PRESSING TOOLS - - What you MUST HAVE and what's just NICE TO HAVE for your garment sewing!

You asked for it, a whole video dedicated to ALL the pressing tools you could ever think of using, to help improve your sewing! Let's talk about what you need to get started, the must-have and what is just nice to have for ironing and pressing garments!
0:00 Intro
2:09 Getting started
3:23 Must-haves
8:29 Nice to have
15:18 Final thoughts!
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All wooden pressing tools are from
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Evelyn
…
#sewingtools #pressingtools #sewing #evelynwood

[@Evelyn__Wood]

What's your fav tool?? ✂️ Want to learn how to use all these cool sewing tools like a pro? Join me at VINTAGE SEWING SCHOOL www.vintagesewingschool.com

[@tcovington0711]

I really want the ham holder...really really really want the ham holder .....omg that is brilliant...simply brilliant...

[@pambentley1068]

I recently bought a ham and can't believe I managed to make my bras without one for so many years.

[@penguinhugz]

Thank you for the super helpful tips! Side note I use an Oven-Glove (an oven mitt that has finger holes!) sometimes if I feel like I might get my fingers too close to the iron! Not as insulated as a mitt but will spare you enough time to move away!

[@MissRene5683]

DRITZ EZY-HEM is my favorite got it when I did a circle skirt…

[@chazhoosier2478]

In English it's a pressing ham. In German, it's a pressing egg. Which sounds like the beginning of a good breakfast!

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Ok, we have ham, sausage and egg now 🤣 it's a good breakfast!

[@tomscrafts]

Another piece of iron-related gear that I quite like is the flat metal nozzle thing for making bias binding. It curls the bias strip's edges over for you, and you follow it closely with the iron to press them down.

[@victoriabrockman5473]

I have quite the collection of ironing/pressing tools carried over from my time in the Army. I'm picky about my iron, and prefer a flat bottom steel iron without conventional steam vents. I find it gives a far crisper finish and is much easier to clean than teflon coated irons. I get extra steam from misting with a "fine mist" spray bottle from the beauty shop, or the Jiffy J-3 steamer. The point presser/clapper really is a handy tool. The wood draws the moisture out of recently steamed fabrics for a very crisp finish and super handy for beating thick fabrics into submission. A quality garment brush would be my suggestion for a cool little tool that is often overlooked. It doesn't help for pressing, but is invaluable for cleaning lint, chalk dust, and loose threads off fabric. My ironing/pressing station is: Iron, Ironing board, "industrial" steamer, sleeve roll, tailor's ham, Point Presser/clapper, a "fine mist" spray bottle for water, a spritzer bottle for starch, a spritzer bottle for diluted vinegar, sheer silk pressing cloth, sponge, hand towel, lint roller, garment brush, a bottle of distilled white vinegar, a bottle of distilled water, small funnel, and a metal seam gauge. I don't think I could reduce my kit. Once you have used a "good tool" one time, you are pretty much ruined for life and can never go back. It's a lot like a shoe shine kit; you can go 20 years not knowing what you were missing and the second you are able to fix a pair of scuffed heels... you will have one under the bed for the rest of your life.

[@lynnec222]

What do you use the vinegar for?

[@cetvies-author-writer]

what would you use for shoe polishing?

[@susansparke3462]

​@@lynnec222I've used Distilled white vinegar for laundry, alone or in conjunction with baking soda and as an all-purpose cleaner around the house, but I've never ironed/pressed with vinegar, so I'm curious to know how she uses it too.

[@shelleymonson8750]

The base of the point presser is actually a clapper - multi-purpose indeed!

[@lindasevers5109]

Thank you! I did not realize this.:)

[@pollydolly9723]

The clapper is also excellent for wool, velvet, anything that you don't want to press with an iron because it will either show the seams, or melt the fabric. You steam the seam, and press down with the clapper that gently hold the freshly steamed seam open. I have a different T Fal iron, but mine is at least 20 years old and I will never buy another kind. I just love it and it IS a workhorse! Thanks Evelyn.

[@VintageVermilion]

I'm using my Mom's ironing board which she received as a young wife 70 odd years ago-- still solid as a rock. I recently treated it to a mini makeover of new cover and feet pads because couldn't we all use a bit of TLC from time to time?

