Stitchnripper

All good suggestions - I will take them too, but, I just started using my clapper on my quilt blocks and I do like the result. Makes them very flat. I don't move the iron too much, just press, and then slap that clapper on for a minute. Been happy so far!!

Bjbaxter

I admit that I had to look a "clapper" up, I had no clue what it was for! I did use to sew garments, but still had not come across it. I may have to venture in and see if it works for me, but I don't have that much problem with flat seams.

materials witness

I am in the same boat, but I do read about ironing. (Like cooking - can't do it, but I read about it.) One thing you might try is a firmer ironing board. Less batting under the ironing pad.
I also read that as soon as you press a seam, lay your ruler on it until it cools. That's supposed to keep it flat.
As for half square triangles, the Bloc Loc ruler makes sure the seam is perfectly straight, preventing some types of wrinkles.

zozee

I like the Flawless brand of starch (heavy). And one thing I started doing , after hearing it from Mary Fons, is to spray the back of the fabric, not the front, because the starch will penetrate the fibers better (less dye to go through). I spray only as much fabric as I'm going to be able to cut at one sitting. I spray the back, fold the piece in half and flatten it with my hands to really get the starch into the piece. I let it dry well before ironing. I use steam on everything except bias edges.

jmoore

I have just experimented with starching all my fabric before cutting (having attended a seminar at Maine's Quilt Show end of July) on a Warm Wishes baby quilt and it certainly made for easier piecing and pressing. Just trying to finish piecing the back to get it finished.

lots2do

Lots of good food for thought here. Glad this thread was started.

ziegamomma

Wish I could remember where I saw this, but the video I saw was quite informative. The quilter set her seams, the opened the joined pieces and pressed the corners first, then pressed the pieces. In her demo she was showing HST and did not stretch her bias edges.

Friday1961

No advice about pressing, but I can relate to what you said about a plateau.

Because quilting is a hobby and therapy, I tend to avoid quilts so complicated that making them would be stressful. I had enough stress while working to last a lifetime and my goal in retirement is to not court it. But recently I was given some pieced equilateral triangles that were intended to form stars. I had no pattern and no clue how to go about making these blocks but was intrigued enough to try to find out and then do it. As I posted here, I probably ripped more than I sewed, and the finished flimsy (now sandwiched) is far from perfect. But I'm so glad I did it, because I learned a lot, got out of my comfort zone, and completed (hopefully) someone else's dream (my kids bought the triangles at an estate sale). And I did not feel stressed while doing it!

Path50

Thanks for all the great advice everyone and Friday1961 I know exactly what you're talking about- it's good to give your brain a workout every now and then!

klswift

Take baby steps. If you are having a little wrinkle, try holding the dark side up instead of being flat on the table. Press the light side and slide into the dark side. This should prevent that little wrinkle. A heavier iron does a lot of the work for you. But, if too heavy for you, it can cause more problems than it is worth. I have a heavier one for larger projects and one of the very small light one on a 12" pressing mat. While I have larger ironing boards, I prefer my 20" x 15" teflon covered slightly padded board that sits on a wooden tv tray table to the right of my machine when I am sewing. It is perfect when making blocks and is portable. My point is that whatever works for you will be what you should do. Try small things to start and keep upgrading and changing until you are happy with your results, but don't throw out everything you currently do at once.