‘Pressing’ in patchwork means moving
the iron in a lifting and pressing motion,
to encourage seams to lie in the right
direction, rather than moving the iron in
sweeping motions.Press your fabrics to flatten them out
and remove any creases before you
start cutting and piecing them together.Take care when using steam as it can
stretch and distort the bias edges of
fabric. You won’t usually need to use
steam from the iron but it’s handy if you
come across really stubborn creases that
need a little extra smoothing.Always check the iron temperature
carefully. A medium-to-hot iron is
sufficient for cottons but more delicate
fabrics will need a cooler temperature.
Manmade fabrics (and threads) are often
very sensitive to heat.When possible, press towards the
darker fabric so the colour doesn’t
show through pale fabrics on the right
side of the quilt.Pressing ensures a smooth finish and helps with
cutting and piecing. Read on for a few pointers...TIPS FOR
PRESSING
- K e e p q u i l t s a w a y f r o m
damaging environmental
factors like damp and smoke. - Quilts are best stored flat (a
bed is an ideal place). - If flat storage isn’t an option,
roll and wrap with acid-free
t i s s u e p a p e r, t h e n s to r e i t i n a
cardboard tube in a dry place.
When pressing appliqué press on the
wrong side with a towel under the
appliqué to protect it from flattening out.Take care when pressing batting.
Some batting can be pressed with
a cool iron, but you should do a test
first. Don’t iron a polyester batting
or it will melt.Spray starch can be useful to stabilise
fabric and give it extra body. If you’re
cutting through several layers of fabric in
one go with your rotary cutter, spray-
starching fabrics first will help them stay
crisp as you cut.Press your seams as you go along.
Press the seam flat first to set the
stitches and then open it up and
press it to one side or open, depending
on your preference or the project
instructions.When sewing two rows of units
together, press the seams in
opposite directions – see tips on ‘nesting
seams’ on page 49.- If the quilt is a gift, add a
label or a little note with
aftercare instructions, such
as washing and ironing. - If you have to fold a quilt to
store it, take it out and refold
it every few months to stop
the fabric from falling into
permanent creases.- Display a quilt as a wall
hanging: sew a casing along
the top, then insert a
hanging rod through it to
use to hang the quilt up. - Display or store quilts
away from direct sunlight, as
this can cause the fabric to
fade over time.
- Display a quilt as a wall
Looking after your finished quilt