Ironing Hints

After a bad hand/wrist injury a few years ago I wrapped many handles with strips cut from thin sheets of sponge rubber. It helped a lot. I didn't have to clench as tight and nothing slipped. I even wrapped some cutlery and my favourite cook's knife. Washing wasn't a problem as the sheets had been packing (free!) and I just replaced it as necessary.

I am guessing that the cabinet liners work on the same idea.

Or an iron with a built in thick grippy handle! My el-cheapo steam generator iron has a fat handle, and while no built in grip, it isn't too slippery.

I took the water out of mine when I was having shoulder problems. The difference in weight is amazing! I also have my ironing board high enough so my arm is bent at a right angle when my hand is on the iron.

Mine is a flat bottom, lightweight, no steam holes, Proctor Silex that I bought for $15.00 about 6 years ago. Ironing board it at the height the OT recommended :)

If any of the rest of you have any hints, PLEASE add them. Makes life easier for the rest of us:)

Butterfly

I switch ironing left- and right-handed. That way one arm/hand doesn't get too exhausted.

G> Mine is a flat bottom, lightweight, no steam holes, Proctor Silex that I

If you are ironing on a heavily padded ironing board, you are making your life harder. Using a covered HARD surface lets you only pass by a time or two instead of over and over. I have a June Tailor board that looks like it should have been buried years ago but it really does cut down on the effort involved and improves the results. My 'real' ironing board has been covered in haste too many times and has become too soft for quilting pressing. I don't guess it would kill me to strip off that one and get it right. When I get around to it. Polly

Yup, what she said!

HARD ironing surfaces are heaps easier to work on. I have a sheet of all-weather ply wood with an old wool blanket and

100% cotton fabric stretched over it. People bring their pressing here just to use the ironing table lol

That is what I wondered (right now I have a towel double folded on the end of a table to do the 'short seams') Don't have room for my ironing board .

Looks like I will have to have a table dedicated to ironing in the new abode that we have NOT found yet....

Question: Is there anything that could be used instead of wool?

Butterfly

It is covered with...............

Butterfly

My grandma had a wood board that was covered in several layers of old flat sheets, each one folded into quarters, then individually stretched tightly over the board. It was nice and hard. There was one layer of that silver insulating material (the kind used to make pot holders) as the inner most layer. Debra in VA See my quilts at

And a piece of foil under the fabric/batting covering the board also helps. reflects the heat back up to the fabric. I have a piece of "Masonite" that is just covered with foil for quick pressing of freezer paper to fabric.

Pati, > Yup, what she said!

Yep, some batting or an old (as in really ratty un-redeemable failed experiment) quilt with a couple of layers of sheeting.

I covered one board I had with layers of old cotton curtains from a previous house.

Keeping in mind that this is on the end of the cutting table--what do you suggest I put under/on top of it so the heat doesn't transfer to the wood? It won't be 'on' the table for long as the seams are about 14' long...and I am not string pressing right now...just one block at a time.

Butterfly

Here's what not to do. I covered my cardboard dressmaker folding cutting mat with that silver stuff. It made a really nice place to press some long seams in a quilt top. Until, of course, I finished and discovered that my green mat underneath had objected. It sort of bubbled. Don't try this at home. Polly

"Butterflywings" wrote> Keeping in mind that this is on the end of the cutting table--what do you

On Tue, 3 Oct 2006 07:10:35 -0500, polly esther wrote (in article ):

BTDT.

Maureen