and then you press.
No matter the century, the sewing of a fine seam was followed by pressing the fabric flat.
In the mid-to-late 20th century (when I did most of my sewing) this involved setting up the ironing board and plugging in the iron to heat. If it was a steam iron a small amount of either distilled or tap water was added.
Seams were pressed either open or to lie in the proper direction to give the garment the proper shape.
A century earlier — actually until electricity came to a home — the task was more complicated.
Irons, yes they were often cast iron, were heated on your wood or coal-burning stove. You pressed your seams while the iron was warm. When it cooled, you returned it to the stove. Perhaps you grabbed a second one which was ready to go. They even made detachable handles so you could have two or three actual irons and one comfortable wood and metal handle.
One of the irons in the photo above would have held hot coals instead of only the heat from sitting on the flat stovetop.
Polly, the seamstress in the sweet historical romance, Stitching a Dream, may have used irons similar to these. No wash-n-wear fabric blends in 1851. Find her adventure, without hot irons, click on this link: https://amzn.to/3VwoeFh
