My "NEW" pressing tool!
 

I saw a lady demo HER version at the quilt show in OKcity and figured I could make my own version of it. AFterall, it is only a pressing bar, like a tailors HAM.
I bought a piece of Oak 1/4 round trim molding at Lowes, had my DH cut it the lengths I wanted and then glued two piece together to get the shape I needed.
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then I covered the oak stick with a layer of insulbrite and a layer of duck canvas
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I then stapled it all with a heavy duty stapler, and tapped the staples down smooth with a tiny hammer. I think the end result is nice, but a bit wider than hers though, but that is really not an issue at all. The purpose of having the rolled top is so that the seams press open cleanly! By using unwashed duck cloth I can now steam it to shrink it down nicely! **This view is of the bottom, not the top where I will be pressing!**
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costs, trim was $6.00, and I got the 18" and a 30" stick out of that. I bought 1/3 yard each of insul-brite and duck canvas for only $4.65, the staples I had. It took all of 40 minutes to make these. YAY for me! Now to see how well this works...I had a tailors sleeve ham but it did not have a small enough hump for the seams..this appears to just right!

Please let us know what you think! Great job!

Well, aren't you the innovative one! I'm going to have to make a couple of those myself. Thanks for the info!

I know what a pressing ham is but what are you pressing with this tool you made? What was she demonstrating at the quilt show?

I purchased one of these about a year ago and love it. Makes pressing open seams so easy.

mltquilt

Gadget?!?!? :shock: did someone say Gadget?!?!?!! :p oooooooohhhhhh I love gadgets!! :o Ok so what does this gadget of yours do?? :eek:

Thanks for sharing this tute.. but could you be so kind as to tell me what it does and how you use it..

you press your seams open on strip sets! It works like a dream....you just lie your strip set on this bar and the HMP makes the seam you are pressing just fall in place..easy to press, so straight and nice and clean...LOVE IT

Hmm could be cool - will have to try this. Thanks.

(For those - like me - who do not have a hubby to do the cutting - the Home Depot or wherever you go will cut the lengths you need or if you are like me - just do it myself at the store!)

so true Sewmary....I used to work at Lowe's and forgot to mention that!
Also if you want the 45" bar like the lady sells, you just have to get a piece that is 8' and have them cut 2 pcs at 45" and what is left you can use on something else!

I'm confused, dose the trim have a flat side and is that the sides you glued together? Does the glued finished piece give you a half circle shape?

I like your new gadget. Very innovative of you. Thanks for posting.

Is this molding flat on one side? When you talk about gluing two pieces together what do you mean?

Here is the original:http://thestripstick.com/buy_products
Thanks

yes, 1/4 round means that two sides are flat. YOu want to glue the sides together that will give you a nice DOME top!

I just bought the narrower trim to try and make a skinnier one! Will get pix tonight I hope!

Oh, man, gadgets!!!!! I'm a sucker for them!! Went to site and I like that Seams thingy, too. Both of these would help me sew the pageant sashes that I make. They are soooo long and since the back wraps around to the front, the seams are very important or the sash won't look right!

2 pieces of 1/4 round glued together will give you a domed 1/2 round. Look at the pictures on the link, that should help you understand the concept.

Very clever. Might be handy for pressing seams for some types of Quilt as You Go.

In the picture , the tool looks like it has a flat bottom, but with Jaciqltznok's directions it looks like you have a round dowl with a 1/2 diameter. If that 's not right , I don' t get it. I am sorry for being so dense.

I should let Jaciq answer but what you get when you glue the two flat sides together is a peice just exactly like the original presser. It will be flat on the bottom and have a 1/2" dome on the top. (you really are clever, girl!)

My DH is making me one also. He bought 48 inches of quarter round molding. I had not thought to use insulbrite, I was going to cover it with canvas or heavy duck.

What a great gadget! I'm going to make one for me and my sister. Thanks for the directions!

cool! great work.

You are so clever! Thanks for the tip.

I went to the site posted and it is easy on there to tell how it works. Thanks for the tip.

I need this tool so bad. Thanks for the tip.

Thanks, Jacquie. Love this tip. I'll be looking forward to seeing what you recommend with the molding size...larger or smaller. If I make one, I'm wondering about cutting the duck cloth just a bit longer, folding it before wrapping the trim and making a button hole on one end so I can hang it up on a hook for storage.

thanks for this tip jackie

Well, I am still wondering how to use one and for what. Yes, I don't know everything. Just found out what a measuregraph for fabric is. Need a demonstration for my brain to absorb it.

I'm lost, what do you do with it???

Great idea. I'll have to get dh to help me make one.

Never mind, I found out what they are for. Second page of this message has link to site that splains it. thank you.

I am still trying to figure this out - Jacki you are WAY ahead of me in the gadget department!

My first question is, instead of buying 1/4-round's why don't you buy half-rounds and save the glue-up? Or are you squishing the fabric between the pieces?

And what is the width/diameter of the half-round you are making?

After that I guess I'm just not ready to press like that on a strip - I can't reliably make one WOF straight, never mind sewing a bunch of them before pressing. Mine would be a hilly wavy mess. I always press, measure the width for straightness, then go to the next strip.

But it is true that I can create waves by mis-pressing stuff I already pressed...hmmmm

I don't think I am getting it. Why the insul brite? Is there heat involved some how?


I've seen the light, I mean video. All has become clear!

If you have a Hobby Lobby near, I would go there for the insulbrite rather than Joanns. LOTS cheaper - like $4 per yard cheaper. Just thought you might want to know. :)

Aren't you clever! I love it when someone finds a thrifty alternative to expensive quilting items.

I also have made several of these (gave one to each of my quilting buddies). If you get half round you don't have to glue 2 together like when you get the quarter round. Also you don't need to have insulBrite - any left over batting will do

Do you end up with a HALF round? If so, why not just get that instead of QUARTER round?

Great idea that I can do...thanks for sharing!

yes, you do get a 1/2 round..BUT my local Lowe's does not carry 1/2 round trim..so I had to use what was available.
IF you can find 1/2 round trim in the 1 1/4" diameter, then by all means use that! I would have!

I used insulbrite for one good reason...WARPING....insulbrite shiney side up reflects the heat from the iron back UP into the cloth instead of DOWN into the wood....if you get pine trim and it gets wet..it will warp when you apply heat to it!

The warping is why I chose to make my own. When I asked the lady demoing these at the show what they were made of she simply said wood. I asked about it warping and she turned to another lady and would not answer my question...so...I set about making my own!