Originally Posted by mic-pa
I took one of those card boards that fabric comes on in the quilt shop and covered it with several layers of warm and natural batt then muslin on top of that and pined it firmly. Makes a nice portable iron board. fits in my tote easily to take to class etc. Marge
Great idea. That's all it takes to make an ironing board!
As for finger pressing - that came to be fingernail pressing and my fingernails aren't all that thick or long. I saw a grouping of 4-5 clay tools made of nicely smoothed wood and use a couple for finger pressing tools and one for laying fabric flat just before it hits the sewing machine needle.
After buying a bunch of sand box sand I set aside a few coffee cans full for experiments (who knows?) and made a 4-5" rectangle "pin cushion" with a quilted cover. This is now what I plop down on sewn seams and plies of sewn squares. Flattens things nicely.