 Photos courtesy of Mary Roehr Books & Video |
Pressing Thoughts |
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| M A R Y R O E H R | ||
Experienced seamstresses know pressing is essential for a polished and professional look. |
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| Shine & Scorching Velvet & Napped Fabrics Ultrasuede® & Faux Leather Puffed Sleeves Pant Creases Prevent Press Marks Table Linens Cotton Shirts or Blouses Fusible Interfacing Saving Soles from Fusibles Mini Iron® Sources |
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Shine & Scorching  Hold iron above fabric and shoot steam
into it.  |
To prevent shine and scorching, always test-press a small fabric section
to see if a press cloth is needed. Keep two weights of press cloths on hand and use them
appropriately. For lightweight fabrics such as cotton, silk and linen, use a lightweight
press cloth--a handkerchief, a diaper or a preshrunk cotton fabric scrap all work well.
For heavyweight fabrics such as wool and wool blends, a thicker press cloth is necessary.
Try one made with wool on one side and cotton on the other. The more textured wool side
goes face down against the fabric while the smoother cotton side touches the iron and
allows it to glide smoothly. Note: A press cloth also prevents the build-up of
fabric finishes and spray starch on the iron soleplate. A Teflon® soleplate cover can
easily be attached to any iron and will greatly reduce shine and scorching on many
fabrics, but it won't eliminate them entirely on all fabrics; test first. Removing shine from some fabrics is possible (if the damage isn't too great) by using a steaming technique. Hold the iron above the fabric and shoot steam into it . Then rub the fabric on
itself to bring up the nap. Repeat this procedure as needed until the shine is diminished
or gone. Note: Newer ironing systems with steam generators or irons with a shot of
steam make this procedure much easier. Scorching results when the iron is too hot. The fabric is actually burned or melted, so these marks usually can't be removed. Remember that in general, turning up the heat setting on the iron won't help you press better, but using more pressure and steam will. For washable fabrics that aren't severely scorched, try rubbing the cut side of an onion on the stain and soaking it in cold water prior to laundering. |
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Velvet & Napped Fabrics  Velvaboard's raised surface prevents
crushing napped fabrics.  |
In general, the less pressing on velvet and napped fabrics, the better.
When using these fabrics, select patterns with simple style lines that won't require
extensive pressing. Finger-press and topstitch as much as possible to make the seams lie
flat. On napped fabrics (excluding velvet), where pressing is absolutely necessary, first try to steam seams by holding the iron above the fabric and shooting steam into the seams without putting pressure on the fabric. For more extensive pressing use a textured press cloth. For velvet, using this steam technique can crush the nap, so a needle board or Velvaboard® is a necessity. With these pressing aids, the velvet is placed face down on the board and the raised surface of the board prevents crushing the nap . |
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| Ultrasuede® & Faux Leather | The delicate napped surfaces of faux leathers and suedes require special
pressing to prevent melting. Traditional methods for making seams lie flat on these
fabrics usually include fusing, gluing and/or topstitching. Using a regular cotton towel
as a press cloth will allow you to press these fabrics (even on the right side) without
leaving press marks. |
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Puffed Sleeves  Shoot steam into sleeves stuffed with
tissue paper.  |
Scrunch up white tissue paper and stuff puffed sleeves to the desired
fullness. Then shoot steam into the sleeves without directly touching the fabric with the
iron, straightening the gathers with your fingers . An iron with vertical steam is very helpful for this
technique, as is a specially designed puff iron. |
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