[@marilynbook4211]

When I started my "sausage" was a rolled up magazine in a sock, it worked for years. I have been sewing for over 50 years so I have collected most of those but am still pondering a clapper and now think a ham holder may be the better choice.

[@suzisaintjames]

I "made" my own clapper. I went to the scrap wood bin and found a pine board (1x4x12? It might be 10-inches long). I took a fingernail file and sanded the rough cut off end. It works great. I wouldn't press any seam without a clapper. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@Evelyn__Wood]

I love your getting started tool! I guess it probably depends on what kind of sewing you do, perhaps some of the comments here might help you decide which is for you 😀

[@markfalina9160]

"Invest in a better iron before you invest in a better sewing machine..." All I can say is thank you. This beginner took those words to heart and maybe went a bit overboard. Needless to say, my Rowenta Steamforce serves me quite well. I have used your words as justification when people say I should see a Doctor for spending so much on something most people spend so little on.

[@dariaorme1282]

I love ironing things! Watching it become smooth and crisp is a delight.

[@suzisaintjames]

My favorite pressing tool is the clapper. It's amazing that just laying down a piece of wood (mine is a scrap 1x4 piece of pine lumber) would make the seam lay down so much easier... just a couple of swipes of the iron to get the fabric behaving and place the clapper. Wait a 5-10 seconds and remove. That seam will be laying down flat, instead of going over and over it with the iron. (Truthfully, I don't wait 5-10 seconds. I press a section, place the clapper, press the next section, move the clapper to the new section, repeat.) 💖🌞🌵😷

[@samuelgauthier2715]

oh it's sleavebord in english ?!! in frensh we call it a jeannette ! for me the must have are the sleavebord, ham (i have 2 one like yours and one wich i can addapt on my sleavebord) , and my professional iron

[@suzisaintjames]

I "made" my own clapper. I went to the scrap wood bin and found a pine board (1x4x12? It might be 10-inches long). I took a fingernail file and sanded the rough cut off end. It works great. I wouldn't press any seam without a clapper. 💖🌞🌵😷

[@billminckler6550]

I made my own clapper as well. I use it all the time!!!

[@stormmoster]

There are special sticks for cleaning irons. If you don¨t have one of those you can rub the iron with a paracetamol tablet. The tablet will melt and when you wipe it of with some paper towels the dirt will be gone.

[@believeinfaeries8713]

Having a ham has made ironing darts on bodices so much easier. I can really shape them so that the point doesn't end up continuing past the actual dart. I can also encourage the fabric to round out gently at the apex.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

I know, the first ham you get is a total game changer! I really think you can't press well without one!

[@michellecornum5856]

My favorite pressing tool is, by far, my iron. My second favorite -- my ham. I totally agree -- Ham, Sausage. yep, perfect name for it.

[@cheshkat6321]

I've been looking forward to this video more than you know. I have been gathering ironing tools for years. Most important is an iron. Used my neighbor's iron for several years but it was dirty and leaving marks on my fabric. Ironing board was wobbly. But I made due while researching. I bought a fairly inexpensive iron but never add water because if you don't empty them often, they stain and crust and cause problems. That's what I learned from someone else. Instead, use spray bottle of water. Clean iron like a fanatic if you use starch. I had scraps mixed up with pieces of a sewing project that I had sewn together before realizing what I had done. Go to bed when tired, it will save your sanity. Pretty fabric should not be wasted so I turned it into a pin cushion. I make large pincushions because they don't get lost easily under a pile of fabric, can be used for kneeling pad when cutting large pieces of fabric on the floor, and I don't get pins stuck in my fingers from them poking too far into the cushion. Also, I keep my pins sorted by color - easier to mark action or caution with change of color. Somehow, having more room to keep the colors separated on the pincushion is easier for me. Discovered my accidental pin cushion was a ham substitute. The odd shape also was a partial sausage. Next time will make it longer. Be sure to only fill with cotton and use quality cotton thread. Think outside the box for shape and storage. I make my own ironing board covers. They are much thicker than what I can buy because I use several layers of cotton batting and stagger the seams on the sides to sew the triple decker sandwich easily without breaking needles. Necessary when it's exhausting trying to figure out which cover to buy for multiple sizes of boards you own. I bought a bunch of long dowels. Wrap ends in terry cloth (old towels) and pressing cloth scraps so it's like a cotton swab. Make these in different sizes and you can stick the swab into small spaces too narrow for the tailor's ham or "sausage" to iron those seams. Don't forget the bias tape maker kits! Whew! I have a lot of ironing stuff. No wonder I don't hate ironing as much as I once did.

