Hidden Threads

When you iron a quilt in progress you need to pay attention to a few simple rules in order to avoid distorting the fabric. I was going to say . . .in order to avoid catastrophe but didn’t want to scare anyone.

Setting Seams

Most seasoned quilters set their seams when ironing. This is a procedure in which the sewn seams are ironed on the reverse (right sides together) just as you’ve sewn them. The idea is that setting seams makes a crisper seam and helps to avoid pleats (more on that in a moment). Setting seams is a good habit to get into, but it can be difficult sometimes, particularly if you are sewing more than one seam each time you are at the sewing machine and seams cross each other or lay close to each other. If you’ve experienced this, you probably wish you’d stopped and ironed your seams as you went along, but with some patterns there are so many small pieces that using a quick finger press (it’s what it sounds like) is usually enough for many quilters.

A Good Ironing Method

When it comes to ironing your pieces, there is general agreement that you should never scrub the fabric. This is a backward and forward motion using pressure. It’s the way you might press a dress shirt. When you iron your quilt pieces, press down without moving the iron. When you do move your iron, avoid applying much pressure. The process should be a little like the rhythm: press down – release – move a few inches – press down – release – move a few more inches.

Other Considerations – Steam, Starch or a Dry Iron

Some people like steam, some a dry iron, and some rely heavily on starch. This topic is a hotbed of disagreement, and these considerations are usually personal preference, but one thing you might want to keep in mind is that starch helps immobilize the fabric, and that’s usually a good thing to do. This is just my two cents worth.

Avoid Creating Pleats Near Seams

While you’re ironing, make an effort to check the fabric nearest a seam to make sure you aren’t creating a pleat. Pleats are easy to create near stitching lines and make all kinds of problems later. If you are having trouble with accidental pleats, try holding one end of the block or piece while you iron. Don’t tug or pull, just hold the fabric taut and press straight down with the iron.

Cool Your Fabric

Before you start sewing again, allow your fabric to cool for a moment. This will keep your pieces smooth, and will also help you to avoid distorting them accidentally.

Use a Guide

It’s a good practice to iron on a gridded pad that will show you incremental marks. When you line up your blocks, you can make sure they don’t increase in size as you iron. If they’re a little undersized, this will also give you a chance to fudge a bit and stretch them. There are special ironing pads and covers available for this purpose and they are handy tools to have around.

 Want more information, take a look at my post:  Ironing, Secrets to Carefree Quilt Assembly

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