How do you press fabric?
 

Excuse the rookie post. I've read about pressing versus ironing fabric. Can someone please describe how you "press?" Do you move the iron along the fabric at all or are you simply lifting and lowering the iron? Do you press down or let the iron do the work? How long should the iron rest on the fabric?

Sorry, I'm clueless, lol.

Lift and lower for pressing. You should press blocks or pieces of blocks. It is OK to iron yardage.

This is what I do too. My Rowenta makes lots of steam, I hold it down just a couple of seconds and lift. If seam is flat, move on.. I don't need to press down because the Rowenta is a heavy iron.

If ironing a piece of fabric you move the iron around over the fabric to get rid of wrinkles or to starch your fabric to help with accurate cuts. If you are (pressing) a pieced block you place the iron, lift reposition and place again. You do not move the iron around on a pieced block due to that stretching/distorting your blocks. Generally it only takes a few seconds in each area to press your blocks. If using steam (or starch) 2-3 seconds at a time should do the job

Pressing not ironing, up and down. It is hard to do after years of ironing, but you can actually see the patch distort if you iron instead of press.
Sue

I prewash but some don't. Glad I did today though, lot of red bleeding like fabric on blood thinners. Any way after I've washed and dried, I smooth the fabric and clip any fraying. But like I stated I smooth the fabric with my hands then just press.

This is correct. You should only need to press down for 2 to 3 seconds especially if you use steam. I too love my Rowenta iron.

If you watch Jennie she sets the seam (sometimes) and then rolls back the fabric with the iron. I don't believe this is ironing because you're not stretching the fabric and pushing too hard on it. You will be able to see the difference once you learn how hard to use your iron. It's all trial and error and as long as my pieces fit I don't stress. You will know when you're not doing it right because the pieces won't fit together!

Got it! Totally makes sense now. I iron yardage but press pieces. Thanks all!

If you ever listen to Ricky Tims, he is a strong supporter of ironing. He says that he approaches the fabric with manly force. I sometimes iron, and sometimes press. I have pushed assorted blocks with enough steam into submission. Then again, I am a strong supporter of squaring my blocks.