[@suzisaintjames]

14:35 You can make a heat resistant ruler (either straight or curved) out of an old file folder. If you want to iron 3-inches from the edge, just use a permanent maker on the file folder as your reference line. ... I've never scorched mine, but it will catch on fire if left indefinitely. 💖🌞🌵😷 p.s. I also use mine when pressing the seam allowance up on the inside of a waistband.

[@killiansirishbeer]

Thanks for the tip 👍

[@astra2007]

Since watching this video, my carpenter husband has been making some of the gadgets for me out of his scraps of wood. First thing he made was the wooden gadget for corners, which is now known as The Pokey Thing. Today he brought me a clapper, so looking forward to using that on my next project. He also has a picture of the ham holder so he'll be making that for me next. The Pokey Thing is also handy for gently easing fabric under the presser foot as you're sewing layers. It probably has other uses that I'll discover in time.

[@h20g1rl6]

“Invest in a better iron before investing in a better machine” too true!!!! Evelyn, Thanks so much. Meg in Durham

[@kayfountain6261]

I love my ham. I've discovered that I like hand finishes on hems so I pin the hem into my ham to reduce the tension on my hands.

[@tinau74]

As most of these tools are not readily available in our country, or if they were they were *very* expensive, I resorted to making my own. The pressing ham and roll I made out of scrap fabric and a pack of hamster bedding. The clapper I had my sister, who is an amateur woodworker, cut a piece from a long 4x2" hardwood plank and I just sanded the sides to smoothen. These tools make my pressing easier and saved me more than 70% of the cost.

[@TheVelvetKitten]

the clappers all make a giant difference!

[@Munthebun]

the pressing ham is just amazing. Never used one, never heard if one until just now....but its name is just glorious.

[@SandPell123]

Love the words ham and sausage.

[@WindspielArt]

many of those gadgets I learned to love when I got 3 years professional training for sewing. I haaaate ironing my clothes but sewing without pressing is a no go for me. The only thing that you showed that I don't have is that sausage, but I have a wooden (+padded) sleeve board so I don't think I need one. When I have to press long hems (love sewing really wide skirts - 4 to 5 meters wide) I mark a bit of cardboard and use it like that ruler you told about at the end. Works fine and I can mark it where I need it all the time (and it's almost free - you can use packaging with one straight edge for example - but I would test if the color is water/steam proof first) I have "comic" boards I use to roll up fabric for storage that are archival and white and I use those for the hems too.

[@jfdd43]

My daughter took a wooden dowel and used a pencil sharpener to give it a point. It made the most perfect tool for pressing seams and pushing out corners

[@conqueringmountscrapmorewi2509]

I love my wool mat and tailor clapper! I got my wool mat from the horse saddle store and it is beige instead of grey, but most importantly, a quarter of the price of those grey wool mats. Thank you for sharing your skills and talent!

[@tanasha67]

When I was a little girl I would play with the "mini ironboard" that my parents wasn't using anymore, but I did see it get used on occasion before big parties and stuff - but yeah, it was a ironboard in child size, so perfect for play pretend 😂

[@joylittle3917]

I think the pressing ham and holder are the one tool that I could not live without. In addition, I use the tailor's clapper all of the time too. As usual, excellent video! I am a member of VSS and there is not usually a day that goes by that I don't access your KZbin videos or the VSS site. If anyone is searching for an online sewing school, VSS is the best!

[@nbks6w8]

Hi Joy….I agree…VSS has been a fabulous investment in my seeing skill! I’m so glad I enrolled!

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Awww I'm so glad to hear that Joy! 🥰 It is a pleasure to have you as a member and watch your skills grow!

[@MysticOceanDollies]

As someone who loves big sleeves, the tiny sleeve ironing board I found in Hobby Lobby has been one of the best things I’ve bought.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

I bet! And they are so cute to look at too!

[@lauraoergel6003]

I found one of these at a thrift store, recovered it, and its such a gem to have!

[@mariontilton8494]

I inherited one from my mother in law and don't know how I survived without it.

