It's no secret that pressing at ironing makes your sewing
at least 100 times better. No sewing skills required.
But there are so many different pressing tools that can really help
you get better results in your sewing
and make the process so much more pleasurable.
So in this video, we're going to talk about
the different pressing and ironing tools that
all of the fun tools that you possibly could use to help you improve your sewing.
Welcome back, my dearest sewing friends, it is always so delightful to see you.
If you are just brand new here, then welcome.
My name's Ellenwood and I'm the creator of VintageSewingSchool.com.
And here on this YouTube channel,
we talk everything about sewing and garment sewing to help
you make better garments and serve better clothes.
So if that's what you're interested in, do hit the subscribe button down below.
Because if many more videos come in
this video, what we're talking about today is pricing an ironing.
Now, I cannot stress this enough that if you haven't already, like, learned
the value of good pricing and the use of an iron in your sewing,
you will you don't even need better sewing skills.
You need just an iron will make all the difference in your sewing promise.
But as you know, you've probably seen all of these fun.
We had some of them.
We had looking tools and accessories that you can use to make this job easier,
because let's be honest, no one enjoys ironing, oppressing.
And actually, yes, there is a difference between ironing and pressing.
I have another video here that you might want to watch.
So this video was actually highly requested
when I talked about some of the new pressing tools that I have received
and wanting to try. So here we are.
Let's talk about all of the different sewing tools.
Going to break it down into three, what you get started with,
what a sort of must have sewing, pressing tools,
and then what are just the really nice, fun, pressing tools
that depends on what you're sewing might be useful for you.
Let's get started with what you what you get started with
when you first start sewing.
Don't let any of this equipment be a hindrance into you getting started.
You can just use any old iron.
You don't need anything fancy like this one.
Just use the iron that you have access to.
Just use the ironing board that you have access to.
Any old ironing board.
All you need is then a pressing cloth.
This is nothing fancy. Mine is a scrap bit of the thrifted cotton shirt here.
So just make sure it's a clean
piece of cloth that's either cotton or linen for pressing.
And a spray bottle of water can help.
If your iron that you're using
is maybe not so trustworthy and likes to spit out water at you.
Just turn the water off the steam off and use a really fine
mist spray bottle of water and iron over the top instead,
and then just use a rolled up towel to help you create the shapes in lieu of a
pressing hem. That we'll talk about in a minute.
This is to mimic that.
So really just use what you have to get started with.
Don't let any of this be a hindrance.
But we all know that is not really fun and doesn't make the job any fun.
So what can we upgrade to? Let's talk about the must haves.
So, of course, it all depends on the sewing that you're doing.
But this is what you really want to have for pressing to really make it
at least pleasurable to make the job so much easier
and just it'll improve your sewing so much.
So the first one is a steam iron.
Now, mind here I've had for years and years and years,
and I know you're going to ask, what is yours? This is a tough out, easy process.
Unfortunately, they do not make it anymore.
And I haven't as yet had to find an alternative.
So unfortunately, I can't help you recommend on a particular one.
But what I mean by steam iron is this one has a boiler,
so you don't just pour the water in and keep it closed.
This is like a full on boil, a cup that is like screwed in tight.
It is a sealed boiler compartment to get real steam.
They're often called steam generators.
And so the thing is, you can steam ironing down this way
and you can also vertically steam.
So you can just do this and just
I don't have this turned on and it will steam vertically.
So it's amazing.
Just make sure that you can select the heat settings that you want.
Don't just go like low, medium, high.
I find that a bit restrictive, but a good steam iron.
I promise this was worth every penny for me.
This is what I would invest in rather than a better machine
to get when you're getting started.
Invest in a better iron before you invest in a better sewing machine.
That's my recommendation.
The next thing you want is a large, well padded ironing board.
I remember ironing on, you know,
the tiny little one that you get and you can kind of fit clothes on
and then you can see the little grid lines underneath
because it's not very padded. Very well.
Yeah, I definitely loved my large ironing board as well.
Padded is a must.
Now we get to some more fun things, so I recommend the sausage and the ham.
Okay. These aren't technically a soldier and a ham.
This is the tailless pressing ham and this is a sleeve roll.
But one of my students in Vintage Sewing School called them a
because this is a ham, a ham and a sausage.
Well, it just kind of stuck. What do you think? I like these two.
