Curiosity Question on Pressing Fabric
 

When pressing fabric, do you:

Press on wrong side of fabric?

Press on right side of fabric?


I am a "wrong side" presser.

I do both sides if needed to get out wrinkles before cutting.

Rob

I mostly press on the "right" side, but there are situations when I press on the "wrong" side. Guess that makes me a situational presser :D

I press whatever side hits the ironing board first!

I just started pressing on the wrong side! It seems like it's easier to see the wrinkles on the backside

I press on wrong side first and last on top side . It helps prevent scorching the fabric. High/ thick spots in seams will get scorched easily pressing on the top side. I also use a pressing cloth on the top side.
peace

:D I'm a situational presser, too. Some fabrics like sateens need to be pressed on the wrong side because of the sheen. Most fabrics, don't but I like to press on the wrong side a lot for no particular reason.

I recently saw an episode of Fons & Porter where a viewer sent in a tip recommending spraying the wrong side of fabric with starch because there are no dyes on the wrong side, therefore absorbing the starch more easily. I tried it and noticed no difference. I iron from the right side.

I spray the starch on the wrong side, iron on the right side. Don't know why, just habit!!:D

hmmm, the right side. if it needs more, the wrong side also.

I start by heavily starching the wrong side of the fabric, letting it soak in for 3-5 minutes & then ironing on the right side. Then, I add some more starch to the right side of the fabric, let it soak in & then iron the wrong side of the fabric.

So, in my Beginning Piecing Workshop, I teach my students to press from the top. It just prevents the pucker that happens at the seam. Of course, if you're pressing the seam open, you have to do it from the back, but check the front to make sure the pucker isn't there.

Situational presser here, too. :D

I starch on the right side and press on the wrong side.

I press on both sides in no particular sequence.

I'm a right side presser! I just find it easier to open out the fold at the seam line when pressing from the right side.

(Ok, maybe I do use the iron to push out the seam a little instead of just pressing! Never had a problem with stretching because I do it gently......but you never read this here!)

So glad you asked this question, Anita. I answered thinking about ironing brand new fabric. But based on some of the answers, I'm wondering if you meant blocks/seamed pieces.

I set the seam from the wrong side & then press open from the right side, sliding my iron from the low side of the seam over to the high side of the seam. Then, I double check the back to make sure I didn't accidentally press in any creases. However, sometimes even when I initially pressed everything the right direction, along the way, it ends up flipping & I usually don't catch it until it's too late. I know some members here use Water Soluble glue to tack down the seams in the proper direction. I might try that this next time so they don't end up flip-flopping on me. Or maybe someone will post some ideas about how to better prevent this from happening. I use little to no starch or steam when pressing. I switched to a Clover II mini iron because I have nerve damage to my fingers & kept accidentally burning them with my full sized iron when pressing pieces since I cannot feel hot or cold. No blisters since switching to the mini iron so hopefully I can keep working with that. If I need a bit of steam, I have a spray bottle of water with which I can spritz my fabric.

In the event you were asking about applique (which is the one thing I can actually do pretty well), I always press on the right side of the fabric. For turned edge, I will tack down a bit with my iron & painted on starch on the folded "seam" of the applique piece (still the right side of the fabric, but the part that's flipped over & caught between the applique & the background fabric). For fused applique I used a pressing cloth & press always from the right side of both fabrics. For needle turn, you don't press at all -- which is why I love it so much! :thumbup:

A huge THANK YOU everyone who's responded/will respond and to Anita for asking this question. I always learn so much from everyone on this Board!

To clarify: I am talking about "new" fabric before it is cut or pieced or what have you...As I said previously, I tend to press on the wrong side. It seems that the folds press out better that way (or they do for me).

I press both sides when I have pieced a block, first the seam side to set the seam, then the front side.

Thanks to all those who've answered!

If you're just pressing fabric before you use it, I don't think it matters. Once you're pressing pieced pieces, you should always set your seam first using steam, then with only one he nose of the iron gently press the top fabric over, then using the whole iron press (not iron). You'll be amazed how flat your seam are. Steam works wonders as long as you press and don't iron which can stretch your fabric.

When I am giving a pieced block a final press, I use a pressing cloth over the right side.

Back to front for me.

I really only iron on the wrong side for some metallics - sometimes there's a noticeable "drag" on the soleplate when it's a fabric that has a lot of metallic dye on it, so I'll flip those over and iron from the back.

Otherwise I iron the "right" side - no particular reason other than I like to admire my fabric as I work with it!

After washing my fabrics, I press/iron them on the "wrong/back" side with the grain.

Because it is easier to see the grain lines on the back and sometimes a flaw is easier to spot from the back.

If I do come across a flaw - a slub, hole, printing error - I put a small safety pin in the selvage even with the "problem" so that I can cut around it when I get around to cutting.

Right side. It works better for cutting. At least it does for me.

Since I fold my fabric with the right side up, I usually press on the right side. However, pieced blocks are a different story. Those I press those on both sides.

Cindi thinks like me what ever hits the ironing board first.....my Grandmother used to call the wrong side of the fabric the left side.....just thought I would throw that out...to see if there were any left siders out there...