[@b.755]

I've been sewing for years both professionally and personally, and I very much enjoy your videos. There are still some items that I've never heard of like the ham holder. I luckily found a point press at a thift/antique store and snatched it up immediately.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

How lucky to find one second hand! How do you like it??

[@b.755]

@@Evelyn__Wood It comes in handy occasionally as I don't do a lot of tailoring anymore. I found it useful when I made a vest (a commission) a few years ago, so I like it. I will add, another sewing tool I use is a hammer. Mostly for hammering thick seams while doing alterations. I currently have one beside my machine. Haha.

[@shelleymonson8750]

@@b.755 Actually, the reason it's called a clapper is that you use it for hammering wool seams flat!

[@b.755]

@@shelleymonson8750 yes, I know what clappers are.

[@ChaoticNalilitoMC]

I actually just switched to using an ironing mat instead of my little tabletop ironing board that the padding is failing on. BIG difference

[@chrisprice5806]

ppl be advised,, i just amazon'd this and some of these ironing mats with the word wool floating around the description somewhere are having comments of people saying if youlet an iron sit on them a black residue is left on the iron/ it is a poly/wool blend mat. (im using canvas and cardboard and its only issue is a little bubbling on the canvas, which that gets pressed out when i start.)

[@ChaoticNalilitoMC]

@@chrisprice5806 I actually got mine from Lowe's and I also use my wool pressing mat if I don't want to lay out the whole thing. ETA: YES, anything with wool that is a poly/wool blend WILL leave a residue! I've done this before with my wool mat but it is easy to clean off with some hot iron cleaner!

[@cassandrahood7665]

Okay that steam iron is life changing!

[@Tunanunaa]

My go to for pushing out corners is the end of a paintbrush, or if you don’t have one a blunt pencil will do. A large popsicle stick or something similar can also be helpful in pushing out normal seams for an extra crispy finish I also wanted to advocate for my small ironing board. I use it more often since it’s easy to pull out for smaller projects. My room is fairly small so I can’t keep my ironing board in it and i don’t usually want to go to the basement and drag out the large ironing board 🤷 I’ve even just laid out a towel on the floor or table and used that as an ironing surface, so if you don’t have money or space for a big ironing board maybe give those a shot

[@Evelyn__Wood]

These are excellent suggestions! Thankyou, we all need to work with the space we have and make it easy in that space... I wouldn't be very keep to go to the basement each time either, and would do just as you do!

[@tanasha67]

Great tip! I just started hand-sewing my viking reenactment garments, and as I was getting more and more seams done I was wondering if I could press them in some way, but I don't have an iron or a ironboard, so this will help!

[@shelleygehrels9613]

@@tanasha67 Until you have an iron, you can finger press along the seams, it doesn't give the same results as ironing but it does still make a big difference!

[@tanasha67]

@@shelleygehrels9613 thank you!

[@tinamcnalley2575]

I've personally never cared for sleeve rolls or hams as I don't like their instability. A good, sturdy wooden sleeve board (I've owned 2 with metal bases and didn't like either) and a seam stick takes the place of a roll. The seam stick is a wooden rod cut in half lenthwise- excellent for trouser legs, bought mine at a home improvement store, 36" long meant to be the front edge of a stair tread. Works perfect. I use a chunk of old sheet, with the word, "right" printed with permanent marker - specifically for pressing fusibles. When the "right" is right side up, I know the other side may have some goo on it, so it lays on top of the interfacing. Excellent tip from another forum if you get goo one your iron: I used to wait for iron to cool and then struggle to remove the goo with nail polish remover. Didn't always work easily. Now, just take a couple of paper towels (or fabric scraps/rags you're ready to toss) and place a dryer sheet on top and iron the dryer sheet til the goo is off. Only takes a few seconds. The heat releases an oily film that breaks down the glue. Then I iron on 2-3 more paper towels to remove all of the oils. You're back to work in less than a minute! Works great - and I've found cheaper dryer sheets work better than expensive name brands. My one tool I've yet to make is a press buck. Think of a tailors ham on steroids - larger and sturdier. 5 years ago hardly anyone knew what they were, now Amazon is offering an inexpensive model, made in China. That tells me their popularity is growing!

[@mentatphilosopher]

When I bought a point press it was described as a tailor’s clapper. That was why I thought its base was shaped as it was.Not to say that additional clappers of different sizes would not be useful.