So these are absolute must. Now, I don't recommend that, you know.
Need both of them to get started.
I only had this one for many, many, many years and was fine.
But it's the kind of thing as soon as you get the other one,
you realize, how did I live life without both of these?
They both have their uses.
So this one is from what, inserting into sleeves
and longer lines, and this is more for a different curve.
So these are used in that you put your fabric around
and it allows you to to get around and be able to press different curve.
And this is the key to pressing really well, pressing on just a flat surface.
You almost can't. So this is what you need to get in.
So you can only do one layer at a time and press and get those curves.
These are absolutely must haves.
You want to upgrade, you can make your own.
But honestly, the investment is not
they're not very expensive and you'll just use these ones forever.
The next thing that I don't actually think is a must have, but it's new to me.
And I kind of now think, how did I ever like so oppressed without this?
And this is why I'm adding it in this list is the ham holder.
So my life before was like as I was doing, trying to hold and like you have
you're often me both hands. Right.
So this actually allows you to put this in here and then,
you know, you can set it up on any curve
and then you still have two hands to actually press with.
I know. How did we ever not have this?
So I think it is really useful.
And if you're prone to a bit of let's say you're a bit more clumsy in nature or,
you know, want to be more cautious, I think this is well worth the investment.
They are a bit pricier for what they seem.
But in my short time, having it already
absolute game changer in pressing, you want a pressing cloth as well.
And a few of them, again, don't buy anything fancy.
Just use scrap fabric, either cotton or linen you want it to hold with.
Hold a high temperature so you can
when you're pressing
fuzing, for example, you want to put down pressing costs
either side of your interfacing, your feasible interfacing,
so you don't melt anything onto your eye and to protect your eye.
And if you're doing delicate fabrics, it also protects your clothes as well.
But mostly mine is to protect my eye. And I get used to getting damaged.
And you will want some spray starch
comes in two types, an aerosol or the spray bottle.
I think they both have different uses for different things.
What you're doing, I find the heaviest spray bottle is good
if you want to iron out wrinkles in fabric.
I like the line of aerosol for a smoother
mist to actually start chop different things. I've talked about different uses and
fabrics to stop the curling.
You want this to make crisp, nice areas.
It is actually really it's very inexpensive,
but there's a lot of uses to have one hand and will really, really
help your ironing.
Pretty much everything in this list
here is what I have had and used for many, many years.
And you probably find that more than sufficient
to get away with all of your sewing and all your needs.
But on top of all those things, let's talk about
what is just really nice to have and might just be lifesavers in your sewing.
So this is on top of those things. You already have all those.
What are some other bits and pieces you might want to use?
Well, this is the joint press. This is new to me.
This is lovingly sent to me by Jackson Woodworks.
I've got that link down below to their Etsy store where you can find your own.
All of these wood products come from there.
I was very, very happy to get all these.
I haven't really made anything yet to use this guy yet.
But what this is for is to insert sleeves, so.
Well, this is like a multiuse to so you can, you know, insert
tiny little slivers of fabric and be able to really, really press the seam here
so you can get in and just press that.
You can use that pointy little end part here to point out curves
and not just think pull out color points
and all of those types of things in this little point.
The reason why it's made of wood is that wood is what we use in ironing.
So these are actually full of sawdust.
So we have little, little tiny funny bits of wood.
The wood ax as plastic, it would just sort of peel off,
but it does actually penetrate into the wood a bit.
But it also doesn't really absorb it.
So that's why we use this innocent, obviously natural product.
And you get a nice smell sometimes, too.
And so this gives you a really crisp, clean line,
whereas if you were using this, it is a bit softer.
So you'll get a bit of a softer press, particularly in quilting.
You want those really, really neat, crisp, straight lines, garment sewing.
We want all of these different light curves and points.
So this is really a tailoring thing
in particular with wool and everything where you're molding and shaping.
So you could use this to put molds around it
and put your fabric and mold and steam around it as well,
having your different points through up the sleeve. It's quite a multi-year tool.
And on the other note, the joint press.
So this is part of the Peckover.
Seems and this is for
you might guessed it already is for pointing out Kollars,
anything that needs poking out like this.
So I have for many years used this my own DIY version.
This is a loop turner
that I masking taped around the edge so that the hook just points.
