no steam...ever...if I have wrinkles I have the old fashion spray bottle of water and just press not push....

I use steam until the water in the iron runs out. Sometimes it's too much trouble to walk the 5 feet to the bathroom to get some water (LOL).

Pat

Thanks everyone for your tricks of the trade. I think I may try the spray bottle also. I need to be more careful about not ironing and pressing instead. Old habits die hard after ironing for so many years I guess :) Thanks again...this site is so very helpful!

Yes, there is a difference between pressing and ironing!

Agree with this one. It's what I do too. I do see a difference in my fabrics using steam, and I like them this way. Also, if there are bad wrinkles, then I use Magic Sizing. I enjoy the body it gives the fabrics, and makes it so much easier to get good cuts. But, again, it's press, not iron :)

Most of the books advised not to 'iron' because people didn't understand not to stretch the fabric. Once it became better known to 'press' not 'iron', then I think more people understood they could press without a problem. Just don't stretch the fabric...and I think many times this is what the books refer too (and it keeps their projects easy to do/correct if you haven't stretched your fabric out of shape).

I start out with steam and end up with no steam. I use starch so i don't see any real difference in it.

I use spray starch also. I have always used steam, but I found that the spray gets out hard wrinkles that steam can't and I really like the crisp feel of the fabric. I found some non-aerosol, bio-degradable starch that doesn't clog the nozzle and it's good for the enviroment as well.

I don't use steam, but to be honest I have forgotten and pressed with the steam function on and never had any distortion that I could notice. I think I get a crisper flatter result if I press with steam and a little bit of Best Press though. I also keep a bottle of water by my ironing board for wrinkles that won't come out.

The biggest habit that has been helpful to me is pressing not ironing - as many other ladies have mentioned. I generally open seams with my fingers first and use my nail to sort of create a "guide" for pressing. You can also buy a little wooden pressing stick from the craft store for a few bucks...I use that when I'm making something with a lot of seams so I don't have to keep getting up and going to the ironing board. Like this pineapple quilt I'm currently working on, I usually finish the entire block and just use my wooden pressing stick and then take it to the ironing board and press with a little bit of Best Press.

If you can find one of those wooden rollers used for pressing the seams of wallpaper, they work wonderfully for pressing seams. I use it on short seams and save pressing for the finished or long seams. With or without steam depends on the block. And my mood.

I agree Jan, you can 'press' with steam or you can iron with steam. Ironing with steam distorts fabric because we tend to pull on it. Sit your steam iron on the seam you wish to press, then lift. Thats the secret. Hope this helps!