I am a new quilter of only about 3 months. I have read numerous articles, books, Youtube tutorials and most generally they have all said not to use steam when pressing seams/squares as it can stretch fabric. I started a quilting class this week and instructor says to steam. Just wondering what most of you more experienced quilters prefer.

I've been quilting for about 12 years, and I still can't decide. I do both, but I generally start without steam. If I can't get the fabric to cooperate, I use steam. I'm interested in everyone's responses, too.

Linda

General rule of thumb---dry heat with bias, steam otherwise. I always use steam because it makes the fabric lay flatter, but if there is a lot of bias I don't--steam stretches bias.

BUT there are no quilt police hanging over your shoulder, so what ever you are comfortable with is rule

I use spray starch and no steam. It is all a personal choice.
There is really no right or wrong:)

Starch and press.

30 years quilting, teaching, designing. My opinion is that it isn't the steam which distorts, it's the 'presser'. I always use steam, high heat, and a pressing-not ironing motion.

Jan in VA

I always use steam, but I am very careful to PRESS, not Iron. It is the moving of the iron across the fabric that stretches it - my opinion

I used to use steam but I don't use it as much anymore and I don't really see a difference. The difference I see most is when I use starch or best press.

Susan

I've always used steam, but now I'm trying dry and starch. I thought maybe it would add to the life of my iron. We'll see!

I agree that it is the moving of the iron that distorts, not the iron or steam/no steam.

I have started just finger pressing the initial seams on my blocks for my minis, and my piecing is better this way!

Stream and press , just up and down with the iron , no moving the iron across the fabric , while in contact with it.

i use starch and press with iron on dry most of the time.

I stopped putting water in my iron and just use a spray bottle filled with distilled water when I want.

I recently started doing finger press (or using a wooden press stick) during the block construction. Then I give it a firm press with the iron when the block is done. Using steam depends on how well the seams behave.

I have always used a dry Iron if I need steam I use a spray bottle. Ladies aren't spray bottls great! I remember using a sprinkle bottle when Ironing cloths. I still have mine.

I use steam, but press, not iron. I press all pieces the same, so I assume if any shrinking is going on, everything shrinks the same.

I like to use starch and press, not iron, both sides. But there's no right or wrong way, just the way you prefer.

I use steam but make sure to press - not iron! I think that is where the stretching comes in. Also do not move the fabric until the heat is gone so no stretching from that.

I use a spray bottle with distilled water too, like some others do

No steam but sometimes I dip my finger in a little bowl of water and just
dab those pesky seams that don't want to lay flat then press or I use a
small piece of damp cloth on the seam.

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!

I've never really got comfortable with the steam function on irons, so I don't use it. I keep a spray bottle around for stubborn creases, though I'm now trying to make sure that I don't let my fabric get too creased when I prewash it as that's the main problem. I don't use the spray bottle often.

The main thing for me is the size of the iron. Unless I'm pressing whole pieces of fabric to prepare them, or pressing a completed quilt top before basting, I don't use a standard sized iron. I use a little travel iron which sits on a tabletop ironing board on my sewing desk, so I can press without doing more than reaching a few inches further away. I find that the small size and light weight of the iron are much better for those little 1/4" seams, it's much easier to manoeuvre, whether it's straight seams or curved ones, or appliqué come to that. If I was using a big heavy standard iron for piecing, I suspect I'd end up with distortions and accidentally pressing in creases and such.

Spray starch - I've found that while it makes the fabrics easier to handle because they're stiffer, it also means that if the top gets folded up at any point (and sooner or later it will, especially around basting time) then I get creases settling in which are much harder to get out. This also happens with quilting frame creases. So now I'm pretty much keeping it for appliqué and for sewing small pieces on the bias, since I had no end of fun with some small triangles a while back.

I remember those sprinkle bottles! I was thinking of that not very long ago, wishing I had one. It was what my grandmother used and what I used when she taught me to iron! There was a little dent in ours on the metal 'sprinkle top'. I also learned to sew on a treadle machine. I wish I had both of them now! Never liked spray irons - and don't have one even now. Yes, spray bottles are great, use them all the time for a lot of things.















1

I don't steam. If I need to, I just spritz with water.

I don't steam. If I need to, I just spritz with water.

thnx for asking this ? JAK...
i never thought about the steam distorting the fabric...
guess i will try no steam on triangles...see if that helps any with my seam alignment :)

I agree with Jan. I always use steam...high heat...PRESS, not iron.

Ha Ha have you ever tried on a T-shirt or blouse that was kinda tight? Iron it with a little pushing/pulling pressure and your top will stretch out to fit.
Syl

This is what I do too. Sometimes I dry press before steaming so the seams are almost flat to begin with. And also remember allow the fabric to dry COMPLETELY before working with it again.

Back in the day------we used to iron everything.
My husband was in the Air Force so I had to iron his fatigues. What a job!
I would sprinkle them down, roll them up, and put them in a pillow case, then I put them in the frig over night. The cold and damp would take out all of the wrinkles.
The next day I would spray starch them, with my starch that I made from the dry box of starch and adding water. Faultless? Back then they also had a bottle of starch that they used just for collars and cuffs, very, very stiff that would last through 3 or 4 washings, I haven't seen any in a long time. Not much need for it now.
Syl

I love this idea. At my ASG meeting recently, someone shared an embellished sweatshirt. She told us to stretch and iron the ribbing with steam on the bottom. It looked great and natural.

Linda