I love mine.

I have an ancient STURDY ironing board - I would be very uncomfortable using it with the flimsy one I inherited in the trailer.

Did you buy it or make it? I'd love to have one.

Bear, what do you mean by a big board ironing board top....*at the risk of sounding daft*.

http://www.allbrands.com/products/abp00805-0711.html

There is one view on that site

if you google: big board ironing board cover you should get some help with other views.

It's basically a 22 x 59 piece of high grade plywood with three boards placed under it to keep it from sliding around the ironing board.

It came with a thin (about 1/8 inch thick) poly-type pad and a twill cover. The cover was rather skimpy. I have to put it back on the board while it's still damp and it barely makes it.

I bought mine, but I don't think it would be very hard to make one - if you know how to use a saw - and/or could get someone to make one.

I thought it was rather spendy, but I do like it. And from the amount of use I've gotten out of it, it was worth it.

Won't even go into detail on how much I've spent on stuff that isn't being used.

I think a slightly smaller model is also available.

I do a lot of cutting (with a mat, of course) on this set-up, too. Perfect height.

It makes ironing fabric so much easier !!!!!! :-)

Here is the one I made for my new sewing room. I love it. It is 2 feet by 4 feet

NICE!

I have actually used my dining table to iron things. I have an old blanket I put on top of the table, then I put a sheet down and tie the ends together underneath the table. Works great!
My dining table is not one of those expensive tables. It's a pedestal (press board) that we bought 20 years ago...I love my table.
I wouldn't recommend doing this on a table that is made from cherry/oak or something else.

I checked out that link, and now I need to ask about the legs on the ironing board. How heavy is that top? Are the legs not in danger of collapse? My ironing board could sure use some expanding!

this is another link

https://bigboardenterprises.com/bigboard/]https://bigboardenterprises.com/bigboard/[/url]

The first site said it weight 24 pounds - I don't know if that's just the board weight or the shipping weight

I never take mine off the ironing board, so I don't remember how heavy it is. I'm fortunate enough to be able to leave the ironing board up all the time.

The main thing is to have a stable ironing board. Not one that wobbles.

Bear and KWhite, I'd love to have something that size!!! Just tonight I was ironing fabric to cut for sashing and I just didn't have the room. I'd love to have something large enough to stretch a long piece of fabric to iron easier. But I don't have anymore space in my sewing room, unless my DH made a portable kind of top that I could put on my cutting table. Hmmmmm.http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-think005.gif

I think I've seen sort of ironing "blankets" that can be put on a table

Or one that is attached to the wall and folds down when needed and back flat against the wall out of the way when not in use. Sort of a Murphy board. You are probably too young to know what that means.

I saw a Ricky Tims episode online for doing the convergence quilts and he has a big board he irons on - and he tells you how to make it...!
I'll have to see if I can find the link to the video...

whew! I thought I'd never find it! I couldn't find it searching online then I remembered that I had emailed a friend of mine with the link.. and viola! Here it is!!

http://www.thequiltshow.com/season3/303/theater.php[/url]


Okay.. I just rewatched it and he doens't give specific directions however he tells you what it's made of - this is on my to make list... the next time my father in law comes up. My husband is not good with power tools....

I would love to have a large ironing board. It takes forever to try to maneuver a quilt top on my plain board, have to show this to DH , maybe he'll make me one .Thanks Bear for this topic!!
K, I love the way yours looks!

Here's a link (I hope) to a message I posted about the ironing board top I made. http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/l...37.page#336655

Mine is for a small folding table, but directions could be adjusted to whatever size you need. If you aren't able to to use power tools (I'm not!) or don't have them, Lowe's will cut for you. Probably any lumber store would.

The rails underneath look like they are about 1 1/2 inches high and about 5/8 inches wide. Didn't measure the length of them. Far enough apart to fit over most ironing boards - maybe two inches in from the edge.

There are three boards underneath - one on each side and only one at one end. Seems to be some kind of smooth hard-wood. I don't think it's pine. Not oak, either.

They are nailed together at the end, but I'm not sure how the rails are fastened to the large piece of plywood. Maybe glued? I didn't feel any screw or nail holes when i went to look at it.

The only "finish" the woods have is being sanded very nice and smooth.

I purchased a big board at a quilt show and love it :) . I also purchased the cutting board that covers half. So when quilting, I have a space to cut and a space to iron. I agree with basic woodworking skills someone can make one specific to the size of what you want it.

