More about ironing. You were holding your breath. Don't deny it. September 8, 2008 17:42
So. I promised you Sewing Secrets from the 1939 book of the same name if you were good readers. And I always keep my promises. Always. Always. Always. Almost always.
Anyway. Since you were not only good readers, you were very,
very good, I’m going to share four ironing tips with you. Yup. Count ‘em. Four.
Are you jittery with excitement? Perhaps even panting? I know you are. So. Without
further delay (and, be warned, I paraphrase at times):
23) Steaming a Hem from Right Side in Final Pressing. To steam out basting thread marks or any shiny spots that may show on the right side side of a hem, wring a press cloth very dry, place over the right side of the hem, then place a dry cloth on top of that (does this seem excessive to anyone but me?) and hold a hot iron over lightly over the cloth. Remove cloths quickly. (Pretend you are a magician’s assistant! Won’t that be fun? Add a little spice to the ironing? You betcha.) Brush with a fairly stiff brush.
24) Creasing Narrow Hems with a Warm Iron. Much time may be saved by creasing narrow hems with a warm iron before sewing. When this is done, basting is not necessary. (Think of the time you’ll save!) First, turn the raw edge crossing it with the iron as you turn it, then make the second turning shown in the nifty drawing.
35) Dampening a Seam with a Brush. Before using water, test your fabric to see if water spots it. (We absolutely do not want that! No spotting allowed. None.) Most seams may be dampened on the wrong side with a brush without touching the material on each side of the seam.
36) Using a Press Cloth. Place a damp cloth over the seam. Make sure the cloth is free of starch. If pressing woolens, place a dry cloth over the seam and dampen that cloth with a sponge. Remove cloth quickly (of course!) after pressing. Remember that you press with the weight of the iron rather than by sliding the iron. (Do not slide – we all remember this from previous lessons. Right? Right. You got it.) If the print of the seam shows through on the right side of the fabric, place strips of paper under the seam edges when pressing. (Who’d a thunk it?)
OK. Is everybody ready to iron? Give me an I. Give me an R. Give me an O. Give me an N. Shake those tom-toms. Get those boards set up and those irons plugged in. There's no time to waste. Practice. I understand it makes perfect. And there will be tests. You know it.