Ironing vs. Pressing

6/16/2010

Hi all,

I'm trying to go through my posts and find the typos for you.  While I was reading I noticed that I say "ironed" a lot when I should be saying "pressing".  The fact is, however, that my pressing is rather lazy, and some may call it ironing. 

I know some of you will be thinking, why is she trying to distinguish between apples and apples??  It's all flattening out fabric with an iron. 

Well - so here's the deal:  ironing and pressing are not the same thing.  Ironing is what we all do (when we're not being lazy) to get our dress shirts and other clothing items flat and ready to wear.  Pressing is what sewers do to prepare their fabric, set their seams, and shape garments.  Ironing involves moving a hot iron around on a piece of fabric.  Pressing involves placing a hot iron on a section of fabric, applying the appropriate amount of pressure for the appropriate amount of time, lifiting up the iron, putting it back down again on the next bit of fabric, and repeating ad nauseum.  Needless to say, I have not yet developed the necessary patience to accomplish this task well.