Ironing basics

Iron Man isn't afraid to let loose a blast
of steam. It gets the wrinkles out.

This post is a little late in coming, but it's probably worth it to get out there.

As mentioned in the basic equipment post, the iron is the most important piece of equipment for successful sewing. Here are the some of the things you will need to iron even as a beginner:

• You fabric after you've washed and dried it, before you cut it.
• Plain seams are usually ironed open or in a particular direction. In fact, most seams require ironing in some capacity.
• You better believe you need to iron your hems into place.
• Fusible interfacing uses an iron to melt the glue and join the interfacing to your fabric facing piece.

So it's safe to say you'll need to be comfortable with your iron. Irons don't have to be fancy, but generally speaking, the heavier the iron, the better it is. Get distilled water to fill your iron with, so that sediment doesn't build up and block your steam vents.