heathergwo
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Date: 9/14/12 2:04 PM I am currently making a knit dress and so I'm serging the whole thing. I just realized that I've never pressed serged seams (except maybe to press the seams to one side or another when pattern calls for it or they stick out too much). I was wondering if they should be pressed just like regular sewn seams?
What do you all do? Or what do you think? Would it help to "set" the stitches the same way as a regular sewn seam? ------
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Rhoda K
 
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In reply to heathergwo <<  1 member likes this.
Date: 9/14/12 2:08 PM Press from both sides, it helps to set the stitches and the seams look nicer on the outside. Check out this thread. Hope this helps. |
Rosews13
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In reply to heathergwo <<
Date: 9/14/12 2:18 PM I only press them if they look funny and obviously need it. Most of the time they do. At the end I press the whole garment but not so much as I go along like wovens. You don't press them open, so I don't know if "setting" the stitches is as neccessary.
ETA: Hm-m-m, after reading the thread referred to by Rhoda, I realize that my degree of fussiness depends on what the garment is and it's intended use. I do make sure side seams face the same direction when they are hemmed at bottom and when they are finished off at sleeves and neckline. I also make sure the SA is snipped in the hem to turn it and make it lie flat. In very casual clothes I don't care too much.
I greatly differ with the standard and revered belief that side seams should be pressed to the back. When looking at a person from the front, a pressed back seam shows a ridge to the front. When You press to the front, no ridge shows from the front, except it does show to the back. We are usually firstly concerned about the front. Just my take on it.
-- Edited on 9/14/12 2:44 PM -- |
a7yrstitch
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In reply to heathergwo <<
Date: 9/14/12 2:45 PM I let the garment speak to me. If any seam or intersection reduction is tedious, I might press those areas as part of reducing bulk.
A little bit of a pressing fanatic here, do like to do both sides of the seam. Again, the garment makes the final call. Fond of pressing things like this on a old but still bulky terry towel to avoid any impressions telegraphing to the outside of the fabric. So, if I was pressing, it might be that I would press one side of the seam and then the other from the inside. On the outside, on the towel, I would press up to the seam with the seam allowance flipped the other direction, then aproach the other side of the seam with the seam allowance flipped in the opposite direction.
Since the 'newer' knits are still newish to me, I continue to use some 'old-timey' methods like facings. There are times when I do still like them. However, I'm careful in pressing those also to be sure that they do not telegraph through to the outside of the garment.
If I'm meticulous with any necessary pressing when constructing and finishing a knit garmet that is typically the last time it will need to see an iron as I fold or hang the garments until I launder them and hang them to dry after washing.
Oh, and I am careful to press, not wiggle in trying to be sure not to distort the fabric as I'm constructing the garment.
-- Edited on 9/14/12 2:46 PM -- ------
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NuMommy
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Date: 9/14/12 2:47 PM I recently did a two garments, one where I did what I thought needed, the other I did every seam immediately after sewing. I did one side, flip did that side and then did the right side of the fabric. Amazing difference in the two. |
Nancy K
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In reply to heathergwo << 5 members like this.
Date: 9/14/12 4:56 PM Yes, of course you need to press the seam. ------
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PattyE
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1 member likes this. I press each seam 4 times...both sides as serged then to one side on the inside and the outside. I think it makes a huge difference. |
Pj3g
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Date: 9/15/12 11:42 AM Let me throw this out there as I do wonder about this.
Often times serging books recommend using wooly nylon in seams where extra stretch is needed. Yet, they say don't iron it. Nylon melts so then do you skip the pressing...or go with regular thread?
I am a firm believer in pressing but sometimes when things say iron with low temp, it looks as though I didn't even iron it. And that's an irritation to me.
So what do you ladies do or use? ------
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Marie367
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Date: 9/15/12 12:26 PM Yes always press seams-I will press them flat first (to "set" the seam) then press them in the same direction-this makes hemming alot easier. I press from the inside and outside-on knits this might mean using a pressing cloth to keep from melting the fabric.
I have never used wooly nylon for seams (only rolled hems) but I have not been serging that long. I usually use both needles too-I generally like a wider seam but I think best practice is one needle?
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NhiHuynh
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Date: 9/15/12 12:55 PM Wovens, yes, always. Knits, no except for fiddly stuff that i need to stay in one spot. I think because most if my knits are poly-something they wouldn't even hold a nice press. ------
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