Quilting 101-Are you an ironer or a presser?

Ironing vs. Pressing

Ironing and Pressing are often used interchangeably, but are actually two separate techniques.

Ironing is the back and forth sliding motion most of us do regularly at home on clothes. Pressing is the placing of the iron on a fabric, holding it there, and then removing. It is commonly used on tailored shirts, suits, lined garments, and quilting. It is designed to protect fabric integrity and structure from the motion of ironing.

Cover your ironing board with a thin padding, and then a clean, heat-resistant cover. Wipe away dust, dirt or debris prior to pressing or ironing (I always have a lint roll next to my ironing board) so they don’t get smoothed onto your fabric.

When quilting you should press not iron or your piece will be distorted. I like to finger press the seam the way I want it to go and then press with the iron. This is a hard habit to break, but after a few quilts it should come natural.

Keep a spray bottle of bottled water or damp sponge nearby to dampen creases so that they can be easily removed.