Hallo everyone,
This may seem such a silly question, but I have never been told or shown definitively how to press pants properly either self-made or RTW. after laundering. Do you stretch the legs lengthwise down the ironing board ( ? one leg at a time or two) Crosswise over the board ( ? one leg or two together.) Then how do you deal with the top to get a professional looking pair of pants? I would really, really appreciate your feedback on this – I just dont seem to get it right, – and – it might just help someone else too!! Love from Busy bee
Replies
This is in no way the only way, nor any type of professional way but it is the only way I do my pants. First I iron the waist band. Then I lay out the pants so the fly is in the middle and looking right at you on the ironing board. In this position I iron the crotch/ inseam area for about six inches down from the intersection of the seams. This is hard to get to later when every thing else is nice and neat. After that I open the zipperm and waist and put the ironing board pointed end into the top of the pants. I iron around the pants till I get to the next side of the zipper. I then grab my pants by the ankles, match all four seams together at the angles. If pants are on grain this should make the pants hang perfectly even and usually in line with a dart or a pleat up at the waist. I lay them on the ironing board in this position and then fold back the top leg. I proceed to iron the leg on the inseam side, shooting for a sharp crease. I then lay the top leg down again on top the other leg that has just been ironed. I will iron the top leg in this position. Now I flip the whole thing over and repeat the process. I almost always use a press cloth and lots of steam to set the crease. Don't move the pant leg until the just ironed area is cool. Good luck and hopefully someone has a better way.
I think you win ! Your family must all look great! Are you a teacher?
respectfully, Susan
Edited 3/24/2006 4:16 pm ET by Susan -homedecsewing
Not a teacher but I had a great teacher. I will spare you the details but my mother had an extremely difficult childhood. In the raising of her own children all she required of us was that we play and/or be creative. I never had to wash a dish till the day I got married. I was one of eight kids brought up this way and we are all musicians, artists, or other creative type people. So what do I do? I marry a man whose mother could put Martha Stewart to shame. She lovingly taught me everything I know about homekeeping. You should have seen the organization in her home. I remember "ironing parties" in the afternoons with her sisters where three ironing boards, irons, and pots of tea would come out and everything in her large busy household was ironed and folded to perfection. You should see me iron a shirt! She taught me how. She taught me so absolutely much and I will be eternally grateful. I owe it all to her and I owe all my creativity and joyful childhood to my own Mom, both two very special ladies. Thanks for asking me.
Thankyou so much for your lovely long set of instructions. It is much more clear to me now, and hopefully my pants will look much better in future. Thanks again and keep on everyone with this most helpful forum. Busybee
This post is archived.