Ironing vs. Pressing: An Essential Guide for Quilters

Experienced quilters will tell you — an iron is just as important as your sewing machine. If you're new to quilting (and if you've tried it, you already know it deserves to be classed as a sport), understanding how and when to use your iron can save you from some frustrating and costly mistakes.

Pro Tip: Ironing and pressing are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing — and in quilting, the difference really matters.

• Ironing — sliding a hot iron back and forth to remove wrinkles
• Pressing — lifting the iron and setting it down on a specific area without moving it

Ironing — At the Start of Your Project

Ironing is used at the beginning of the quilting process, before any cutting or piecing begins.

• Iron your fabric after bringing it home from the store and again after washing it, to remove any wrinkles or fold lines
• Always iron in the direction of the weft and warp (the fabric's grain), using gentle strokes — sliding against the grain can stretch and distort the fabric, making accurate cutting much harder

Pressing — Throughout the Piecing Process

Once you begin sewing, switch from ironing to pressing. The goal is to set seams without distorting the fabric.

• After sewing pieces together, press the seam open or to one side. Pressing toward the darker fabric is generally preferred so the seam allowance won't show through on the right side. This also reduces bulk in the finished quilt
• After sewing blocks together, press the block open from the right side using the OnPoint™ tip. This flattens any tucks or wavy lines and helps ensure your blocks are the correct size before moving on