[@victoriabrockman5473]

The point press is probably my favorite version of a clapper. It has that super handy handle on the top to move it around.

[@woodenkat8971]

My mom uses hers as a clapper.

[@CelticBearWoman]

@10:31 looks like a bone tool folder for creasing envelopes. Every craft store has one. I have one!

[@nataliestanchevski4628]

I had a T-fal iron and loved it. It didn't have the reservoir but the ironing plate was so smooth and glided over fabric beautifully. Unfortunately I bumped my ironing board and it fell off and broke. Now I have a Sunbeam iron (my mum gifted it to me) and it's just not the same. If only I'd had one of those silicone pads! This is pedantic of me, but quilters don't iron seams open because it weakens the seam and allows the batting to poke out, we usually iron to the dark side, nor have I ever seen one of my kind use a heatproof ruler to fold over hems (no hems in quilts). Clapper, spray bottle of water, and starch are really all you "need" besides a good iron for pressing in quilting.

[@suzisaintjames]

8:43 you can use the base of the point press as a clapper (a little bit clumsy, but will work in a pinch.) 💖🌞🌵😷

[@annethevenot461]

I am a garment sewer, but the quilters have been advertising a half inch thick wool press pad. I recently got one, and pressing on a thick wool pad gives amazingly beautiful, flat seams. I also got a 24” wooden sewn stitch which also does a great job on pressing seams, and it’s easier to insert into sleeves, pant legs and tubular fabrics of all kinds.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Ok, you've just given me 2 new pressing tools to go searching for 😅 thankyou!

[@Sehara]

I ordered one pressing cloth for making permanent pleats many years ago and it is an amazing thing. Also I use it when ironing pants and it makes a crisp crease

[@gracieallen8285]

A metal seam gauge is great.for measuring hems and iron over them

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Right! Anything that doesn't melt at the iron is a winner! 😅

[@BYBabbra]

I'm still using just the basics, my iron is about 20 years old but still going well (lets hope I haven't just jinxed it). Mostly I would love a new ironing board, it's older than the iron.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Oh Babbra you will very much a new ironing board I bet! 😀 You must have got a real winner for an iron to last that long!

[@darinakalinova2180]

Ho Barbbra, as much as luck you have that your iron works. Check your electricity consumption as the old once are rather disastrous and cost you a lot of money to switch it on. 😊

[@BYBabbra]

@@darinakalinova2180 I don't check the amount of electric it uses, I might need to sit down if I did. Perhaps I might get something nice this December.

[@tinamcnalley2575]

My "new iron" is close to 15 years old! My ironing board was bought while at uni - 40+ years ago. Kept thinking I "needed" one of the newer, wider boards and actually had a chance to use 3 different high quality brands numerous times over a period of months. I definitely DO NOT want one! The "pointy" end on the wide boards are much too wide requiring having to use a ham or roll for most of what I've always pressed with just my board tip. I did however buy a wool blanket at a thrift store - even had a few moth holes, $2-$3, washed and dried well and used it to pad my board and with a new duck cloth cover it feels/looks new - and saved me $70-$80.

[@catherinerw1]

Strongly recommend a tea-towel as a pressing cloth (a plain-woven one, not a fluffy one). Will usually be cotton or linen, can put up with all sorts of punishment! Also, if you treat yourself to a new ironing board, it may well come with a separate sleeve board (use instead of a sausage!).

[@bettinafoertig7011]

There are also silicone fingertip guards, very helpful when you try to push down fabric or a seam and come too close with the tip of the iron....

[@alexkowalski7912]

For that metal rule Dritz has the Ezy-Hem 617. It has a straight and curve side with measuring line and is meant to be ironed on.

[@pyenygren2299]

A heat resisctance ruler or measure teip would be something I could use. Thanks for talking about it. 👍 😀

[@dominiquebertrand6786]

When I was in my couture classes, pressing was 40% of your grade when presenting a finished garment. Pressing makes the garment.

[@lauraoergel6003]

My favorite is my new ham!!!! Its the best. And my $1 silicone pot holder that protects my board in case my iron tilts over 😋

[@nataliestanchevski4628]

Thank you! I'm off to the dollar store to look for a pot holder, my ironing board wobbles a lot and I've already broken one iron by bumping it off the board lol.

