularly. Take caution when you iron, as you should never touch the printed side of the foundation with a hot iron. This could cause potential damage to your iron or fabric.

Instead of pressing repeatedly with the hot iron, opt to use a different tool that has much the same result, minus the burned fingers. Using an old-fashioned round wooden clothes pin, roll the pin over the surface of your fabric like an iron. As long at the fabric does not have preexisting creases, this technique works well. Another great tool is a tool dubbed a mini iron. This small device does not produce the heat of a traditional iron and is a great deal smaller to create tiny creases in tight spots.