to steam or not to steam....

that is the pressing question...*hehehe*

i'm a steamer. the hotter the better. when i press my binding i jokingly say i'm also get a facial

as a machine quilter, i can immediately tell which of my customers use steam and who do not. i am of the school that steam is my bestest quilting friend (that and a sharp rotary cutter blade)

see that backing seam- it was pressed without steam. it wants to lay flat, but not wholeheartedly.

i grabbed my iron, gave it a quick pass with my iron with steam, and WHA-LA. it submits *grin* a nice flat seam allowance...

i believe that steam helps press the seams 'better' and i believe that it makes for pointer points.

of course, a good pressing surface helps to. my ironing board is just that- a board. i took some furniture grade ply wood, covered it with one layer of warm and natural batting, and wrapped it in a good quality duck canvas. that's my ironing board. the next time i used it i notice a HUGE difference in my blocks. they layed flatter, and the seams were nice and crisp and my seams matched better with no fudging.

i have added to my board. i went to the GA quilt show and bought one of these ironing board covers (not affliated, just sharing). i like it...i notice i don't have to press yardage as long to get the startch to dry, so it does seem to reflect heat. but a warning- a helping hand or two makes getting it stuck to your board easier. ask me how i know....my goodness that adhesive sticks to itself and will not be easily parted...a few bad words were muttered.

so, there you have it- my opinion on using steam when i iron, do with it what you want.