I am a steamer but I am careful not to push the iron across seams that push them, especially a bias seam because it does indeed push it out of line and is harder to deal with in the next step. I use an inexpensive iron, Black and Decker or G.E. If using steam shortens the life of the iron I will just buy another one. It is just to convenient to keep steam in it. I also think we need to be careful about the chemicals added to the manufacturing process of fabric. Lesser quality fabric seems to have more than the better quality fabrics. The chemicals are used to improve the 'hand' of the fabric.

Hope you are,asking a full recovery. What ever the chemical it does explain why customs refused entry of a parcel from the USA to UK. It must have been whatever was in the fabric.

To steam or not to steam when you iron is another one of those controversial questions. Like to pre-wash your fabric or not. I myself am a big fan of steam when I iron. I feel it gives a much better crease. Others will say to never steam iron as it stretches your fabric. Just be careful how you iron.

I'm a steamer! But I don't iron I press. I love it for flattening those seams.

I like steam. BUT, I am making quilts with donated fabric scraps for a charity. I didn't prewash because the fabrics were lots of small, odd, shapes, and I thought prewashing would be a disaster. I have found that one fabric shrinks a lot when I steam it and distorts the block. I have thrown out those scrapes.

That's terrible, bee! Was that the first time? Did you know you have extreme sensitivity to chemicals? I have never heard of anything like that happening to anyone. How did your doctor treat it??

I hope you heal soon.

Hi, thanks, I didn't have sensitivities before, It was such a noxious gas odor that came off of the fabric once the steam hit it, we had to leave the room it was so bad. Im even afraid to return it, its triple bagged out in the garage, not sure whether to have it tested by a lab or throw it out.

dottymo, wonder what they found in t he fabric ? thats interesting.

I don't pre-wash and I rarely use steam. I do starch before cutting on occasion and will also use a light spritz of Best Press if things need to be really flat. My seams intersect, points are pointy and things match. I've never noticed an issue with shrinkage either. Either way works so choose whichever you like best.

I'm a big steamer.
Wow, that sounded wrong, lol!!

As someone else said, I just don't push the iron around unnecessarily. I've found that lots of times, steam can help you fix issues, especially if you're dealing with bias. I recently made a quilt from jelly rolls, the block edges were ALL on the bias. I glue-pinned the seams so they would match, then steamed the blocks, holding the iron about a quarter-inch above the fabric. All those bias edges snapped their heels together, saluted me, and lined up perfectly.