Jingle

Pressing one seam at a time would make it easier. Put strips across the ironing board and press at an angle. Lynette Jensen tells and shows how to do this in some of her books. If you follow the seam with the iron it may not turn out very well.

Girlfriend

Be sure to use a hard pressing surface. A softer mushy surface will allow those little pleats. I made my own small ironing board to be used beside my machine. I followed Sharon Schamber's you tube video. It's just one piece of batting against a 3/4 pressboard. Hope this helps.

coopah

Thanks, Jan. Never thought about the side of the iron being curved and affecting the strip! I also press open each seam as it's done instead of doing several seams at a time.

LTeachergeorge

I sew them into pairs -- then press those pairs; then connect the pairs and press those seams. This is what I have found to be the best way for me.

Linda in MO

JanieH

Just ordered one in each size. Really looks like it will help with this problem! Thanks for the link!

ghostrider

So many different suggestions, all worth trying on sample sets before deciding what works best for you.

I set my seams from the wrong side of the fabric, then press them to one side from the right side of the fabric by bumping the straight edge of the iron right next to the seam ridge to lay the strip over flatly. When they're all done, I press the whole set from both the front and the back sides. Pressing from the front eliminates any and all unintended pleats or folds.

In general, strip sets do not 'warp' if they're pressed with the set running across the ironing board instead of along the ironing board. Irons also heat higher on a dry setting than a on steam setting.

bigsister63

Did not know about the iron haveing curverd surface. Will from now on use dry iron,lay strip across board and use tip of iron Thanks for the tips. You ladies are GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

maviskw

I found a way to use my ironing board for a "strip stick". Lay the strip set on the ironing board the long way. Press the first seam that is close to you as you wish. Lay the strip set on the board with the first strip hanging just below the edge of the ironing board. That way you can get at the second strip without disturbing what you did on the first one. Then pull it down so that the second seam is hanging over and work on the third, etc.

I may make myself a set of strip sticks some day, but the ironing board works for me for now.

AlienQuilter

Thanks for all the suggestions! I think it's neat that one person asks a question and several of us benefit from it.

jrhboxers

I use a homemade stripstik. Mine is made up of a 3 foot piece of closet rod that my woodworking neighbor has split in two. That gives me a setter piece that is almost 2" across. I used a couple of layers of batting and a piece of muslin on each piece. My neighbor was also nice enough to router out the center portion on the bottom. That left me with notch to fasten the cover and then covered the bottom with a smooth piece of thin wood. Love it and I can put them together and do full length seams without a problem.