[@rebeccawong1]

I have the same iron and I intend to order a dream set from Jackson’s. Happy sewing 🧵

[@ramanshah7627]

I'm someone who is just getting into sewing but has maintained menswear, as a basic home chore for a white-collar professional, for much longer. From that background, I'd give the clapper and sleeve board a promotion. Without a sleeve board, it's very laborious to press the sleeves of a men's dress shirt without an undesired "military" crease. And on the other side of the coin, without a clapper, the desired crease in the legs of men's trousers is very hard to achieve.

[@rebeccamiller3248]

My Mom used to use huge hard back dictionaries to hold her ham in place how she wanted. The things were like 5 inches thick. I dont think they make books that big anymore.

[@gemmasremchevich6719]

I like silk organza as a pressing cloth too as I can see through it and know exactly where I'm pressing.

[@nataliestanchevski4628]

How does it stand up to the heat needed for cotton or linen? I've seen others use silk organza and I've always wondered if it's only for low heat settings.

[@gemmasremchevich6719]

@@nataliestanchevski4628 it takes extreme heat. You have to make sure it's silk organza and not polyester, that's very important.

[@nataliestanchevski4628]

Thanks! That's good to know, it can be tricky to press pleats properly when I can't see if they are straight so silk organza sounds like a great solution.

[@odetteboudreau5970]

I love my ham and sausage, 😄 but will definitely get a stand soon. I think I would like the sleeve board too, even though the sausage really does a lot of work. Fun and informative, as usual. 👍

[@Evelyn__Wood]

😀 I'm glad you got some good information! They all have their uses, it depends on what your sewing really, and makes pressing much more fun right!

[@somebodyelse138]

The sleeve roll does the job when pressing shorter seams, but if you're going to get a sleeve board, then get one that doesn't have legs that will make it impossible for you to slide the majority of the sleeve onto the board without adding creases. I've got one that's on a 350° hinge which means it also folds up practically flat when not in use and I wouldn't be without it now.

[@gerileemakes]

I've been growing my pressing tool collection from the thrift store and other second hand sources. I've found an old gravity feed steam iron, two tailors boards, and a ham that way, plus I was gifted an old metal ironing board from my mother in law.

[@angelusmendez5084]

Lovely, thanks!

[@barbaragill5703]

Great information. Thank you 😊

[@JosieJo2000]

Just found your channel, thank you for these great videos!

[@luchosmith]

the clapper is a must have for me. jacksons woodworks makes the best ones. side note, a good ironing board will usually have an iron cradle.

[@hannahnahli]

Just got an tailor’s board and its so so versatile! Love one of the curves for sleeve caps!

[@cynthiastraub1912]

I also love my wool pressing mat. It is a game-changer. I was fortunate to have had the importance of pressing explained and encouraged early on. I only recently added each of the items in this video and am pleased with the results. I learned about them from your videos. Thanks!

[@frederickmartin6944]

Thank you for suggesting using everyday items that I already have in the house to start my sewing adventures.

[@rosemarybrown4681]

Love your videos, find them really helpful. Rosemary from Ireland 🍀💚🍀🍀

[@windlessoriginals1150]

I think the clapper is a need 😁.

[@49lucky]

Oh yes I have the huge Rowenta bought it years ago love it

[@sheilaross1449]

Well thanks for all the Christmas gift ideas I can pass on to my family! I only just figured out how useful glass head pins are last year. I bought an old sewing basket from a yard sale ages and ages ago and there was an old glass pill bottle inside filled with those pins. I just left them on my shelf to look pretty until I realized they're great for applique quilts.

[@Real_g.s.]

Honorable mentions: The bottom of the point press can double as a clapper, and the rounded end of the point turner can be used to hold seams open, instead of using your fingernail, as lots of quilters do. I love my point turner.

[@eduardachi2571]

my mini iron i love it so much mostly for quilting it works perfect all the little seems on a block gets it all nice anf flat and i dont have to get up everytime i sew a seem

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Ok, I forgot I have seen those in the quilting section of the store, and I've always wondered! Now I'm very interested.... perhaps another video!

[@lindabrown7374]

I love my old wooden ironing board that was given to me many years ago. It is very sturdy. I have a velva board for pressing velvet etc.

