Pressing Is MoreApril 11, 2025 ...than just making something flat. Often, it is the difference between saving a garment and completely removing the work and redoing it. At the worst, sometimes, it can save a garment from the trash. Remember, the
presser is paid more than the seamstress (technically, the person who operates the sewing machine).
Here's a perfect example with the seams all pressed in place so that when you get ready to sew the placket in, all your seam lines are marked, and basically the installation of the placket is a piece of cake. Pressing the seams like this makes it a cinch to know
where to sew and where to stop sewing. The turquoise line is the first stitching line, but you only sew to the outside "side" of the placket, then you turn it and since it's pressed, it falls right into place and with it pressed you know exactly where to sew.
With the placket in place, sew the sleeve seam, and add the cuff, and it makes a fabulous look, even on a silk blouse.
NOTE: Normally, I don't like to mix a standard "tailored" style with an obvious feminine blouse, but silk presses so well,
and the placket was so easy to put in, that I couldn't resist. There are enough feminine details to keep the project feminine and blouse-looking, so I didn't really worry about the tailored placket taking it too much off the whole theme of the blouse.
This of course makes it even more special - this is the inside of the placket and it's all completely finished with no raw edges showing. It's one of those details that makes you feel really smart, even though it's not that hard to do. Yes, placement
is everything and yes, I've taken out more plackets that I wish to count, but it's still a sharp look and learning it is another kudo in your cadre of skills! Check it out here. Pressing your seams open or to the center front or center back and pressing horizontal seams down are ways to make the garment finished and smooth. Pressing the hem and doing all that construction can save your garment. I've never seen pressing not help make a garment
look more finished.
Two specific places on the latest blouse I'm working on show just exactly how much pressing can help. Here's a gather in the sleeve head insertion.
Here's a close up in case you don't think there's a gather there.
NOW you can see there's a real pleat or gather in there, and my bet is that you would normally take that out and sew it in again. Of course we all know that "unsewing" and "resewing" always plays havoc on the wear and tear of a fabric, but sometimes there's
no other way to cure it.... unless you're pressing. Let's look at the outside of the shirt.
And the arrow points to exactly where that mystery pleat is. You can't see it from the outside, and to be honest, this is my favorite way to set in a sleeve - where there's the maximum amount of ease into the top of the sleeve head but without gathering or
pleating.
Don't discount your pressing or the need for it. Pressing can often (with the steam) help you manipulate your fabric in ways that you never thought.
As an additional note here, I'm sure you are aware of the iron travails that I have been going
through ever since I moved into our one-level dream home, which I love beyond belief (no one ever told me about a house w/o stairs, and oh my - it's been so nice). But I digress. In my old studio, which I had explicitly remodeled as my studio, I told the contractor I wanted an electrical sub-station so I didn't have to worry about pulling too much amperage on my machines and my iron. My contractor came through for me, and my irons would last for 20 years or so. So for the
forty years I lived and worked in that studio, I didn't think much of it and forgot that I had a lot of "juice" in that room!
Then I moved into our new home and did not even think about the amperage and power draw, and I've been through about six irons in the nine years I've been here. Amazingly enough, it did not even occur to me.
So I called an electrician, and yes, they can pull another line out of one of the empty slots in the fuse box and put another plug in my
current studio for me (with an auto shut-off so that I don't pull too much to burn down the house), all for a very reasonable price. I have an idea my iron problems are about to be solved. I will keep you up to date on the iron dilemmas as they progress. They are coming in tomorrow, so hopefully, a report will be ready next week. The real proof will come in about five years when my irons last and last and last.
In the meantime, don't forget your iron. It's the unsung
hero of many a fine project!
Look for future classes coming in 2024
The Core Pattern Shirt, (one of my favorites for woven core pattern that you can make into a myriad of different
garments),
Basic Knit Top (core pattern class for knit basic tops, shells, tees, dresses, and tunics)
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Tracking a fashion trend isn't all that hard after seeing a few of them.
Living from Mid-Century Modern through Twiggy...
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