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Hand Sewing Hints for Near Beginners
Apr. 16th, 2020 09:37 pmI finally made a face mask (I'd been using a bandana tied like a bandit, then a fancily folded bandana). I used Craft Passion's pattern after seeing it on the face of my internet friend Patrick.
While working on this project, I realized a bunch of people may be doing some hand sewing for the first time in a long time. So I decided to make a long-winded list of hints for y'all. I am not an expert on hand sewing, though I think I'm kind of an expert on embroidery. But maybe that will help me remember a bunch of things that experts just take for granted and would forget to tell you.
In sum, this may all be common sense to you. Or some of it may be terrible old wives' tales. I will update it as commenters point out the stupid bits. (Thanks ahead of time, commenters!)
Fabric selection
Face masks are small and most of them have seams up the middle or pleating, so it's not easy to keep the continuity of the design ("pattern match"). So it's best to use solids or very small prints. Or use big patterns and go for a bold, modernistic look.
Fabric made for quilting would be pretty good for this project. I also have some old shirts I love that don't fit right and that have small plaids. I may try a bigger plaid, too.
On fabric type, from my sister: "Fabric should feel good and be washable. This is not the time to make something out of itchy mohair. If you are using old fabric, like from worn shirts or bed linens, consider adding an extra layer."
Pre-wash
A blogger I (sort of) know has named her dog Pre-wash. Love it.
But I'm not talking about dishes. Unfortunately, before you start your project, you should wash your fabric. This way if it shrinks, that will happen before you sew it.
I recommend doing at least a starter wash in the sink, especially if it's cheapo fabric, because some of the dye might wash out. If the water is running clear, feel free to throw it in with your laundry.
Warning: The edges will unravel a little, with a lot of long strings clinging to the edges, and it won't look ironed anymore. Don't get too sad, it's okay.
If you're using old clothes, then you've probably already done this step, but you probably have to take the clothes apart to get better access to the fabric. You can try cutting the thread at the seams. Or you can just cut the fabric at the seams, but this gives you a little less fabric to work with.
Work space selection
You generally want a large, flat, hard surface to work on, like a cleaned-off dining room table. Some people have a big enough desk or coffee table or piano bench. Or you may use a wooden or vinyl floor (carpeting is not ideal, but can also work). For a face mask, you won't need as much space as for some projects, so that's good. This is mostly for cutting out the pieces. Once you are sewing, you may be able to just sit in front of the TV.
Pattern placement
You can place pattern pieces willy-nilly however they fit, but standard procedure is to a) make sure they align properly with the grain of the fabric and b) make sure things will be right-side up when you're done.
Notice that woven fabric does not stretch from side to side or from top to bottom but does stretch diagonally, so the fit might be weird if you mess with the alignment.
Cutting the fabric
This is the most important step because you can't undo it. So, like they say in carpentry, measure twice and cut once. Don't be that guy that has two right sleeves or whose item is partly inside-out, no matter how you wear it.
Sometimes a pattern piece should have its edge on a folded edge of fabric. Generally the fabric is folded, and the pattern is cut out of the double layer, so you end up with two pieces, but not always.
So read the directions and, thanks to my sister for this rule, if you're sleepy, put this off until the next day. Especially if your fabric is expensive or one of a kind or there's a pandemic so you can't get more. (I know, how likely is that?)
Or maybe you don't need a pattern. Some people are talented like that or are so practiced that they don't need that. You go.
If you use a store-bought pattern, you usually pin it to the cloth and then cut out the pattern and the cloth together, and the pattern is made of tissue paper and hard to re-use. Also, it seems like it would be easy, but things shift, and it's not as easy as just cutting paper.
I printed my pattern on typing paper, which is hard to pin, so I cut it out first and then traced around it with a pencil. For (small) patterns I want to re-use, I glue them to a thick, cuttable paper (by which I mean a file folder) and then cut it out, so it's much easier to trace accurately without destroying the pattern. (My mom uses some kind of other semi-see-through fabric to save her patterns in some way that I don't understand and therefore can't explain.)
Finally, whenever you're cutting something, pay attention to what's underneath so you're not cutting more than you intend to be cutting. Especially if it feels harder to cut than you expected. Don't be that guy ruining your other fabric or cutting what you're wearing or, if you're on your bed, cutting your sheets.
Thread color
Ideally you have thread that perfectly matches your fabric--check it in good light. If your fabric has multiple colors, usually choose the main one.