[@oliviaknight1123]

Fabulous video and super helpful, thank you Evelyn! In a nee stitchling and I've been trying to improve my pressing skills, there's more to it than at first it seems. I'm thinking I'll ask for a tailor's hand and a sausage for Christmas, they definitely look invaluable and it's so tricky to do sleeves, collars, darts, etc. Very helpful, thank you lovely lady 😘💋❤

[@macuisinesanssulfites4101]

Another “nice to have” I find is an adhesive lint roller to use on the ironing board after pressing. There are always the odd bits of thread to be removed and the roller is an easy way to get rid of them.

[@killiansirishbeer]

I saw a video not long ago which introduced the clapper to me. I used my wooden yoga block to try it out and already saw a big difference in the end result. So clappers are definitely on my to buy list 👍

[@lindasevers5109]

I just used the Dritz metal hem tool for the first time. It helped my just-learning-to-sew daughter successfully iron up measured hems on her apron project without being afraid of burning herself. We used the flat edge but there is a curved one as well. I'm happy for this inexpensive upgrade as I've used a little seam measuring tool my whole life. Many steam burned fingers!

[@ltellis63]

As usual, I am getting so much useful information in this video. Now, reading all the comments below, I am getting even more. What resourceful sewists you all are who are finding ways to make your own tools or make do with substitutes. Such creativity and inspiration!!

[@Allycat3270]

I have an Oliso iron which is perfect for sewing (and I also use it as a general iron). Last year I bought a tailors ham and I don't know how I got by without it it is just brilliant, I also have the 'sausage'. I also bought a point turner which is fantastic for sewing collars and other alike items, I use the bottom of it as a clapper and it makes seams and hems so beautiful and crisp. I also have a "hot hemmer" that I use for hems and I do so love that too, it is so handy, I have the 'Clover' one and it doesn't get hot nor does it release any kind of odour (unlike the one I got off Ebay)

[@katemoore2980]

Rowenta makes a steam iron with a boiler, super pricey, though, but if you are using an iron in a side job, I do believe that it would be a business write-off...

[@habituscraeftig]

Ooooooh! I have a ham holder and thought it was just a decorative storage thing, to take up less space! Didn't realize it was part of the functional equipment. *Mind blown.*

[@Go4thIn2023]

Such useful information! I've had an ironing board that hangs over my door and just folds down (still on the door) when needed. In theory, it's great if one is working on small projects. I have hung on to it but never happy with it ... very annoying. Have decided to kick the annoying board to the curb and create a board that is larger and more accessible. Thanks for this topic - very helpful and inspiring.

[@nommh]

I use white silk organza as a pressing cloth, because it is semi-transparent and does not crease itself so much. More of an ironing rather than a pressing tool is a kind of oven mit that alllows me to use my hand as an ironing board. I often saves me from taking out the sleeve board which I hate. Recently I have not sew many darts which means that my hams are hardly needed at all. But for any new sewists out there: Pressing is an integral part of creating a garment.

[@lornadavis476]

Dritz has a metal pressing ruler with a curved side and a straight side. I used metal school ruler with a nonslip cork bottom to measure and press pleats.

[@patriciaescoto2568]

Thanks for the tutorial! 🖤 My ironing skills really suck 😅 the only person I know that really enjoys ironing is my mother, and she's the one who always tell me that my finished garments would look better if I pressed my seams better

[@blufaerie]

I just bought a Clover Hot Hemmer and it has a curve and mitre corner to press over and I love it! I used it in my sewing class.

[@somebodyelse138]

This. I've also got a hot hemmer and it has a curve on one edge, so I'm not restricted to just using it for straight hems.

[@hygs8952]

I’ve seen the bottom of the Point Press used as a Clapper. Multi-tool! I don’t have one, so when I need crisp seams, I use a thin phonebook folded in half. I figured that paper is made from wood…. And it works, too! Trouble is finding one nowadays! 😅 Guess I’ll be getting that multi-tool Clapper/Point Press after all! Thank you for all your lovely videos! I really enjoy learning new tips.

[@melindabanning4497]

I bought a handmade Taylors Ham at a thrift store a couple of weeks ago. I bought it because it was handmade, I had to give some honor. I have always wanted a Taylor's Ham but I think a clapper would be very nice too. I want to get a curved ruler that's see other use for making arm holes and such with too.

