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Pressing · shaping

Prym 611918 Pressing Egg

A firm curved cushion for pressing darts, sleeve heads and necklines. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

Prym 611918 egg-shaped pressing cushion

Prym 611918 Pressing Egg

A firm curved cushion for pressing darts, sleeve heads and necklines. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

Type
Pressing cushion (tailor's ham / egg)
Dimensions
21 × 13 × 12 cm
Cover
Cotton and polyester (listing)
Amazon reference
B01DZU2DV0 (all six markets)
  • Presses a curve as a curve instead of flattening it
  • Small enough to reach inside a sleeve or a shoulder
  • Firm by design — it is not a comfortable cushion, and should not be

Best for: Darts, princess seams, sleeve heads, necklines and shoulder shaping

≈ $22 / £15 / 16 €
Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Type
Pressing cushion (tailor's ham / egg)
Dimensions
21 × 13 × 12 cm
Cover
Cotton and polyester (listing)
Amazon reference
B01DZU2DV0 (all six markets)

Hands-on testing pending. What follows is verified reference data and manufacturer specification, marked as such.

What we verified. B01DZU2DV0 designates this cushion on all six Amazon stores we checked, confirmed on EAN. The German listing calls it a “Bügel-Ei”, the French an “œuf pour repassage”, the American a “Tailor’s Ham”. The stated dimensions are 21 × 13 × 12 cm and the cover is given as cotton and polyester. This is Prym article 611918.

Why it is the tool people buy last and should buy early. Pressing is what separates a garment that looks made from one that looks home-made, and half of pressing is having something curved to press against. Until you own one, every dart and every sleeve head is pressed flat because there is nothing else to press it on. One session with a ham makes the point better than any argument: the shaping you spent time sewing survives the iron instead of being ironed out of the garment.

More pressing & interfacing

  • Vlieseline Decovil Light beige fusible interfacing, one metre cut

    Vlieseline Decovil Light, 90 cm × 1 m

    The firm, leather-handling fusible used for bag panels and structured accessories. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

    Type
    Fusible interfacing, firm
    Size
    90 cm × 1 m
    Colour
    Beige
    Composition
    45% viscose, 30% polyester, 25% polyamide (listing)
    Amazon reference
    B09C6JV9K2 (all six markets)
    • Gives a bag panel structure without the boardiness of craft fusible
    • Cuts cleanly and does not fray
    • A one-metre cut goes quickly on a large bag

    Best for: Bag bases and side panels, box corners, structured accessories

    ≈ $29 / £13 / 11 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • Vlieseline F220 white fusible interfacing, half-metre cut

    Vlieseline F220/304, half metre

    The medium-weight fusible interfacing for collars, cuffs and waistbands. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

    Type
    Fusible interfacing, medium weight
    Width
    90 cm
    Colour
    White
    Sold
    Half-metre cut (listing)
    Amazon reference
    B08KHPHQW1 (all six markets)
    • Medium weight covers the majority of garment jobs
    • Fusible, so it stays in place while the piece is assembled
    • Sold as a half metre — order two if you are interfacing a whole shirt

    Best for: Collars, cuffs, plackets, waistbands and buttonhole areas on woven fabric

    ≈ £6 / 7 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • Vlieseline G785 white fusible woven interfacing on the roll

    Vlieseline G785 Bi-Stretch Interfacing

    The fusible interfacing that stretches in both directions, for knits and bias-cut pieces. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

    Type
    Fusible woven interfacing
    Stretch
    Two-way (listing)
    Colour
    White
    Sold
    Per metre
    Amazon reference
    B0063G48VC (all six markets)
    • Stretches with the fabric instead of fighting it
    • Woven, so it frays and behaves like cloth rather than paper
    • Wrong choice anywhere you actually want rigidity

    Best for: Knit facings, jersey plackets, bias-cut edges and soft tailoring

    ≈ £155 / 7 €
    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the workroom

  • Schmetz Jersey 130/705 H SUK 80/12, product photograph

    Schmetz Jersey 130/705 H SUK 80/12

    The needle that stops knits skipping stitches and laddering. Present on all six markets, with a separate US reference.

    System
    130/705 H SUK
    Size
    80/12
    Contents
    10 needles
    Amazon reference
    B0812B1SJT in Europe, B00BWWLOZ0 in the US
    • Rounded point pushes knit loops aside instead of piercing them
    • The single cheapest fix for skipped stitches on jersey
    • Europe and the US carry different references

    Best for: T-shirts, sweatshirting and anything that stretches

    ≈ $7 / £7 / 5 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • Schmetz Leather 130/705 H LL 90/14, product photograph

    Schmetz Leather 130/705 H LL 90/14

    A wedge-shaped cutting point that slices leather instead of punching it. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

    System
    130/705 H LL
    Size
    90/14
    Contents
    5 needles
    Amazon reference
    B00Q6FGYDU (all six markets)
    • A cutting point makes a clean slit, so the stitch beds down instead of standing proud
    • Lets an ordinary domestic machine handle thin leather and suede
    • Every stitch is a cut: unpicking a seam leaves permanent perforations

    Best for: Garment leather, suede, chamois and heavy coated cloth

    ≈ £5 / 4 €
    Check price on Amazon
  • Schmetz Microtex 130/705 H-M 80/12, product photograph

    Schmetz Microtex 130/705 H-M 80/12

    An extra-slim, very sharp point for densely woven and coated fabrics. One reference on every Amazon store we checked.

    System
    130/705 H-M
    Size
    80/12
    Contents
    5 needles
    Amazon reference
    B001VG12MM (all six markets)
    • A finer point than a universal needle, so it parts dense weave instead of pushing it
    • One reference on all six markets
    • The slim point dulls faster than a universal — treat these as consumable

    Best for: Silk, microfibre, coated cotton, quilting cottons and anything tightly woven

    ≈ $9 / £4 / 4 €
    Check price on Amazon

All pressing & interfacing