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Frequently Asked Questions


Fabric Care



Sewing Tips & Tricks


What are your tips for pressing?
  • For stubborn creases and factory folds, mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray this solution on your fabric and let it sit for a minute. Press the fabric moving the iron vertically along the warp length of grain (selvedge to selvedge).

  • Helpful Tools: to navigate curved seams, and other specific pressing needs, the following are useful tools to have on-hand at your pressing station:

    • clapper: helps to create and hold crisp seams and creases, even when working with thicker fabrics. The wood of the clapper helps to retain heat and steam and reflect it back to your fabric. Also useful in patchwork, especially when you are pressing your seams open and/or have intersections of many seam allowances that are challenging to get to lay flat.

    • mallet: a rubber, rawhide, or wooden mallet can be used to gently tap the fabric and set seams; it is best for use with especially thick fabrics or those that cannot take heat, like leather, suede, and vinyl.

    • point presser: the cousin to the clapper, a point presser is the perfect tool for getting into tight areas to get crisp corners and open seams. 

    • pressing cloth: when working with a particularly delicate fabric, a pressing cloth can prevent scorching, water stains, "shine" from overpressing, and can also protect your iron from adhesives when working with fusible products. 

    • tailor's ham: makes pressing curved seams, like darts, sleeves, cuffs, collars, and waistlines, a cinch as the fabric can drape over the curves of the ham without creating puckers and tucks while you press.

    • wool pressing mat: like the clapper, wool holds and radiates heat and steam from the iron. Using a wool pressing mat under your fabric concentrates the heat and is like ironing from the top and bottom at the same time. It also is thick enough to protect the underlying surface, and this makes it great to keep next to your sewing machine or to take to a class as a portable ironing surface.