In real life, you don't normally get that lucky. So, look for a near match. I've read that when in doubt choose a color that's too dark over a color that's too light. That seems to work. Even if you have only black, white, and grey, you've probably got a good enough color. If not, well they all work. Just pick a pretty one you don't mind working with.
Order of operations
Patterns come with instructions that tell you an order to do things in to make it as easy as possible. So before starting a new step, you might want to double check that you really did the previous step.
Working with fabrics backwards
Often (usually) you will be told to sew things with the right sides facing together. That means the part you are looking at is the faded-looking back side. This feels so wrong! And that is how you know that it is a valuable insider strategy! This is how you easily sew things together so that the leftover ugly edges are cleverly hidden on the inside.
Cutting the thread
The rule of thumb is to use pieces of thread that are about three feet long. If it's too long, it will always be getting caught on things and will tie itself in knots more often. But the shorter it is, the more often you have to tie knots and start over, which is time consuming.
Threading the needle
Most people stick the end of the thread into the eye of the needle. If one end is frayed, use the other. If both are frayed, cut off the frayed part. Maybe lick it to keep it all together. Reading glasses or a bright light may help.
What helps me most, though, is to fold the thread to make a loop. Put the needle inside the loop and pull against it so that you're holding two sides of the thread in one hand and the loop with the needle. Then move your fingers near the needle so you can slip the needle out out and still have a tiny loop. Now push that whole loop through the eye of the needle. It sounds harder, but the thread is stiffer that way and it won't unravel itself on the way in.
Single or double?
To use a single thread, just tie a knot in one end after the needle is threaded. This is what I recommend unless you're sewing a button back on. It just seems much easier to work with. To use a double thread, bring both ends together and tie a knot in both of them at once.
Tying a starter knot
Tie an overhand knot near the end of your thread. Then it will probably be too small and go right through your fabric, so then tie another knot in the same space. If the second knot insists on being next to--instead of on top of--the first knot, just keep tying more knots until they merge into a single knot.
I suck at this and do not have any good hints. I've seen people who can just rub the end of the thread around between their fingers and it's magically knotted. Do that instead if you can.
I find the ending knots easier--more on that later.
Pins
Generally you will pin two pieces of fabric together before you start sewing them together to help you keep them properly aligned. It's easier to focus on the big picture while pinning. You can pin both ends. Then add one to the middle between them. Then keep adding more between those until the fabric looks like you will do what you want. (While you are sewing, you are focused on only one point, and things can get more and more out of whack as you go along.)
If you don't have sewing pins, you can use safety pins. Otherwise, be careful. You'll probably stab yourself lightly multiple times, but it doesn't have to be like that!
Generally you will put the pin through where you want the seam, but perpendicular to it so that as you're sewing, it won't get in your way as much. You may be able to sew right over it, but once you're done, remove the pin and put it somewhere safe.
Pin and needle storage
You should prepare a place for your pins so they won't roll around. If you don't have a pin cushion or the container they came in, you could pin them all to a piece of fabric like a hanky (push each one in one side and then back out the front). Or you could use a bowl or a jar or something, but these are very easy to accidentally spill, so I recommend some kind of lid at least.
Whenever you take a break, push your needle into the fabric near the seam you are working on. Usually I just start the next stitch and leave it there. If you are between pieces of thread, you could instead put it with your pins. You might want to thread it first to keep it easy to find. Please do not just set it on a surface. Not even just for a second--it's a bad habit. Needles roll. And they stab. And they are tiny and hard to see. But easy to feel, when they stab you with their evil tininess.
Thread management
So once you start sewing, one end of your thread will be attached to the fabric and the other end will be hanging out the other side of the eye of the needle. The longer you keep that tail, the easier it will be to manage your thread and keep it from getting caught in things and tying itself in knots. But you need to keep shortening it as you go or it will disappear into the fabric. If this happens, pull on both threads, and one might come out. If not, oh well, just sew with a double thread until the end.
Due to the physics of sewing, your thread will get wound up will which make it tend to kink and not quite do what you want. So you may need to occasionally let the thread hang from the fabric and unwind or pull it through the needle until the needle is next to the fabric, then pull the needle back out, letting the thread straighten as you do so.
You can also aim your thread a little. After each stitch, I like to hang the thread down, away from the seam, pins, etc. And by "hang" I mean place it where I want it, because gravity doesn't work too great with tiny things like threads.
If your fabric is super thick (um, I don't recommend a leather face mask) you will have to push hard to get the needle through, and this can hurt. The professionals have protective armor for their fingertip ("thimbles") but if you don't, look for something else you can use, ideally something not slippery, between you and the needle. There is such a thing as leather thimbles, for example (though modern ones are generally made of metal), but even just a piece of fabric folded over a few times can make things much more comfortable.
Where are my scissors?
Stand up and look where you were sitting. They've probably fallen between the cushions.
Seam allowance
So how far from the edge do you sew? Usually, 5/8 of an inch, sometimes 1/4 of an inch. The longer distance from the edge (or "seam allowance"), the less you have to worry about the fabric fraying (unraveling) into the seam, thus making the item fall apart. A shorter distance makes it easier to deal with tight curves and other difficulties.
Sewing machines make it easy to automatically keep the same distance from the edge at all times. By hand, it's different. I actually measure in from the edge and make a mark with my pencil in several places. You could try to draw a whole line. If your sewing is not consistently following the edge of the fabric, it will affect the look and fit of the garment.
My sister says, "even experienced sewists like to mark things like seam allowances when sewing. Crayola washable markers are a great choice. Some quilting chalk markers don't wash out. A sliver of soap works great on darker colored fabrics." Hmm, good thing I don't use just liquid soap anymore.
Stitch type
I think a lot of people sew with a running stitch. That's where you aim the needle in the direction you're sewing and just go down and up through both layers of fabric over and over. It's quick, but it tends to act like a drawstring and not let your sewing lie flat. So if you do this, make sure you pull the fabric flat as you go.
I have an embroidery background, so I do an outline stitch. (This is where you face the needle the other way and just go down through the fabric and back up once. Then you move the needle in the direction you want to go and take another stitch, kind of moon-walking your way across the fabric.)
I don't know what you're supposed to use. My best guess is the backstitch. Here's a good Youtube tutorial. (I think it's the same as the outline stitch, just worked from the other side.)
My sister recommends this video that shows three stitches. The intended audience is women recreating historical items, but it's still good for the likes of us. Just don't get intimidated by the amazingness of her stitches. As my sister explains, "This video shows teeny stitches, and she comments about how it was the Victorians that were that ridiculous. Stitches that are about 1/8" long are fine and durable. Thicker fabric will be impossible to get teeny stitches in, it will "inform" the length that is possible. Don't stress it. Also, these seams on a mask are not under a great deal of stress. Being precise is lovely, but not absolutely necessary in this case."
Stitch size
In all the old-time books, the girls are always being taught to make their stitches small. No, smaller. No, tiny. I used to just assume that my stitches were all too big because I didn't want to make them as tiny as possible. But really, you need to make sure to catch at least two threads each time you make a stitch.
If your stitches are too big, there will be gaps in the seams. Then things might get caught in those gaps and rip them open further. Embarrassing.
Ending knots
It's much easier to tie a knot at the end if you can keep the needle in while you work. Tie the thread as close to the fabric as you can. Again, tie two or three overhand knots. Then move a half-inch out and do it again if you have enough thread leftover to start the next seam. Then cut between the two knots.
You will now have a thread hanging out. That's okay. And normal. Don't make it too short (leave a quarter of an inch or so), otherwise the knot might untie itself. Then the thread might unsew itself. That would be sad.
Cutting at curves
When there is a tight curve you might get instructions to cut into the fabric in the seam allowance at right angles to your seam. Doesn't this make the fabric unravel faster? It seems like it, yes. But it also helps the seam lie flat like it's supposed to. It's all part of the magic of to make flat, two-dimensional pieces of fabric into curvy, three-dimensional shapes. Just don't cut all the way to the seam.
Finger pressing
Ironing can do two things: it can get the wrinkles out, making it smooth. Or it can make a crease very sharp. For the second purpose, especially on small projects like face masks, you can actually just smoosh it with your fingers. Often you will pull the fabric apart so that you can just see your stitches, then fold it so the two sides are together and finger press it so it stays like that. Otherwise it might naturally open into a less open position.
Re-dos
You can check for bugs in sewing just like in computer programming. You can wait until you're all done and hope it's magically perfect. Or you can check things after each step to see how you're doing so far.
My home-ec teacher taught us to try to be as perfect as we can. If we mess up, just undo it and try again and keep doing it until you get it right. This is the key to making clothes you will actually wear as opposed to just clothes that you have finished.
So here is the place where I assure you that it's okay to undo your work, even more than once in the same place, and it doesn't mean you suck. It means you are a human being. If things start to feel ridiculous it may also mean you are tired and should take a break. If it is an ice cream break, wash your hands before you start up again; you don't want your project to get grimy before you're even done!
