Pressing Strip Sets
 

I have started another quilt, one that has many strip sets (3 strips each 1.5")....all needing pressed and then cut down to size, either 6.5" or 1.5"....my question is how exactly do you press them (adding spray starch) and keep them straight?....mine always seem to end up with bows in them, requiring me to either repress, or cut a few sections, then straighten against the line again.....HELP ME!....if I thought I could add a straight line to my ironing board without causing more problems I would....LOL....I can see an ink/marker line that transfers to the fabric, not a good scenario(:.....what tips or hints can you share with me?

I actually used a permanant marker and drew a straight line with my ruler on my ironing board to help me with the pressing of my strip sets. Just remember to press and not iron - that helps a lot.

Be sure to set your seam first, that is put your hot iron on the seam before you open it, I just press, not back and forth but up and down to the end of the seam. Then lift one side of fabrics run your iron tip along the seam, this irons your seam to one side; I usually press to the darker side if at all possible.

Sometimes I use spray starch and sometimes not, just according to the fabric and how it behaves.

Good luck,

delma

I use a strip stick. You can probably make your own with half round and some thin batting and muslin. I bought mine at a quilt show though. It shows them pressing the seams open but with a little practice you can also use it to press seams to one side and they come out nice and straight. When you use it to press seams open you do it from the back side and when you use it to press seams to one side you do it from the right side.

http://thestripstick.com/

Everybody else is going to tell you you have to sew them from opposite ends and that'll solve your problem. It might help some but the real problem is in the pressing.

You can draw a line on your ironing board cover with a Sharpie permanent marker; won't transfer to fabric.

Lots of pressing tips from Quilt University.
http://www.quiltuniversity.com/pressing_tips.htm

I press the seam of every two strips before I add the units together. I also lay the strip set across the ironing board, not along it, keep the iron parallel to the seams, never tug on anything and never iron, just press. I 'almost' never have bowed strata.

3 things that help me with keeping strip sets straight: (1) always set the seam; (2) PRESS, don't iron; and (3) I lay the strip sets crosswise on the ironing board, so I'm only pressing a small section of the set at one time, then gently move it along. I found that when I laid them out lengthwise on the ironing board I always ended up with the strip set having a bow or curve, and then sub-cutting it is a mess. I actually think that a strip set with three or more strips is easier to keep straight than one with only two strips...

I saw that demonstrated at the DesMoines show last week ... looked interesting .. and easy to make myself :)

To the OP ... I have found that I'm much less likely to bow my strip while ironing if I press my seams open, than if I press to one side. I'm becoming a bigger fan of pressing open.

easy for me. My ironing board cover has stripes on it so I just line it up. lol
Syl

Put a single layer of flannel on your ironing board. Then, iron your sets on the flannel. The flannel will help hold the fabric in place and will help make it so it doesn't get distorted.

I gently press after setting the seams and starch heavily

I just line it up against my 24" ruler, press that bit then line it up again and press again.

are you sure your strip set is straight to begin w/?? I know there have been times that if i don't pay attention and my fabric isn't straight, I get a bow in the middle of the strip before i even begin..

One way to prevent warping of strips is to alternate the sides when you sew. For example, you sew two strips together and when you are done use the bottom of the pair as a starting point to sew the third strip.

The strip sets are straight before I start pressing...it seems to be something I am doing while pressing LOL I guess it is just my way way of making an easy quilt difficult! I do like the idea of the pressing strip...will have to look into making my own.....am also going to try the marker line on the ironing board fabric....I made my own cover and have some scraps yet to test and see just how "permanent" the marker is.....Thanks everyone for your tips!

Be sure and don't lay it along the ironing board. That's what I've been told, and that is what I do. I haven't had any problems YET! HA.

When I started doing this my strip sets became much straighter. You will notice this even more if you are sewing lots of strips together like in a bargello.

Could someone give us an idea on how to make these stripsticks? They seem to be a helpful tool and not too hard to make. If someone has made one, we could learn from their mistakes! LOL

It's simply a piece of half round covered with thin batting and muslin. The one I bought is sewn on but I'll bet you could just glue it on the flat side. One lady I met years and years ago just used a plain piece of half round without anything over it. At the time I didn't really get what she was using it for until I saw the demo at the quilt show.

Try pressing seams open. That seems to work for me. There is no extra bulk on one side that way. I also like the idea of putting a flannel strip down to help hold the fabric straight.

Strip stick is the way I go. It somehow makes it easier and my strips don't bow.

A really effective way to control "bowing" of strip sets is in the sewing phase. Sew strip 1 to strip 2 going "top to bottom", Then, sew strip 2 to strip 3 going bottom to top. I made a Trip Around the World with 1 1/2" stops and this technique made it come out perfect!

Love this idea! Learn something new from this board every day.

Saw a Fons and Porter show this afternoon on our public tv channel. Was allabout pressing strip sets and they recommend that you cut them into shorter pieces instead of one long piece. Makes pressing and keeping them straight a whole lot easier. I am going to remember this trick myself on the next set of strip sets that i do.

Thanks, Scissor Queen. I am going to try this. I'm making the Amazing Jelly Roll be Three Dudes, using strips of many different sizes, and this would be a help.

For a strip stick, I went to the building supply and bought a piece of flooring joiner--not sure of the proper name. It is about 1.5 inches wide and sits about .5 inch high and 40 inches long. I bought it in the summer when I was making neck coolers and it fit perfectly for pressing them after turning. I didn't cover it with anything. I also like to cut my fabric on the fold and like to use shorter lengths and don't seem have the problems with pressing.

as usual lots of great info thanks all

I bought the "Steady Betty" ironing board. Nothing moves!!!! Nothing bows. No warps. Can do flying geese right now. Can do triangles. Everything is right with the world. Try it. It's amazing!!!!!