Pressing your fabric before starting your quilt and throughout the patchwork or appliqué process is important to the
overall finish of the quilt. Although not complicated it is helpful to note a few points.
One of the advantages of using 100% cotton is that slight wrinkles and puckers in the sewing will disappear with steam
from a hot iron. Synthetic fibres have to be pressed with a cooler iron and this can make it difficult to eliminate all
wrinkles and creases.
When pressing the right side of the fabric it is advisable to use a cloth between the fabric and the iron to avoid the
fabric from glazing i.e. turning shiny. If it does the glazing cannot be removed.
Pressing seams
You should press every seam. It is advised that after the seam has been sewn the piece should be first of all pressed in
its closed position i.e. on the wrong side. This will help to set the stitches. Then you can open the piece and where
several seams meet, for example in the centre of a star block, the seams can be pressed open to stop any lumps of fabric
showing through to the right side.
In general where there are not several seams meeting at the one point the seam allowance should be pressed to either one
side or the other. Where a dark and light fabric have been joined together, then if possible press the seam allowance to
the dark fabric side to prevent the dark allowance showing through the light fabric. If this cannot be done you can trim
the dark seam allowance to lessen the effect.
With cotton fabrics the problem of a dark seam allowance showing through is not generally a problem.
Appliqué work
With appliqué work you should press the appliqué shapes before attaching them to the background fabric. If sewing
the appliqués on by hand then after the raw edges have been turned and sewn in, gently press the appliqué. If
you press
too hard on the appliqué shape you may allow the turned under seam to show through to the right side of the fabric.