While working on this project, I realized a bunch of people may be doing some hand sewing for the first time in a long time. So I decided to make a long-winded list of hints for y'all. I am not an expert on hand sewing, though I think I'm kind of an expert on embroidery. But maybe that will help me remember a bunch of things that experts just take for granted and would forget to tell you.
In sum, this may all be common sense to you. Or some of it may be terrible old wives' tales. I will update it as commenters point out the stupid bits. (Thanks ahead of time, commenters!)
Fabric selection
Face masks are small and most of them have seams up the middle or pleating, so it's not easy to keep the continuity of the design ("pattern match"). So it's best to use solids or very small prints. Or use big patterns and go for a bold, modernistic look.
Fabric made for quilting would be pretty good for this project. I also have some old shirts I love that don't fit right and that have small plaids. I may try a bigger plaid, too.
On fabric type, from my sister: "Fabric should feel good and be washable. This is not the time to make something out of itchy mohair. If you are using old fabric, like from worn shirts or bed linens, consider adding an extra layer."
Pre-wash
A blogger I (sort of) know has named her dog Pre-wash. Love it.
But I'm not talking about dishes. Unfortunately, before you start your project, you should wash your fabric. This way if it shrinks, that will happen before you sew it.
I recommend doing at least a starter wash in the sink, especially if it's cheapo fabric, because some of the dye might wash out. If the water is running clear, feel free to throw it in with your laundry.
Warning: The edges will unravel a little, with a lot of long strings clinging to the edges, and it won't look ironed anymore. Don't get too sad, it's okay.
If you're using old clothes, then you've probably already done this step, but you probably have to take the clothes apart to get better access to the fabric. You can try cutting the thread at the seams. Or you can just cut the fabric at the seams, but this gives you a little less fabric to work with.
Work space selection
You generally want a large, flat, hard surface to work on, like a cleaned-off dining room table. Some people have a big enough desk or coffee table or piano bench. Or you may use a wooden or vinyl floor (carpeting is not ideal, but can also work). For a face mask, you won't need as much space as for some projects, so that's good. This is mostly for cutting out the pieces. Once you are sewing, you may be able to just sit in front of the TV.
Pattern placement
You can place pattern pieces willy-nilly however they fit, but standard procedure is to a) make sure they align properly with the grain of the fabric and b) make sure things will be right-side up when you're done.
Notice that woven fabric does not stretch from side to side or from top to bottom but does stretch diagonally, so the fit might be weird if you mess with the alignment.
Cutting the fabric
This is the most important step because you can't undo it. So, like they say in carpentry, measure twice and cut once. Don't be that guy that has two right sleeves or whose item is partly inside-out, no matter how you wear it.
Sometimes a pattern piece should have its edge on a folded edge of fabric. Generally the fabric is folded, and the pattern is cut out of the double layer, so you end up with two pieces, but not always.
So read the directions and, thanks to my sister for this rule, if you're sleepy, put this off until the next day. Especially if your fabric is expensive or one of a kind or there's a pandemic so you can't get more. (I know, how likely is that?)
Or maybe you don't need a pattern. Some people are talented like that or are so practiced that they don't need that. You go.
If you use a store-bought pattern, you usually pin it to the cloth and then cut out the pattern and the cloth together, and the pattern is made of tissue paper and hard to re-use. Also, it seems like it would be easy, but things shift, and it's not as easy as just cutting paper.
I printed my pattern on typing paper, which is hard to pin, so I cut it out first and then traced around it with a pencil. For (small) patterns I want to re-use, I glue them to a thick, cuttable paper (by which I mean a file folder) and then cut it out, so it's much easier to trace accurately without destroying the pattern. (My mom uses some kind of other semi-see-through fabric to save her patterns in some way that I don't understand and therefore can't explain.)
Finally, whenever you're cutting something, pay attention to what's underneath so you're not cutting more than you intend to be cutting. Especially if it feels harder to cut than you expected. Don't be that guy ruining your other fabric or cutting what you're wearing or, if you're on your bed, cutting your sheets.
Thread color
Ideally you have thread that perfectly matches your fabric--check it in good light. If your fabric has multiple colors, usually choose the main one.
In real life, you don't normally get that lucky. So, look for a near match. I've read that when in doubt choose a color that's too dark over a color that's too light. That seems to work. Even if you have only black, white, and grey, you've probably got a good enough color. If not, well they all work. Just pick a pretty one you don't mind working with.