I do have a flimsy ironing board, and it works. But I am converting a spare bedroom into sewing room since I rarely have guests and will look to find a dresser/cabinet that I can set it on at the right height to make it more stable.

Just finished watching the show and am inspired to make one up this afternoon, er, evening. Maybe I can pull hubby away from his schoolwork long enough to make it up. Aw heck, I can do it. :roll:

kay, i did the same thing, using a door that dh bought for me at home depot, 30" x 6'. mine also sits on a dresser (that i found on the street , hehe), but i covered mine with muslin - not a great idea. it stretches. i like your idea better. where did you buy the silver coated fabric? that wide?

I made mine, myself, years ago...looks just like that! Love it..made a small one for side table ironing!


OMGosh..I just saw the price from the link you sent! Are these people greedy or what...mine cost me $20.00 to make!!!

Thanks for another great idea!! DH will have to ponder it for awhile, but he will do it for me sometime. Need to get moved first!!

I loved this idea so much, I made me one today.. cost me $22 total..I used the insulbrite, then Warm and Natural and then duck cloth.

Thank you so much for the idea (made me remember that I wanted one)

starting from the top and going down, what was the order of the layers?

Duck cloth
then Warm and Natural
then the Insulbrite

here's what it looks like...
http://www.quiltingboard.com/posts/list/22699.page

i love my board, but i put muslin on top. i don't have insulbrite on the bottom either. starting from the top mine is: good quality muslin, good wool blankets, then the wood. i had read that the wool was good because it absorbs the steam and allows it to go right through the fabric. but, i feel that the wool is too squishy and the muslin is too stretchy. so i want to redo the entire thing. and get it right this time from someone who has done it. inthe meantime, while i look for the insulbrite wide enough, i think i'll spray the top layer with water and maybe it will shrink in as it dries.

thanks for your help, tuesy.

I was walking through the laundry section at WalMart yesterday and they had a nice BIG ironing board for sale there.. I'm going to price it next time in and compare to making my own. They also have oversized board covers.

check the dimensions of the ironing boards AND the covers - they differ

Wonderful suggestions and ideas :D :D :D

DH cut me a piece of thick plywood the size I wanted to fit my table. I put one layer of cotton batting and then covered it with cotton canvas. I stapled it tight to the back of the wood. Then I sprayed the cloth with water and let it dry. The water made the batting and cotton cloth shrink and the cover tightened to a very smooth finish. Sharon Schamber showed how to do make the perfect ironing surface doing it this way. A soft surface is not a quilter's friend.

I like the removable covers that I can wash - mine gets scorchy marks and water marks and linty - especially if I've been cutting dark fabrics

maybe the rest of you are neater?

I hesitate to mention that it also gets furry once in a while, :-)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

I have the directions for a big ironing board top that fits on top of your ironing board. My ironing board is about 15 yrs old,waltmart bought all metal. The board is kinda heavy but I have never had any problems with it falling or wobbling. It fits snuggly,my DBI made it for me. It also has the directions on the cover and what to do. If any one is interested
Please PM me.
As you can see I did not use the directions on how to make my cover look really neat. :lol:
BillsBonBon

Bellaboo wrote> yep this is what I did and mine works great!

this is me doing the happy dance!
http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-dance007.gif

i will definitely try that before i rip mine apart and recover it.

to keep my cover tight - I safety pin three pieces elastic to the edges - I pass the elastic under the ironing board

makes it awkward to remove the big board, but it keeps the cloth cover tight

I use my Big Board right on the bed. It was a splurge purchase at a quilt show and I've never had a minute's regret. I've also set it up on my ironing board to serve as a buffet table and/or a bar when we've had company. Well worth the price, and if you can find someone to make one for you, even better.

:lol: :lol: i never thought of it as furniture LOL! good idea :lol: :lol:

I have a really big box that I tend to toss on the big table and use it to press the finished tops if they are too big for the ironing board. I find it works for me and then I just toss it back in the corner.

I saw that too but didn't want to spend that much money. Fortunately, hubby is a retired construction worker so I gave him my design and he built me an ironing table for about $25. Then I spent another $20 for the covering and now I have a very sturdy 24 x 72 ironing table. If anyone is interested in details, let me know. I can put some basic instructions together.

Murphy's have come back into use, don't you watch HGTV while quilting? lol lol I do so well remember an Aunt had a Murphy in the 50's that she would drop for us to sleep on when we went to visit. Gosh, it's good to have memories.

Hugs,
Sharon