- Hi there, it's Karen Brown
of Just Get It Done Quilts. Do you have a problem with your blocks being
small when you sew them? Or maybe they're just a
little wonky or out of square. Well, to get accurate piecing, you need the trifecta of accurate cutting, straight sewing and a good ironing technique. So today I'm going to
be specifically talking about good ironing technique. And if you stay to the end,
I've got a fabric giveaway. So stick with me and I'll
show you how to do it. Putting my glove on, 'cause it's cold. (upbeat music) So today I'm going to show you a technique that I learned when I was a beginner. I had been sewing for about three years. No matter what I tried, I never
seemed to sew large enough. My blocks were always small. This ironing technique that I was taught has made the single, biggest
improvement in my quilting, more than any technique
I have learned before or I have learned since. So before we start, you need an iron. A hot iron. It doesn't need to be $300,
I get mine from Costco. They last me about 5 years before my kids knock it on
the floor too many times and I have to get another one. But they've moved out
now, so I have high hopes that this one might make it to 10. Make sure that your ironing
board is a the right hight. If you bend your elbows at a right angle, your ironing board should be four inches lower than your arms. If you're doing a lot of ironing, grab a yoga block or a step or a shoe box and just rest one foot on
that while you're ironing and that will be easier on your back. (upbeat music) So the first step is setting you seams. Now don't roll your eyes, I know you've heard it a 1000 times. Set your seams. Yes, but this is why it's important. Cotton is mostly made up
of cellulose molecules. And they're in long chains and they're held together
by these weak bonds called hydrogen bonds. But I'm not wanting to
get into a discussion on organic chemistry here. What it means is that
when you heat up cotton, it becomes soft and pliable. So that same phenomena that
makes jeans conform to your butt is the same thing that
allows us to flatten seams and correct any issues in tension when we've sewn on the bias. The motion is simple. Just place your iron directly
down on top of your piece. No wiggling, no swishing. If you're not careful
and you apply pressure with the rotation on your
iron, as in swishing, it will distort your fabric. Let me show you why. So imagine this block here is the block that you've just made. It's secured on the far side by the seam. They're not moving. But let's say you apply an iron and you're going to
swish your iron across. This is what happens to your fabric. These fibres all get distorted, 'cause they're not secured by anything. And once they distort,
it's pretty well impossible to get them go back to normal. (upbeat music) Okay, this next step, finger pressing. This is important so pay attention. So what is finger pressing and
why are we bothering with it? What we're doing is we're
pushing the fabric over, as far as it can go, before we apply the heat. So we don't loose any fabric in the crack. Take the layer and we roll it over. And then we take our fingers and then we push it over as far as we can. But we are going in this direction. We are not spreading our fingers. This isn't a massage, this isn't a family pet to be stroked. Let's watch that again in slow motion. You are wanting all your pressure in your fingertips, to go straight across your fabric. And this will prevent distortion thing that we were talking about before. I was told by my instructor, it was like playing the piano. So if you have a long strip, you dance your fingers up the edge. And if you're asking, I prefer pressed to the dark side but truly, I am much more interested in all my seams in my
block nesting properly. So I will press whichever way makes sense. (upbeat music) After you have finger pressed, we're going to apply
the iron one more time. We are going to press and remember, no swishing. (steam escaping) There's nothing left in this seam. It's as flat as it's going to get. So the combination of
all these three steps is you're going to find your
seams nest really nicely and your points will begin to line up. I'll tell you, flipping your fabric open and finding your seams nesting
properly never gets old. And because some of
you may be doubting me, let me show you a
comparison of several blocks that I have ironed in a different way. This block is nice and flat, it's a good size, the blocks are square and there's little
distortion in the middle. Immediately you can see that
this block does not sit flat. Without even a close up you
can see some of the squares are skewed and the middle is distorted. This one's even worse. Some of the squares aren't
even the right size. Terrible distortion in the middle and you can see how much
fabric is left in the crease. Okay, so this wasn't truly
a scientific experiment. It gives you enough of an idea of the change that happens when you have a good ironing technique. So I encourage you to
give this method a try and to experiment and see
the changes that might happen in your quilting. (upbeat music) I have had an amazing week. Thank you so much for
all you new subscribers. It's been a wonderful feeling with all the wonderful
comments that you've left. So to celebrate, I am having a contest. I have this wonderful collection
here from Violet Craft. You all have a chance to win it. All you have to do is
leave a comment below and subscribe to my channel, which most of you have done already and then go to my website
justgetitdonequilts.com and subscribe to my newsletter. I will draw one person randomly
from all of the entries on February 15th. And it doesn't matter where
in the world you live, I will ship it to you. I'm also having a contest over on my Instagram, so head over to Instagram
@justgetitdonequilts and you can enter there too. So if you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. If you haven't yet,
please subscribe below. Take care and I'll see you next time. Some of you might be looking for Holly. There she is, in the
background, having fun, wondering why she's being ignored. (upbeat music)
