Iron or press strips?
05-28-2011, 02:59 AM
#21
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Chillicothe, OH
Posts: 132
I iron even though I know I should press. I just try not to stretch the fabric. If a block is not even or wonky then I square it up. I do usually just press the seams however. If I just try to press my fabric, the wrinkles just do not come out and pressing for me just doesn't do as good as ironing does.
05-28-2011, 04:14 AM
#22
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 1,866
When I iron strip sets, I first lay the strip lengthwise ACROSS the ironing board and press the seams in one direction, then turn the strip over to the right side and press so that any tiny folds that were pressed in, can be pressed flat. Across means the short sides of the ironing board, not lengthwise or the long side of the ironing surface.
05-28-2011, 04:24 AM
#23
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 4,688
Ironing strips, especially those that were cut WOF, can distort them. Width of fabric is a fairly stretchy edge to begin with and you'd be "tugging on the stretch" to iron instead of press.
I was taught* to never press stripsets across the ironing board, to always run them parallel to the board edge...both to avoid stretching and to use the edge as a guide to lay them straight while pressing. (*Louisa Smith, Strips 'n Curves author)
I was taught* to never press stripsets across the ironing board, to always run them parallel to the board edge...both to avoid stretching and to use the edge as a guide to lay them straight while pressing. (*Louisa Smith, Strips 'n Curves author)
05-28-2011, 05:22 AM
#24
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: IN
Posts: 1,153
@ virtualbernie: If your strips are getting "curvy" when you sew them together, try sewing a strip, then sew the next one with the opposite end of selvedge on top. Try to always sew an upper selvedge to a lower then the lower to the upper etc. It keeps them from getting an arc in them.
05-28-2011, 09:00 AM
#26
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: washington
Posts: 1,424
Originally Posted by Rebecca_S
I'm working on making a bunch of 9 patches using strip piecing to sew 3 strips together before cutting and sewing into 9 patches.
I know that you aren't supposed to iron a block but to press it to not distort the block.
What about when you strip-piece though, do you iron the seams along the length of the strip or only press? I've been ironing along the length but wondered if maybe pressing would make more accurate blocks.
I know that you aren't supposed to iron a block but to press it to not distort the block.
What about when you strip-piece though, do you iron the seams along the length of the strip or only press? I've been ironing along the length but wondered if maybe pressing would make more accurate blocks.
05-28-2011, 09:01 AM
#27
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Join Date: May 2010
Location: washington
Posts: 1,424
Originally Posted by Val in IN
@ virtualbernie: If your strips are getting "curvy" when you sew them together, try sewing a strip, then sew the next one with the opposite end of selvedge on top. Try to always sew an upper selvedge to a lower then the lower to the upper etc. It keeps them from getting an arc in them.
05-28-2011, 09:36 AM
#29
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Maryland
Posts: 1,148
I aim to press but sometimes when I'm distracted or in a hurry I seem to kick into overdrive and tend to iron. In addition to sewing multiple seams in opposite directions the other trick that works best for me is to press one seam at a time. I rarely sew multiple strips together and then press at one time.
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