PRESSING MATTERS
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{ by Stacy Schlyer }
Proper pressing gives projects professional polish.
Learn about essential pressing tools, and then stitch
a tailor’s ham to add to your pressing toolkit.
Pressing vs. IroningIt’s important to understand the distinction between ironing and pressing. Ironing simply removes wrinkles from the fabric, while pressing is a process of shaping the fabric during garment construc-tion. The back-and-forth motion of ironing can stretch and distort the fabric grain. To avoid distortion when pressing, place the iron on the fabric, and then quickly lift it to apply the heat only to a specific area. An iron and standard pressing board suffice for pressing basic straight seams, but use an iron in combination with specialized tools to press curves, points, darts and areas that are difficult to access.
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Press Cloth (A): Some fabrics require extra protection from heat and moisture during pressing. When press-ing delicate or synthetic fabrics, place a cotton or silk organza rectangle, or a specialty ready-made press cloth, between the fabric and iron to prevent it from casting a sheen on the fabric. When pressing fabrics with a deep pile, such as velvet, use a velvet scrap or towel as a press cloth to avoid crushing the surface. Some specialty tailoring shops carry needle boards, comprised of closely spaced blunt needles, used for pressing velvet.
Pressing Mitt (B): Wear this padded, heat-resistant mitten when pressing to manually shape the fabric or to quickly cool a seam or fabric edge.
Point Presser/Clapper (C): This heavy wooden tool has a flat base, or clapper, designed to pound and press heavy fabrics, such as wool, after steaming to create sharp creases and flat seams. The upper pointed portion, or point presser, allows you to press narrow pointed areas, such collar points and corners, and also helps create sharp edges.
Tailoring Board (D): This wooden tool resembles a small ironing board with a variety of shapes and edges. It’s designed for pressing tailored collars and cuffs, as well as seams and curves in hard-to-reach or small spaces. Use removable padded covers for shaping and soft curves.
Sleeve Roll/Seam Roll (E): This cylindrical pressing tool is designed for shaping and pressing long and narrow areas, such as sleeve and pant-leg seams. The tool’s size also makes it ideal for pressing hard- to-reach garment areas.
Tailor’s Ham (F): The tailor’s ham’s name refers to its ham-like shape, which makes it ideal for pressing curved seams, such as sleeve caps and shoulders, pressing darts and shaping collars. The ham helps to round, rather than flatten, the fabric during pressing. Use the wool side to press wool fabrics and the cotton side to press all other fabrics.
Press for Success / These handy tools aid in pressing hard-to-reach areas and specialty fabrics.
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Ham it UpMake your own tailor’s ham in a favorite fabric to coordinate with your sewing room.
Supplies7 1⁄4 yard or fat quarter of cotton fabric7 1⁄4 yard each of 100% wool flannel & cotton muslin7 Sawdust or polyester fiberfill7 All-purpose thread7 Hand sewing needle7 Dowel 7 Funnel (if using sawdust)
CutDownload the ham pattern at sewnews.com/ web_extras. From the cotton and flannel fabric, cut one ham each for the exterior. From the muslin, cut two hams for the interlining.
ConstructUse G” seam allowances unless otherwise noted.
With wrong sides together, align the cotton exterior ham with one muslin ham; baste. Repeat to baste the flannel exterior ham to the remaining muslin ham. With right sides together, align the exterior ham edges; stitch the perimeter, leaving a 3” opening along the lower edge for turning. Turn the ham right side out through the opening; press. Using a funnel, fill the ham with sawdust until firm. Tap with a dowel as needed to evenly distribute the sawdust. (This step is messy, so it’s best done outdoors). Or stuff the ham with fiberfill until firm, using the dowel to push the fiberfill into the curved edges. Slipstitch the opening closed. Z
SOURCESClotilde carries pressing tools: (800) 545-4002, clotilde.com. Joanne’s Creative Notions carries pressing tools: joannescreativenotions.com.June Tailor carries press cloths and pressing surfaces: (262) 644-5288, junetailor.com. Nancy’s Notions carries pressing tools: (800) 245-5116, nancysnotions.com.Sew True carries pressing tools and boards: (800) 739-8783, sewtrue.com.
Tip: Always press garments as you sew to create flat seams and edges for a professional appearance.
Traditional tailor’s hams and sleeve rolls are filled with sawdust. Ask the lumber cutting department at a local home supply store for sawdust, or use tightly packed polyester fiberfill.
Unpressed Pressed
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Pressing MattersTailor’s Ham Pattern
Use ¼” seam allowances.
