Pressing..

[Efemera]

I was taught that pressing at every stage was a real must for a great finish... why oh why when you look at some of the garments made on blogs, FB and other places they look like they’ve never seen an iron.... hems and seams all bulky, collars not pressed, edges not turned and ironed, drives me crazy.. all that effort and it  looks like a rag....PRESS THE BLOODY THING!

[Acorn]

I love pressing things as I'm making them - clothes or patchwork.

Not so keen on that mountain in the utility room though.

[Ohsewsimple]

Absolutely essential.  I spend far more time pressing than sewing.

[Greybird]

I agree. I always think of dressmaking as split into three parts - all equally important.

Cutting - sewing - pressing. None of them work without the others.

[mudcat]

I'm a serious presser.  I also always wash and iron my garments before reviewing them.  They always look better to me as the washing seems to fix any stretching problems I sometimes get with knits (which is what I mostly sew with).  I am surprised at how little pressing a lot of sewists do.

Also a little hint:  if you ever sew with a soy blend keep the iron on low.  I once made a top from a soy/organic cotton/spandex blend knit and neglected to do my homework.  It never recovered from my too hot iron.

[UttaRetch]

I'm on Pattern Review and I often shut at the computer when I see the number of unpressed garments.  PRESS, PRESS, PRESS.

[Ploshkin]

I too cringe at the lack of pressing often seen.  My iron is never switched off when I have a sewing session - quilting or dressmaking.  I would still feel the wrath of Sister Mary Joseph if I dared skip pressing at any stage of sewing. 

[Holly Berry]

There are many people that would say oh yes I press, but in reality don’t do it as they go along,  and then have a big pressing session at the end and then wonder why it’s so difficult.

I’m with you both @Acorn and @Ohsewsimple

[Renegade Sewist]

Yes, yes, yes; press, press, press. Not pressing makes the best technical sewing a waste of time. And the ladies who don't know there is a difference between pressing and ironing? What? And lastly anyone, Darksider or Lightsider who has an ironing board padded out as soft as a bed whose long straight seams are always wonky and they don't know why. Seriously? Cushy has it's place but not when you need a long flat seam.

I'll shut up now...

[b15erk]

I'm another presser.  I actually work on the ironing board, (it's more comfortable on my back), and the iron is always switched on.

It really irritates me to see unpressed projects, to put so much work into it, and then spoil it by not pressing the finished garment.  I've seen this happen with bags as well, and it screams home-made.

Sorry, got carried away again....

Jessie

[DementedFairy]

Seriously? Cushy has it's place but not when you need a long flat seam.

I'll shut up now...

When making my daughter's wedding dress I dealt with those very long seams by using a cardboard roll [snaffled from a fabric stall on the market] to prevent any show-through of the seam allowances.  Worked like a dream

Like most of us, I largely ignore pressing regulations when I first started sewing, but very very quickly learned to see the difference.  Some things just won't play nicely if earlier seams haven't been tamed.  I mean, I'm bloody impatient, but I do like the finished item to look good!

[maliw]

Oh I agree, not pressing is a BIG mistake. I suppose we've all been there at some time or another and learned our lesson the hard way.

[UttaRetch]

Having poured scorn on people who don't press at any stage, the dress I washed over the weekend will not be pressed because it doesn't need it.  All that pressing I did during the construction has set everything in place nicely.

[Kwaaked]

My mom was a big press at the end and I hated it.

When I started to sew, I pressed everything, 3 or 4 times if I felt it needed it.

Yes...huge presser.  I also iron my clothes, too. 

What gets my goat is those that brag about not even owning an iron.  HOW can you sew if don't own one?  Who decided not ironing was a thing to brag about?!

[Acorn]

Yes - I often moan on Facebook about having to do the ironing, and always get lots of people saying 'You should be like me and never iron anything!'

I have to tell them that while I don't like ironing, I like wearing creased clothes even less!

Pressing, though, is sooooo satisfying.