Quick Stitch Project - Tailors Pressing Ham

A tailors pressing ham is a simple, yet vital tool that really help to achieve professional stitch projects.  They come in a variety of shapes and sizes and this standard size can be picked up for anywhere between £10 and £15.  Whilst a lightweight purchase, in truth it is very easy to make one for a fraction of this cost.

Plaid fabric is often used for the top of commercially made pressing hams, with a heavy duty calico beneath.  While any fabric can actually be used, my advice is to select something durable with a flat weave.  Contemporary cotton fabrics are a bit too lightweight and furnishing fabrics often have a dense weave that might imprint when being used for pressing. I opted for a remnant of beautiful Harris Tweed pieces from a favourite Somerset supplier Handmaiden.  I cut 4 pieces from my pattern - 3 in a heavy duty calico and 1 in Harris Tweed.  To download the pattern click here.

To start creating, I overlocked the straight edge of the Harris Tweed piece and one of the calico pieces - a zigzag stitch would also do nicely.  I then folded over a 1.5cm single hem on these edges and stitched down with a straight stitch.  Bear with me on this construction if it seems a bit strange.

Next I placed the 2 pieces I had neatened the edge on right sides together and sandwiched these between the 2 remaining calico pieces.  I then stitched a scant seam all the way around leaving an opening of 5cm or so in the bottom for turning.  The partial seam along the bottom must fall below the hem you have made on the inner pieces.

The last bit was to turn the construction right ways out and to fill with as much stuffing as I could get inside.  A natural stuffing is best and scraps of wadding from quilting projects works really well.  Keep stuffing until the contructed ham is packed really tightly and then hand stitch the turning gap - this can be a touch fiddly.  All in all making 2 hams took me around an hour and they will give me years of service.   

Oh and if you're wondering about that open seam at the bottom on the front and back, it's to put your hand into the ham.  If like me you have small hands and fingers that don't always grip so well, this is a big plus to gripping firmly while you are using. Happy pressing!