Order of operations
Patterns come with instructions that tell you an order to do things in to make it as easy as possible. So before starting a new step, you might want to double check that you really did the previous step.
Working with fabrics backwards
Often (usually) you will be told to sew things with the right sides facing together. That means the part you are looking at is the faded-looking back side. This feels so wrong! And that is how you know that it is a valuable insider strategy! This is how you easily sew things together so that the leftover ugly edges are cleverly hidden on the inside.
Cutting the thread
The rule of thumb is to use pieces of thread that are about three feet long. If it's too long, it will always be getting caught on things and will tie itself in knots more often. But the shorter it is, the more often you have to tie knots and start over, which is time consuming.
Threading the needle
Most people stick the end of the thread into the eye of the needle. If one end is frayed, use the other. If both are frayed, cut off the frayed part. Maybe lick it to keep it all together. Reading glasses or a bright light may help.
What helps me most, though, is to fold the thread to make a loop. Put the needle inside the loop and pull against it so that you're holding two sides of the thread in one hand and the loop with the needle. Then move your fingers near the needle so you can slip the needle out out and still have a tiny loop. Now push that whole loop through the eye of the needle. It sounds harder, but the thread is stiffer that way and it won't unravel itself on the way in.
Single or double?
To use a single thread, just tie a knot in one end after the needle is threaded. This is what I recommend unless you're sewing a button back on. It just seems much easier to work with. To use a double thread, bring both ends together and tie a knot in both of them at once.
Tying a starter knot
Tie an overhand knot near the end of your thread. Then it will probably be too small and go right through your fabric, so then tie another knot in the same space. If the second knot insists on being next to--instead of on top of--the first knot, just keep tying more knots until they merge into a single knot.
I suck at this and do not have any good hints. I've seen people who can just rub the end of the thread around between their fingers and it's magically knotted. Do that instead if you can.
I find the ending knots easier--more on that later.
Pins
Generally you will pin two pieces of fabric together before you start sewing them together to help you keep them properly aligned. It's easier to focus on the big picture while pinning. You can pin both ends. Then add one to the middle between them. Then keep adding more between those until the fabric looks like you will do what you want. (While you are sewing, you are focused on only one point, and things can get more and more out of whack as you go along.)
If you don't have sewing pins, you can use safety pins. Otherwise, be careful. You'll probably stab yourself lightly multiple times, but it doesn't have to be like that!
Generally you will put the pin through where you want the seam, but perpendicular to it so that as you're sewing, it won't get in your way as much. You may be able to sew right over it, but once you're done, remove the pin and put it somewhere safe.
Pin and needle storage
You should prepare a place for your pins so they won't roll around. If you don't have a pin cushion or the container they came in, you could pin them all to a piece of fabric like a hanky (push each one in one side and then back out the front). Or you could use a bowl or a jar or something, but these are very easy to accidentally spill, so I recommend some kind of lid at least.
Whenever you take a break, push your needle into the fabric near the seam you are working on. Usually I just start the next stitch and leave it there. If you are between pieces of thread, you could instead put it with your pins. You might want to thread it first to keep it easy to find. Please do not just set it on a surface. Not even just for a second--it's a bad habit. Needles roll. And they stab. And they are tiny and hard to see. But easy to feel, when they stab you with their evil tininess.
Thread management
So once you start sewing, one end of your thread will be attached to the fabric and the other end will be hanging out the other side of the eye of the needle. The longer you keep that tail, the easier it will be to manage your thread and keep it from getting caught in things and tying itself in knots. But you need to keep shortening it as you go or it will disappear into the fabric. If this happens, pull on both threads, and one might come out. If not, oh well, just sew with a double thread until the end.
Due to the physics of sewing, your thread will get wound up will which make it tend to kink and not quite do what you want. So you may need to occasionally let the thread hang from the fabric and unwind or pull it through the needle until the needle is next to the fabric, then pull the needle back out, letting the thread straighten as you do so.
You can also aim your thread a little. After each stitch, I like to hang the thread down, away from the seam, pins, etc. And by "hang" I mean place it where I want it, because gravity doesn't work too great with tiny things like threads.
If your fabric is super thick (um, I don't recommend a leather face mask) you will have to push hard to get the needle through, and this can hurt. The professionals have protective armor for their fingertip ("thimbles") but if you don't, look for something else you can use, ideally something not slippery, between you and the needle. There is such a thing as leather thimbles, for example (though modern ones are generally made of metal), but even just a piece of fabric folded over a few times can make things much more comfortable.
