Video:How to Press a Seam

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Transcript:How to Press a Seam

Hi, I am Debbie Colgrovel for About.com, and today I am going to show you how to press a seam. There are a few different ways so that the seam will not lay flat when you are finished. It is usually in the pattern directions as to how you would press it for your particular project.

Press as Sewn

Today, first we will start with pressing a seam open. Always press a seam first exactly as it was sewn, this locks the stitches down into the fibers. Do it from both sides.

Press into Seam with Iron

Now, for a pressed open seam, the seam allowances will honestly be open. Using the tip of your iron get right in to the seam, press it as flat as possible, flip it over keeping those seam allowances flat and open press it from the right side. Now we are going to press one to one side. So with any sewing press it first as it was sewn. This one is going to go to one side, so I can just open from the right side, press and push it so that it is on one side.

Turn Over Seam and Repeat

Use the tip of your iron to push into the seam, turn it over, press again. Usually if the seam is pressed to one side it will end up being trimmed back. Once it is pressed trim it back at your seam allowance. That is it. That is the right way to press a seam.

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