Thanks for the reply dunster- it's funny, a while back I had made a note of this model iron as one I would like to own, because I had heard great things about it. But when it came time to buy a new one, I ended up with a cheap Panasonic - don't ask me why! I'm ready to replace it, I'm not happy with it. I've never heard of strip sticks, I will look into them.
i recently participated in a Halloween quiltalong on Instagram, simply because I loved the color palette the organizer used. It ended up being very paper piecing and epp heavy, techniques I have no experience with. My color palette ended up completely different than the one I loved. But it is a long time since I felt so challenged and creative at the same time. It was so fun!