Question about ironing board padding

[KenmoreGal2]

OK fellow quilters, before I took up this fun new hobby, I rarely ironed. We simply don't own clothes that need ironing. I kept my iron and board under cover, literally, so they would not get dusty!

Since I began quilting my husband built me a pressing surface on top of my dryer. It is just a piece of wood, a towel and a cover. I use that for 90% of my quilt pressing.

When the quilt gets big, I have to switch to my ironing board. I recently treated myself to a brand new cover and removed 2 old covers and their attendant padding. When I use the ironing board, it is so much softer than my pressing board, it's disconcerting.

But IDK, is that how an ironing board (not a pressing board) is supposed to be? I tried to google how padded it should be, but didn't find anything helpful. Should I take a picture of how padded it is?

Any and all advice appreciated!

[kathy]

I do like my pressing surface (whatever it is) on the softer side, and I do iron all my husbands shirts too, it seems to work better if it's more padded.

[KenmoreGal2]

Thanks Kathy. Good to know.

[NJ Quilter]

For my quilting my set up is similar to yours...I use a towel or 2 on my cutting table because I don't have room for a separate surface. Similarly for my clothing I use a 'homemade' ironing board with a traditional pad/cover. Both feel about the same to me. My mother used to just add the new cover on top of the old to further pad her normal ironing board. It's still hanging up in the garage. There are probably 20 layers on that thing! I mostly think it's a matter of preference. That said, I think if you want something really flat, a softer surface better.

[gigi712]

Ironing for quilts seems to work better for me on a harder surface, hence, less batting.

[toverly]

Oh the memories you brought back. My mom simply added new covers to her board also. It was soft and squishy. As for me, I use a handmade board about 24 x 30 padded with batting, insulbrite then fabric on top. All of it is stapled then glued. It's placed on a serving cart that is just the right height for me. I prefer the harder board. But I really do think it is simply a matter of preference.

[quilterpurpledog]

My ironing board is a commercial mechanism that is meant to fold up and be put away-mine never gets put away because I use it to iron clothing or quilt every day. I have a commercial pad that is about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick and is quite solid. It is not squishy. I covered that with a layer of 80/20 batting and a piece of muslin. I made the cover out of duck cloth which is a canvas type of fabric. It makes a padded surface that works well for all types of ironing or pressing. When the cover gets old, scorchy and looks ugly I make a new cover. If the surface is too soft it is easy to have pressing distortion, especially bias edges or seams.

[paoberle]

I think it is really and matter of preference and what you are used to. I think you get better results with a firm, but softer surface.

[KenmoreGal2]

I am finding it hard to get a good flat seam on a quilt top using my puffy ironing board. The fabric and iron just kind of sinks into it.

I still have not used the ironing board for clothes so perhaps it's good for that?? IDK!!

[Tartan]

If you can't get a good press on the soft surface then it's too soft for you. I prefer a plywood surface with just one layer of batt for quilt ironing. If the batt in the cover is polyester, a hot iron will eventually melt it down thinner.