And I use this as a little push up to push things out.
I now have this as a little push up to be able to push out
all of those little parts that you want.
This will be so useful because we're all tempted to use scissors.
Do not use your scissors for that type of task.
I promise it will be awful.
So one of these will be what you want something to point out.
And this is a nice fancy version.
I'm sure you can find a DIY, something that you're probably already using.
Now, the tool that is really quite
one of these, you know, nice to have is the clapper.
So these are all different sizes
and they're basically just shaped wooden blocks. And again, smooth, flat bottom.
So basically, you use it in conjunction with, say, you know, your hammocks.
When you've got maybe something flat down here
and you want to steam and and sort of press down on top,
obviously don't want to use your hand because it's burning hot.
In the past, I've used my other one to do
this, and it's kind of worked fairly well. But is actually this one's job.
This is what it's for.
So you can get this nice, smooth end here and actually push up.
So you steam you know, you steam on top like this
and then you can press down
and it actually presses and encases the steam to really get
smooth, crisp seams.
And you can push it into places really good, particularly for quilting,
where you got lots of flat services that you want really crisp,
open seams all the time .
And for garment sewing, for different uses as well.
But those are really nice to have one item that I have,
but is in storage is the sleeve board.
So it's like a tiny little ironing board
and it's basically four sleeves just so you that you can insert your sleeve.
So just like this. But imagine a little mini ironing board.
You can actually insert your sleeve all the way and just press the one side,
because we all know it's impossible to press a sleeve on a flat ironing board.
The two layers together does not work.
So of course, you can use your seam roll. That's what this is for.
You inserted into your sleeve to just press one side.
That's worked for me for years and years and years,
and that's what I probably still use.
Hence why my sleeve board is in storage for me.
I just use my sleeve, OK, but I know a lot of people absolutely
love the little mini ironing board, so to say you might like it to
next. Beautiful thing that you probably like to have a glass headed pins.
So why glass headed?
I think you already can realize the plastic ones melt.
Maybe this has happened to you.
You'd be ironing something and plastic pins melt glass headed pins.
You can. You don't want to
iron over the top on purpose, but if you do hit them,
you're not going to melt anything and you can actually use them .
So I often very use them as like part of my ironing board to use them
and stuff them in to hold fabric in place or something in place along.
And again, having them glass means that you can heat up.
They're not going to melt, no problems.
Now, another item not featured here is I don't have one is a silicon heat mat.
So often if you've got a regular iron that's not attached to a boiler like this
when you're ironing and you have to press it up all the time,
and again, you put it up, of course , it's quite
precarious sitting up here like this and is quite wobbly
silicon heat that would just sit on the end of the ironing board
that you can literally just put it down on top of iron.
And look, it's a lot more stable.
There's no wobbling. No can't burn yourself with a hot iron at the top.
So a silicone heat mat might be you like.
Luckily, mine is obviously already in my I am here, so I don't need one of those.
The other item not featured here is a heat resistant measure tape.
So a little piece of rulr, basically, let's pretend this is it.
This is not one of those, but it's a heat resistant ruler that you can use.
And so this is, again, probably very much a quilting type
gadget for sure with all those straight lines.
Is that then you can fold up your hems,
for example, or anything like this over that amount and measure it
and actually then press over the top of the entire thing
and press it all in one in garments.
We do a lot of curves and a straight ruler doesn't really work, at least for me.
And what I'm doing so much, I think that they are really nifty tools.
And if you do lots of straight lines or just have trouble measuring in general
and trying to press, that really might be helpful for you, too.
As I said, remember,
you have the tools that you get started with, then you have your must have tools
that just make this job so much nicer and easier.
And that's mostly all that you really need.
And then there's just a lot of things that are really nice to have it
just make it even more fun and pleasurable.
And let's. Face it, if we so for a lifetime,
then you just end up collecting all these types of different tools
and gadgets that just make our life so much easier as we go along.
What do you think? I'd love to hear from you.
What are you selling
your favorite pressing tools and gadgets to help pressing today miss anything?
What should I try?
I would love to hear because you never know.
There might be another video in there.
Remember to read those comments
because there'll be lots of helpful hints down there from you,
because we're all of great
sewing community here sharing all of our sewing knowledge.
Until next time, my sewing friends happy, pressing and ironing a happy sewing, bye.