Comments on Gertie's New Blog for Better Sewing: Pressing Seams Flat Then Open: Necessity . . . or ...

Using vintage rose fabric and using it for appliqu...

2012-02-14T20:07:23.519-05:00

Using vintage rose fabric and using it for appliques is a good concept for alteration of patterned designs of ready made dress. I was taught to sew by my mother and today I am teaching the same art to my daughter. I always prefer to keep the seem flat.

Hi there, Having been taught to always press the s...

2012-02-01T16:01:59.203-05:00

Hi there,
Having been taught to always press the seam the first time closed, and then open............

and then not doing so........

........I have to say, I really believe from what I see, that the first press does imbed the stitching, and then pressing the seam open afterwards completes a much better look to the seam......

I have checked it out and do really think that the seam looks better if you "set" it first by pressing the seam flat and then open.

Being a seamstress, I love to press my seams open....

2012-01-31T11:43:42.943-05:00

Being a seamstress, I love to press my seams open. I feel it gives a more professional feel to the seam because it is not bulky but smooth. This is something I am always teaching my students.

Veronica
Bella Jean Boutique

I have never heard of pressing flat first. I am g...

2012-01-26T06:20:14.861-05:00

I have never heard of pressing flat first. I am going to give it a try - I too am interested in the results.

I've been taught to press flat one way and the...

2012-01-26T04:42:04.177-05:00

I've been taught to press flat one way and then the other and then press open. It makes pressing them open so much easier.

I'm taking a beginning sewing class at a schoo...

2012-01-25T22:44:15.434-05:00

I'm taking a beginning sewing class at a school with a pretty well respected technical apparel design program and we were just taught to only press open. I feel like my teacher knows his stuff, he certainly has been doing it a long time!

I will press flat first, if I remember. I am muc...

2012-01-24T09:19:47.476-05:00

I will press flat first, if I remember.

I am much more interested in iron discussions. Mine decided to die on me -- well not die, but leak profusely everytime I turn the iron down to use it. Needless to say I need a replacement before I can continue sewing.

I am mostly self taught, but when I told my mother...

2012-01-24T07:59:55.766-05:00

I am mostly self taught, but when I told my mother I was learning to sew, the only thing she really had to say was "press everything, all the time, or your garments won't look any good". I tend to google every new skill obsessively so I definitely picked up the pressing flat thing from the sewing police! That said, I wont change - I just can't appreciate how the garment is coming together unless it's perfectly ironed after each step! And yes, I know that it's obsessive! >.<

I always press them flat. Always. On both sides!...

2012-01-23T14:38:43.905-05:00

I always press them flat. Always. On both sides! It seems blasphemy not to. Of course, I've always been a follow the rules girl and that's how I was taught. The thought that I could do it another way...I don't know. It might be the beginning of the end of everything!

Like many of the commenters, since I'm self ta...

2012-01-23T06:37:54.098-05:00

Like many of the commenters, since I'm self taught, I didn't know about this. I'll have to look it up and give it a try.

Sounds like people do their pressing every which w...

2012-01-22T22:34:39.740-05:00

Sounds like people do their pressing every which way. I think the important thing is pressing at all, and pressing (up and down motion of the iron) versus ironing (dragging the iron across the fabric and moving it around), the later can stretch your garment out of shape. Do tell us about irons; I have a Rowenta and an Oliso.

Depends on the project and the fabric. It does s...

2012-01-22T22:23:29.149-05:00

Depends on the project and the fabric.
It does seem to make the stitches sort of sink into the fabric and become less obvious if you do press flat first. Sometimes it also seems to make the seam more flexible,even if it's just a tiny bit.

I usually press side to side before opening not be...

2012-01-22T21:30:33.123-05:00

I usually press side to side before opening not because of the setting thing - agreed, whut? - but because depending on the seam and the fabric it can reduce the chance of that phenomenon where there's little creases parallel to the stitching (ie. where you kind of press a few millimetres to the side of your stitching instead of *on* the stitching).

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2012-01-22T21:27:35.612-05:00

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A few ladies said it well, flat then open. Yes, i...

2012-01-22T17:56:52.785-05:00

A few ladies said it well, flat then open. Yes, information on types of irons would be great.

My instructors & TAs tell me they can tell if ...

2012-01-22T16:52:23.617-05:00

My instructors & TAs tell me they can tell if I press correctly or not, so I do it just like they say!

Oh, please do a post on ironing! Especially which ...

2012-01-22T16:38:23.453-05:00

Oh, please do a post on ironing! Especially which types of irons are good. Also, if you have any tips for not dragging your fabric around when ironing it on the board, that would be awesome! I'm just in the middle of a silk bias cut top and the ironing thing has me all upset!

I can't see a difference when I press flat fir...

2012-01-22T14:30:19.442-05:00

I can't see a difference when I press flat first, I'm not sure what setting the stitches really means either, I just press open and it looks fine to me. I love irons and am secretly waiting for my perfectly decent one to fail so I've an excuse to splurge on a super flash one :)

Yep, would like to talk irons please....

2012-01-22T14:11:18.197-05:00

Yep, would like to talk irons please....

I usually don't, I never even heard of it as a...

2012-01-22T13:39:35.288-05:00

I usually don't, I never even heard of it as a rule until about a month ago. But then, I also tend to serge my seam allowances together unless it's something I might want to make alterations so I suppose I press them flat as a default. Although my sewing instructor/family friend is a theatrical costumer by trade and I don't think I've ever seen her press flat and then open, so I wonder if the rule comes more from home sewing or professional sewing.

Being taught by my mother, who was professionally ...

2012-01-22T06:19:42.622-05:00

Being taught by my mother, who was professionally taught, I never heard about flat and then open until recently, so I'm not convinced!

I press first, seems like the seams are easier to ...

2012-01-22T03:26:51.663-05:00

I press first, seems like the seams are easier to work with, and look better when I do.

Love to hear more about irons also!

I adore my Rowena iron, it's incredible. I had...

2012-01-21T22:47:44.065-05:00

I adore my Rowena iron, it's incredible. I had never heard of pressing flat first, but I can see where it would help set the initial seam for a better open press.

setting it helps in quilting, when you are pressin...

2012-01-21T20:08:02.797-05:00

setting it helps in quilting, when you are pressing the seams to one side.

i've never ever heard of pressing them flat fi...

2012-01-21T19:31:55.922-05:00

i've never ever heard of pressing them flat first. just press them open, and then maybe back together if they need to sit in the same direction or for finishing or something.

But yes - irons are such an important topic. i can't believe how i used to sew without an iron. i am so pleased you mentioned it because none of my non sewing friends like to hear about my iron...