Press every seam before another one crosses it. This single habit does more for the look of a finished garment than any machine setting.
Press, do not iron. Ironing means sliding the iron across the fabric, which stretches and distorts it. Pressing means lifting the iron, setting it down, holding, and lifting again. On a garment in construction, always press.
The sequence for a seam.
One. Press the seam flat, exactly as it was sewn, before opening it. This sets the stitches into the fabric and removes the small puckers the machine leaves.
Two. Press the seam open, or to one side as the pattern directs.
Three. Press from the wrong side wherever possible, and use a pressing cloth on the right side.
Get the temperature right and test on a scrap. Too cool and nothing happens; too hot and synthetics glaze or melt and wool shines.
Use shape. A tailor’s ham for darts, curved seams, sleeve caps and anything that must stay three-dimensional. Pressing a shaped seam flat on a board removes the shape you just built. A sleeve board for narrow tubes; a seam roll to stop allowance edges printing through.
Let it cool before you move it. Fabric sets as it cools, and lifting a piece while it is warm loses the press.
Clapper for stubborn edges on wool and heavy cotton — press with steam, then hold the wooden clapper down until cool.
And never press over pins. They mark the fabric and score the soleplate.
Questions people actually ask
How much steam should I use?
Plenty on cotton, linen and wool. Little or none on silk, which water-spots, and on synthetics, which can glaze.
Do I really need a tailors ham?
For anything shaped, yes. Darts, bust curves and sleeve caps cannot be pressed correctly on a flat board.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11