Additionally, careful pressing saves time because your quilt blocks will fit together exactly as they should when it’s time to assemble the quilt. Let’s say your quilt block contains a row of pieced units with a total of 10 seam allowances in the row. What if a pencil line-width of fabric is caught up in each seam allowance simply because you didn’t press? It doesn’t sound like much, but multiply that line by 10, and it becomes the difference between stitching an accurate quilt block or a block that won’t match up to its neighbors. You’ve perfected your quarter-inch seam allowance, so don’t allow inadequate pressing to destroy your work.
Press, Don’t Iron
Allow the heat and weight of the iron to do the pressing. Avoid moving the iron back and forth vigorously across the surface of your quilt blocks because the movement will probably stretch them out of shape. You can use more movement when pressing large pieces of fabric, and sometimes it’s necessary to work into a seam allowance with the tip or side of the iron but take care not to pull and tug with too much enthusiasm. Quilters disagree on whether or not to steam-press. It could contribute to stretch, but sometimes steam is helpful. Keep a spritzer bottle filled with water on the ironing board. If you need a little moisture, spray mist a specific area to avoid sending loads of hot steam throughout my quilt blocks. Try pressing your quilt components and blocks with and without steam to find out which method works best for different situations.
Step-by-Step Pressing Process
Sew Quilt Block Components Into Rows
Sew units together to create rows, and then press seams in each row as directed in your pattern. Then, sew rows together and press the completed quilt block. If your quilt pattern doesn’t specify which direction to press, try to press seams that adjoin each other in opposite directions.
