# questions about ironing acetate fabric



## CBB (Sep 12, 2014)

I'm a member of a singing group. We usually wear formal wear for concerts. The women recently got new, matching skirts and overblouses. The skirts are 100% acetate, in a dark, shadowed blue.

Shipping caused some wrinkles, of course, so I did some research on ironing this fabric. I seem to recall using acetate to line dresses and skirts when I was much younger, but the fabric was much flimsier than what this skirt is made of. It's approximately the weight of satin, not liner material.

Most of what I read about it now is to use a cool iron. My iron is a Black & Decker, nice and heavy, with a metal housing rather than plastic. I suspect that part of my question is about the iron, rather than the fabric. The lowest setting is labeled for acetate & acrylic. The next one up the slide is for silk & nylon. The third setting is for rayon & polyester, and the fourth is cotton blends. All of these are non-steam, which makes sense.The lowest setting didn't do much for the wrinkles, so I gradually eased the heat up to silk, which was better, but not perfect.

So, my question is, for those of you with more recent sewing and fabric experience than mine, what is the optimum setting for getting the wrinkles out of acetate fabric? Is silk as high as I should go?

My secondary question has to do with acrylic on the lowest setting. I remember making clothes from woven acrylic fabric which looked, behaved and wore like lightweight wool. I don't remember what kind of heat I used to press out the wrinkles (there weren't many), but it wasn't the lowest on the iron.

So, is my iron mislabeled, or are fabrics just different now than what I remember?


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## laceluvr (Feb 16, 2012)

Acetate is a tricky fabric to press. Wrinkles are difficult to get out. From what I've read, it's best to use a SMOOTH press cloth using a LOW STEAM iron temperature. You may have to press firmly with the iron to smooth out the wrinkles; but the steam will help. Make sure to use the press cloth. Don't stretch the fabric when you press it. You might try pressing it on the wrong side first. You can do it on the right side; but definitely use a press cloth. If the temperature is too low, just go up to the rayon setting. Too much heat could ruin it.


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## seamer45 (Jan 18, 2011)

I agree with the advice you've gotten and I prefer to iron on the wrong side with the press cloth. And don't iron over the seams, you will probably leave lines that you won't be able to get out.


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## CBB (Sep 12, 2014)

laceluvr said:


> Acetate is a tricky fabric to press. Wrinkles are difficult to get out. From what I've read, it's best to use a SMOOTH press cloth using a LOW STEAM iron temperature. You may have to press firmly with the iron to smooth out the wrinkles; but the steam will help. Make sure to use the press cloth. Don't stretch the fabric when you press it. You might try pressing it on the wrong side first. You can do it on the right side; but definitely use a press cloth. If the temperature is too low, just go up to the rayon setting. Too much heat could ruin it.


Too much heat was what worried me. I've pressed it without steam or a press cloth, and it looks ok to me on the right side, though on the wrong side I can still see some slight creases. Our first concert is tomorrow night, so I think I'm ok for now. The settings on the iron were confusing to me, and I know it's one of those fabrics which will melt under too much heat.

Thanks for the advice. After wearing it, and probably sitting on it for at least a while during the intermission, it will likely need another pressing before the next performance. Definitely won't be wearing it to dinner after the concert.


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## CBB (Sep 12, 2014)

seamer45 said:


> I agree with the advice you've gotten and I prefer to iron on the wrong side with the press cloth. And don't iron over the seams, you will probably leave lines that you won't be able to get out.


Well, I had to press the hem, but it doesn't look to me like it left lines. We got these outfits from a concert attire company, and while the bottom edge is overcast, the standard length is for someone 5' 11". I'm 5' 2". Even in heels, it was about 8 inches too long, so I had to hem it up. I was doing it alone, so it was try on, take off, re-measure, try on again. Once I got it where I needed it in heels, I basted the turn-up with a fine polyester thread before handsewing. Didn't want the pin holes.


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## celticmiss (Dec 6, 2011)

The cut off piece would have been good to practice with.


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## calicolover (Jun 25, 2011)

The easiest thing to do is to take it to the dry cleaners and ask them to "press only"....it really doesn't cost much and it really looks professional.


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## beaz (Mar 16, 2013)

I would use a pressing cloth. This is the one that I ordered:
http://www.wawak.com/Rajah-Pressing-Cloth?gclid=CjwKEAiAs4qzBRD4l-2w7qOoqEMSJABauikXEckNjjT2EmjyDdDoDtBGU1e981MLDv09c82QqDbs0RoCUfTw_wcB


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## Mama's House (Oct 22, 2012)

Be really careful with this fabric. Once I was pressing alteration I had done to my daughter's bridemaid dress and because I had gone over the same area a couple of times, it was heated enough that it started to melt.

Nowdays I either use a pressing cloth or better yet, use my steamer. If you wish to flatten an area or press a crease, lay the fabric over your ironing board and use the steamer head like an iron. You can get the desires creases that way.


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## Knitnutty (Feb 9, 2011)

There is a product called Wrinkle Releaser that might help. You can find it at Target made by Downy. You can spray it on and then iron but I use it when traveling and just spray it on and hand flatten the item and hang it and tug on it a little. Works great with a low heat iron. Wrinkles are gone.


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## Bunbun (Feb 13, 2013)

the old fashioned way was to hang the piece in the bath while bathing or showering, door closed and let the steam do it's work. Worth a try.


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