Homemade or Handmade: Iron!

Ah, enough history for now! Time to get down to the practical concerning sewing--homemade vs. handmade.  Familiar scene: we're standing in the shop, someone thrusts a garment across the counter, saying, "Oh, I've never had any lessons", "I'm self-taught", "I never use a pattern", "I just did this the quickest way possible", or my personal favorite, "How hard can this really be?" After looking at the skirt or dress or jumper, I want to respond accordingly, "I can tell", "Indeed you are", "Perhaps you should try", "Slow down & pay attention", and "Probably harder than you think". yikes. The ideas may be lovely, the fabrics (especially if they're ours!) may be gorgeous, the sewer may be bursting with love, but if the construction is lacking or downright lousy, what do you have? A homemade-looking dress, jumper, skirt, pants, top. yikes.
Ways to avoid the homemade, and step it up to handmade.
I'll start with the simplest: IRON.

Iron your fabric prior to cutting. Iron your pattern pieces to get the most accurate cut.
Press every seam as you sew it. Press your finished garment. Press your pattern pieces before you put them away (bonus--they'll fit back into the envelope!) press press press.
Invest in an iron that heats up quickly and has a few auto shut-off settings. An elongated tip on your iron will help you get in to those tiny spots. My iron hovers so I don't have to set it up on it's heel for its resting position--a sweet technological improvement! Plus it's a happy yellow. Amazing as it sounds, I LOVE my iron.
Must haves: a press cloth (provides protection to heat-sensitve fabrics, and can protect your iron from  bonding agents & adhesives; a sleeve board (to get inside all those kid-sized sleeves and pant legs); a pressing ham (for pressing darts--or anything that has a curve).
Invest in a rock-steady ironing board. Buy an extra cover so you can toss the starch-laden, adhesive-spotted one in the wash once in a while. And by all means, place the board in a spot that forces you to actually get up from your sewing chair to use it!