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ME, TOO!!! I finally found one that stays on for an hour but always is OFF when I go to use it!? Like it's evil & KNOWS when I want to use it! can't find one that doesn't shut off! They say it's a safety feature but I think it's worse to have to turn it on & off all the time! Takes more electricity that way, too! Plus, this one has a light on it that stays on for the whole hour whether it's turned on or not!? Weird. :x

Quote:

Originally Posted by earthwalker

I try and work in blocks...turning the iron off in between. My iron doesn't shut off automatically, but beeps madly if you leave it for any length of time. I have the iron set up in the laundry room and usually sew on the dining room table, so hop up and stretch between "jobs" and if the iron takes a bit to warm up, its time to put the kettle on.

Does anyone use those mini irons? I have been tempted to splash out and buy one, but they are expensive and I think I may be inclined to forget it's there and give myself a nasty burn.

Because I finger press, only, when I'm building a quilt top, I use a mini iron when I'm finished just to do all the seam allowances before I use a big iron to press the whole quilt. I got my mini several years ago at half price. This was when it was a new product and before all the fancy tips/accessories came with it. I'm quite happy with the basic one I have and there is no substitute for it when I need to do all those tiny seam allowances that are going in all directions. I would not advise setting that mini down and leaving it while it's on. If mine is turned on, I am using it. It has a little holder where you prop the hot iron, but I also have a ceramic floor tile that I set the holder and the iron on. The holder by itself is almost useless, unless they've improved on it since I got mine.

I bought a small iron in clotilde catalogue & found that it doesn't really get hot enough & doesn't have the weight behind it that you need. I also have the tiny one & rarely use it because it takes too long to iron something with it. You have to hold it down for a long time. I bought it at Joann's with a 40% coupon! I used to make cloth dolls, wish I'd had it then! :?

I leave mine on, too. It has an auto shut-off and I never used to even unplug it...
Let me tell you, though, that we did almost have a fire. Not because of ME!!! When our (old) bug service came into my sewing room to spray, the guy moved my iron - onto the faceplate, did his spraying and left it - on the faceplate! It turned itself ON, steamed all the water out, burned the ironing board cover and burned itself up! When I came home and smelled it, I completely lost it! The ironing board was already rusted. It could've been a very serious problem.
Now, I unplug the iron when I'm finished for the day and we have a different bug service. They never spray in the sewing room.
Lesson learned. (My husband is an insurance broker so you know how loud he can talk to remind me to unplug it!)

Thanks Weezie and Sam...could be useful for small fiddly bits...using the tile for a safer stand is a good idea. We are really fire conscious here, inside and out. I always do a quick check to make sure everything is off before I go out.

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Originally Posted by vandeaner

has anyone ever had problems with spray sizing? Ironing board is set up on a wood floor never thought anytning of the overspray--didn't see it didn't bother me! oops big trouble when I put the board away--both DH and myself have had major slips and falls in that area. of course I will never admit the reason for the slippery floor. Put a rug over it and all is well!!!

I solved the problem of getting spray sizing or starch all over my ironing board and floor by covering a cardboard box(mine is about 18 inches square, but 24 x 24 would be ideal) with tinfoil, taping the seams. The sides are about 4-5 inches high, so I can spray fat quarters, etc. ( I learned to cover it with tinfoil after the colored cardboard bled all over several fat quarters I had sprayed in it!! :( :( )

My iron does not shut off automatically. Since it's plugged into the bar ontop my table with the lamp, I just shut it off whenever I'm leaving my quilting room long enough to turn the lamp off. My iron is always ready for me when I need it.

I leave mine on also. I have called my DH a few times asking him to check it when I leave for work thinking I may have forgotten to unplug it. Ooops.

Kyia

I have a story. My son rang my workplace when he arrived home from school to tell me the fire brigade were outside the house and they had to break the door down because the house was in flames. I had left the iron on! You can imagine my panic and fear. Before I went dashing out of the door, he told me to calm down he was only winding me up, BUT......... I now have an iron that automatically shuts down. Needless to say I could not admonish him because if the boot had been on the other foot!!

Has anyone ever had an iron burn up? (other than when left on its face)

I also have a Rowenta that has no switch to turn it completely off, there's always a light flashing. It will turn itself off if I leave it face down on the wire rack off the end of my ironing board, but if I leave it standing up it will stay hot for a long time. I kind of like the warm-up time as a stretch break for me. Must be why I'm so slow at piecing :wink: