Pressing surface firmness- what do you use?
12-06-2014, 12:36 AM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Somewhere in SANTA Land.
Posts: 9,696
Originally Posted by ragamuffin
When Mother taught me some 60 years ago, on her old wooden ironing board, she taught me well. I have 4 brothers and I did most of the ironing. When I went to tailoring class, my teacher said I really knew how to press and iron. Her board had 2 or 3 layers of flannel from an old blanket, then a later of cotton batting, then the silver looking ironing board cover. She pulled it very tight with those spring/hole making clamps. We would take it off occasionally to wash or change the top. I still have the ironing board at my cottage. It never wobbles like the one I have here. I do use the little table top one with short legs when I am piecing a quilt.
12-06-2014, 04:09 AM
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Ohio
Posts: 952
Okay, I saw the Steady Betty but thought it was a little too expensive so I went to the hubby and asked "hey, if you took a piece of unfinished board left over from a home project and an extra handle for a cupboard that we didn't use can you make me one of these, kinda of?" Could he cut a piece of the board (4" by 7" by 1 1/2"), sandpaper the edges, and use two screws to put the handle on it? Sure, he said and I love my on "Steady Ricky" using it on my blocks. Press with the steam iron and then press the Steady Ricky and perfect flat seams especially on areas where a number of corners meet. Just a thought for everyone.
12-06-2014, 04:28 AM
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Middle TN
Posts: 951
I use a board made from plywood, a very dense batt (often used by drapery makers), and covered in canvas (stapled to the plywood). I had it cut to fit the end of my work surface. Also used leftovers to make a small lap board to use for pressing small appliqué pieces.
12-06-2014, 06:03 AM
#14
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Southern California
Posts: 19,131
I bought one of those June Taylor long ironing board cover that is 20"x60" that fits on a custom set up that a few stores carried but it was WAY TOO expensive for my penny pinching budget. I just made my own and it sits on a set of two Sterilite drawers with each unit having 4 deep drawers for fabric storage.
12-06-2014, 08:40 AM
#15
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Tri-Cities, Washington
Posts: 757
Originally Posted by Pudge
I swiped my husband's drafting board from college. It's 36 x 28 and covered with batting and duck cloth and its firmer than my ironing board. I've distorted more quilt blocks then I like to admit to by ironing rather than pressing.
12-06-2014, 04:26 PM
#18
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Texas
Posts: 5,500
I also have a big board, and I have Warm and Natural batting over that, covered with just plain fabric. I guess it is a good fabric, but it is still just fabric. (Had to have purple flowers...) It is pretty firm.
Dina
Dina
12-06-2014, 04:46 PM
#19
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 401
I just made myself a pressing board like Tartan's: 1/2" plywood, 1 layer of W&N batting, covered with a layer of quilt fabric I bought years ago and now decided I didn't like so much. I LOVE it! I used this tute https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c
12-07-2014, 10:09 AM
#20
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Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 5,284
I had my husband cut a 2 ft x 4 ft. MDF board, then stretched and stapled first insulbrite, cotton batting, and then cotton duck. I made two muslin covers for it with a string casing around it. Used mattress pad elastic clips (kind of like the old fashioned mitten clips we had as a child) in the middle area so it is stretched taut.
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