Considering Pressing Tools
An iron, preferably with steam, and an ironing board are absolute necessities. Your ironing board doesn't have to be a full-sized one; a small version that sits on a table will do fine. Beyond that, there are a few other tools you might need depending on the type of sewing you plan to do.
A sleeve board that looks a little like a miniature ironing board is used for narrow items such as cuffs and sleeves. A point presser is a wooden stand that looks like an anvil. It is used to press points into collars and other turned points.
Check the cords on older irons to be sure they haven't started to wear, and think safety whenever the iron is plugged in. Use only distilled water in steam irons because minerals in water will coat the elements and shorten the life of your iron.
A tailor's ham is a hard-packed cushion about the size of a large ham. It's used to press curved seams and darts that might pucker if they were pressed on a flat ironing board. A seam roll is an oblong cushion made the same way. It's used to press seams on certain fabrics that would form ridges along the edge of the seam allowance if they were ironed flat. The roll allows you to iron directly on the seam and not on either side of it.
A needle board is used with velvet and other nap or pile fabrics that would be permanently crushed if they were ironed normally. Some other delicate fabrics need only a press cloth to protect them from the iron.
