Pressing is essential for a professional finish, it can take a garment from looking untidy to sleek and tailored.
Most of us hate ironing but in the formation of the garment we are pressing – using the weight of the iron and steam to create shape and flatten seams.
You don’t need to buy an expensive iron but steam generators will reduce time pressing and pressing aids can help shape your cloth from a 2 dimensions into a 3 dimensional shape.
Tailors Hams
A pressing ham can help transform the shape of your garment.
A ham is an egg shape, stuffed until firm with saw dust, One side should be cut from a smooth tight woven cotton the other side should be cut from a woven wool. Depending on the fabric you are using, decides which side of the ham you will press on.
There is no set size for hams but it is useful to have several sizes, from small hand size to a large 20″.
Tailors Clapper
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Used for knocking seams flat, these are needed in tailoring
Sleeve board 
For pressing sleeves and hard to reach seams. You can use a cardboard tube from a roll of fabric cut down and covered with bump and cloth to insert into trouser legs and sleeves.
Long tubes are also useful for pressing curtain seams.
Tailors Pressing board. 
These are expensive and a bit of a luxury. There are several shapes to fit awkward seams. Very handy for pressing collars.
Other pressing tools to keep at hand are pressing mitt, pressing roll and pressing cloths
To achieve the best results your mantra needs to be SEW, PRESS.
If you are interested in making your own Tailors ham check out next weeks post or if you would prefer to buy one get in touch
We have tailors hams 37cms x 26cms for sale at £15 and can also can make to order clappers £20 and point pressers £35.
Next year we will be launching a tailors wooden sleeve board and a tailors buck. Definitely one to watch for as finding a tailors buck in the UK is very difficult.