[@chrisprice5806]

for my ironing board i use a peice of cardboard with like a 10-12oz canvas covering it and stiched to the edges. a third of the board has two layers of cardboard if i ever needed it but ive found it isnt nessicary. this board is used on my cutting table which is covered with a cutting mat and doesnt damage it or get hot really. it was a neat video. ive been meaning to upgrade my pressing

[@LabbaikSewingTailors]

Nice......

[@maeolaogden5223]

You are so adorable. Love your videos.

[@ruthsmith6585]

I don't have one but like the new smart irons which have feet which come out and lift it up when you put it down - saves having to stand it up and if like me you end up burning yourself 😀

[@tcovington0711]

Any time I skirted on ironing I've messed up...one comes to mind easily...in the late 80's I made a shirt out of really lovely material and didn't iron the color well before turning and stitching...30 yrs later I still love that shirt flaws and all...because it taught me a valuable lesson...in 1988 that material cost me 15.00 USD a yard...now that material would be close to 30.00 USD a yard...very valuable and costly mistake...I had been sewing since I was 6 so by that time 20 some odd yrs sewing... and I KNEW better...as my grandmother taught me as a child to quilt by hand...and ironing was God...you never ever failed to iron...

[@tcovington0711]

Collar...darn autocorrect...

[@cassandrakarpinski9416]

Our old iron was stupid and didn't steam (was supposed to but never did), but our new one is amazing with a digital heat selector with different fabric types and the steam function actually WORKS and it also has steam and spray buttons for extra steam or a spray of water. It even has a standby mode which i can switch it to when i don't need it for a while but will need again (i used to have to unplug every time. Now i hit a button). I love it and the best bit it was only $40 Australian at aldi.

[@meowyimeow]

Hi Evelyn, thanks for the video! There is a tool that you can use to press up hems that has a curved edge on one side. I don’t know how useful it is but it does exist! One of my pressing must have is a high heat ironing board cover. They’re thicker, padded and have a heat reflective coating (they look kind of silvery). I also wanted to point out that a clapper is really useful for pressing very thick seams like in a wool coat. You can also use the bottom of the point press.

[@Evelyn__Wood]

Yes my cover is an ancient version of one of those, did you notice the rip in it 🤣🤣 I need a new one! And now I have to go look for that curved heat resistant ruler.... 😀

[@gracieallen8285]

I prefer tailor's ham and sleeve roll, not a deli meat

[@robinbarrett1158]

I’ve been wondering for a while now if the ironing tools would make a difference and have a few in waiting till later on Amazon. I tried your towel technique on Christmas pillows I’m making for my kids and grandkids. Game changer. I’m in. I’m starting my ironing kit because I do iron a lot. I don’t trust Amazon anymore though so I need to find one elsewhere.

[@persiswynter6357]

Have you seen the new wool pad that goes under your ironing? Supposedly it makes it faster to iron...

[@_xxsimoxz_7310]

I want to get an industrial iron sooo baddd. Never had a pressing ham. I just have a thick tablecloth folded on itself and works as my ironing board 🥲

[@Evelyn__Wood]

I love it, work with what you you've got! 😄

[@_xxsimoxz_7310]

@@Evelyn__Wood I do. And it works for me So I really can’t complain 😅

[@TheEclecticCloset]

Hi Evelyn! As a beginner sewing, you’re a gem in all of this information! I have a question, and it’s not in regards to pressing (though this video is so informative!) however it is about three lingo on a pattern. What does it mean by finished garment width in terms of a skirt? Does it mean the waist measurement?

[@robintheparttimesewer6798]

I need a new cover for my small ironing board. It's actually an antique children's board so it's smaller than a full side board and set to the hit of my sewing desk. Sew turn and iron. My old iron decided to disregard temperature settings over heating burning the cover and ruining the project. A lot of very bad words were spoken!! I have all the stuff just haven't found the time. The new one will be better padded too. Other than that I would love a ham holder.

[@charityrochford2175]

Would you find use for a wool mat? I enjoy mine, but don’t know if they’re as useful for others as they are for me. Also, that ham holder would be perfect for those who have strength/ability with only one hand. So helpful!

[@BelindaTOV]

I got my metal drafting rulers from the hardware section. Hope youre in a safe area, seeing some scary videos.

[@chrisprice5806]

(wth are youtalking about?)