Lauren's Top Tips - Ironing and Pressing for dressmaking projects

Ironing and pressing properly when dressmaking can make all the difference to getting a lovely neat, crisp finish.
Find out about my own ironing set up and some tools and tips to help you get great results!
Find all the things I mention in this blog post
guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog/laur...

[@pinkvelvetlingerie4939]

Thanks Lauren, another great video - love the techniques described. 😍

[@l_squared5211]

Lauren, your videos are wonderfully thorough and inspiring! I really appreciate your attention to detail.

[@janegoodall2520]

Love your blogs - always learn something. An additional tip here - a piece of silk organza - a matt kind, not too shimmery - makes a perfect pressing cloth. I have 2 - one for interfacing, so it collects all the messy gluey bits, and another for fine pressing. Prevents burning if you aren't sure of the best setting. I use a piece around 60 by 40 cm and edge it with a 3 step zig zag to prevent fraying.

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

jane goodall ah great tip! Thanks for sharing 😊

[@mscatzord]

I found that using a heat-resistant glove, the kind that you use with a hair curler, can help pressing fiddly things too!

[@janeparker7625]

Thank you, excellent reasons to get more sewing gadgets. The cover, spray and cleaner will be mine 😊

[@christinecrabb1911]

Jane Parker Agreed, feels great to get more gadgets😊

[@hjkennaugh]

Grid ironing board cover is an excellent idea. Great video. Thank you.

[@barbarags1529]

Thank you so much for the informative videos that you make. They are so useful and I have learnt about techniques and useful products. I can confirm that the iron you use is great, mine has been going for several years even though I don't look after it as I should.

[@PsychicKathleen]

Thank you for posting another great video Lauren! Love that board cover with the grids :) I have those silicone tips for the fingers and they are brilliant - I use a clapper quite a bit on my knits too which I find works really well with steam from the iron.

[@sewingjaney7085]

Hi Lauren, great video thank you, some products I’d not seen before, will be putting on my to buy list 😉. Also useful tips on pressing thanks again 👍🏻 jane x

[@helenawagstaff9755]

Lots of good tips and some gadgets I haven't seen before. 😊

[@arlenepiggot3982]

Very good information have been sewing for years and found this lovely to watch .Have not seen some of the products before will have to find them in my local area 😁

[@thenorthernsewist]

Very useful Lauren, thank you. 😘

[@jaclynmoylan1905]

Dryer sheets work well for cleaning your iron and also a damp magic eraser from Mr.Clean. If using the dryer sheets you just simply place it on the edge of your ironing board and run your hot iron over it while holding your iron vertically you just basically iron over the dryer sheet on the edge of your ironing board. Also silk organza works great as a pressing cloth

[@juliadroy1179]

Good tips, I like the ironing board cover with the grid.

[@sewagnes6706]

Great tips, thanks for sharing x

[@christinecrabb1911]

Thank you, very informative, I'll definitely be getting the finger guards, keep forgetting that my fingers are not teflon coated!

[@hennyvangemert4173]

Wat weet jij veel ,ik zit met verbazing naar het programma te kijken !!!!! Geef je ook les met quilten .kan dat ook met de BrotherVQ2? Heel veel bedankt.❤❤❤❤

[@Lisamakes]

Those finger guards are brilliant. No more singed fingertips!

[@emmaedmonds444]

Great tips Lauren! I’m enjoying your videos but also love your blouse here - did you make it & would you mind sharing the pattern please?

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

Thank Emma. Yeh the top is from my book called Learn to Sew with Lauren and I added pin tucks to it. You can check out this tutorial to see how....guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog/simple-sleeveless-top-blog-series-adding-in-pin-tucks-tutorial

[@maggiemarlow6486]

What about a clapper? One of my most used bits of kit!

[@jeanbkelly]

Maggie Marlow what is a clapper

[@maggiemarlow6486]

jean b. kelly A clapper is a wooden tool, 2-3” wide by about 10” long which you press on a seam which has been steamed, rather than pressed. When you press it down the wood absorbs some of the steam, but really sets the seam down flat. Lauren used one when making her Clare coat, which was why I was surprised she didn’t mention it

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

A great addition too! I haven't used mine since I made my Clare coat (which was the first time I used one). Old habits die hard I think, I kinda forgot about it, but might leave it out on my ironing board a bit more :)

[@bluedeva]

Clappers are brilliant i always use it for collars, cuffs or pressing welted pockets works fantastic for wools and heavier fabric like denim (helps hammer a bulky seam easily). If you cant afford a proper clapper a smooth piece of wood will work (there’s tutorials on how to make one online) 😍

[@jeanbkelly]

Lauren Guthrie thanks Clair, I get your drift,I used to have a Phillips and loved it, I couldn't find another,and wound up getting a t fall.its good too lots of steam.love your video, your info on fabric are so helpful. Jean

[@lauravictoria4058]

Thanks for the tips. Love the ironing cover with grid.... so handy! Is that a Sorbetto that you are wearing?

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

Hi Laura, Its the simple top from my book with added pin tucks - I did a blog post on it a few years ago, but you could do something similar with the sorbetto pattern guthrie-ghani.co.uk/blog/simple-sleeveless-top-blog-series-adding-in-pin-tucks-tutorial

[@sarahmartinez1021]

Thank you so much for demystifying some of these terms and techniques! Also, I love the artwork on the wall behind you (Cornwall and St Ives). Can you provide the artist’s name or where to find similar prints?

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

Hi Sarah, I got them while on holiday in one of the little galleries by the harbour in st ives and the name on the print says becky bettesworth :)

[@terridunning3450]

I always saw my Mom use a crumpled up piece of wax paper to clean her hot iron. I did this also for years and it worked well but I recently bought myself a new iron. Would this method even work with newer irons or could you hurt the surface?

[@LaurenGuthrieGhani]

I can't imagine it would as wax paper doesn't seem that abrasive but I'm not tried it before so not 100% sure.

[@Lasaro7499]

I didnt know the iron could get so hot. It smoked alot. Can u fry an egg on the iron?

[@mscatzord]

Ironing = taking wrinkles out, pressing = making the right wrinkles? 😅