Where are my scissors?
Stand up and look where you were sitting. They've probably fallen between the cushions.
Seam allowance
So how far from the edge do you sew? Usually, 5/8 of an inch, sometimes 1/4 of an inch. The longer distance from the edge (or "seam allowance"), the less you have to worry about the fabric fraying (unraveling) into the seam, thus making the item fall apart. A shorter distance makes it easier to deal with tight curves and other difficulties.
Sewing machines make it easy to automatically keep the same distance from the edge at all times. By hand, it's different. I actually measure in from the edge and make a mark with my pencil in several places. You could try to draw a whole line. If your sewing is not consistently following the edge of the fabric, it will affect the look and fit of the garment.
My sister says, "even experienced sewists like to mark things like seam allowances when sewing. Crayola washable markers are a great choice. Some quilting chalk markers don't wash out. A sliver of soap works great on darker colored fabrics." Hmm, good thing I don't use just liquid soap anymore.
Stitch type
I think a lot of people sew with a running stitch. That's where you aim the needle in the direction you're sewing and just go down and up through both layers of fabric over and over. It's quick, but it tends to act like a drawstring and not let your sewing lie flat. So if you do this, make sure you pull the fabric flat as you go.
I have an embroidery background, so I do an outline stitch. (This is where you face the needle the other way and just go down through the fabric and back up once. Then you move the needle in the direction you want to go and take another stitch, kind of moon-walking your way across the fabric.)
I don't know what you're supposed to use. My best guess is the backstitch. Here's a good Youtube tutorial. (I think it's the same as the outline stitch, just worked from the other side.)
My sister recommends this video that shows three stitches. The intended audience is women recreating historical items, but it's still good for the likes of us. Just don't get intimidated by the amazingness of her stitches. As my sister explains, "This video shows teeny stitches, and she comments about how it was the Victorians that were that ridiculous. Stitches that are about 1/8" long are fine and durable. Thicker fabric will be impossible to get teeny stitches in, it will "inform" the length that is possible. Don't stress it. Also, these seams on a mask are not under a great deal of stress. Being precise is lovely, but not absolutely necessary in this case."
Stitch size
In all the old-time books, the girls are always being taught to make their stitches small. No, smaller. No, tiny. I used to just assume that my stitches were all too big because I didn't want to make them as tiny as possible. But really, you need to make sure to catch at least two threads each time you make a stitch.
If your stitches are too big, there will be gaps in the seams. Then things might get caught in those gaps and rip them open further. Embarrassing.
Ending knots
It's much easier to tie a knot at the end if you can keep the needle in while you work. Tie the thread as close to the fabric as you can. Again, tie two or three overhand knots. Then move a half-inch out and do it again if you have enough thread leftover to start the next seam. Then cut between the two knots.
You will now have a thread hanging out. That's okay. And normal. Don't make it too short (leave a quarter of an inch or so), otherwise the knot might untie itself. Then the thread might unsew itself. That would be sad.
Cutting at curves
When there is a tight curve you might get instructions to cut into the fabric in the seam allowance at right angles to your seam. Doesn't this make the fabric unravel faster? It seems like it, yes. But it also helps the seam lie flat like it's supposed to. It's all part of the magic of to make flat, two-dimensional pieces of fabric into curvy, three-dimensional shapes. Just don't cut all the way to the seam.
Finger pressing
Ironing can do two things: it can get the wrinkles out, making it smooth. Or it can make a crease very sharp. For the second purpose, especially on small projects like face masks, you can actually just smoosh it with your fingers. Often you will pull the fabric apart so that you can just see your stitches, then fold it so the two sides are together and finger press it so it stays like that. Otherwise it might naturally open into a less open position.
Re-dos
You can check for bugs in sewing just like in computer programming. You can wait until you're all done and hope it's magically perfect. Or you can check things after each step to see how you're doing so far.
My home-ec teacher taught us to try to be as perfect as we can. If we mess up, just undo it and try again and keep doing it until you get it right. This is the key to making clothes you will actually wear as opposed to just clothes that you have finished.
So here is the place where I assure you that it's okay to undo your work, even more than once in the same place, and it doesn't mean you suck. It means you are a human being. If things start to feel ridiculous it may also mean you are tired and should take a break. If it is an ice cream break, wash your hands before you start up again; you don't want your project to get grimy before you're even done!