Want to be able to press on my dining room table
 

This running to the laundry room every two minutes is killer! Does anyone have anything they love to use that is very protective of table top? Thanks!

Only thing I can think of is laying a towel down, placing a board on top of it and placing another towel on top of the board

I use an old portable dishwasher that sits in the middle of my kitchen(poor woman's kitchen island-haha!) I use it for storage, rolling pastry and general food prep and when I want to iron I fold a towel in half and lay it on top of the dishwasher. The loops in the towel fabric kind of keeps things from shifting. Works for me.

You can get a tabletop ironing board. My mom called it a sleeve board. Put a towel under it so the legs don't touch the tabletop.

I use the large Steady Betty for portable ironing surface. It's great. Fabric does not move at all, no distortion or stretching of the blocks when pressing. Professional tailors have used these for years, just wasn't called Steady Betty.

Glad you mentioned Betty, Some good reviews on Amazon. Pricey though. Hmmmm.

I put layers of batting down and iron on that.

Think about it!! My ironing board is 2 rooms away from my sewing machine. Us quilters need to get SOME exercise!!

I have a dining room table (high top) that I use as an ironing surface. I had a 1/2" piece of styrofoam that came out of packaging from something I got. I put it on the table first. Then 1/4" plywood, covered by thin batting and used a sheet as ironing board cover. This seems to do it and I am not seeing any heat damage on the table.

I use the 60% off coupon from JoAnn's online. I have two of the larger ones. One I keep one on top of my ironing board and one I keep portable. It's reversible so it's like having four boards.

That is why my ironing board is in another room. I do chain sewing/piecing so I can have enough to iron all at once. The older I get the more I need to exercise.

I would certainly check into using a Steady Betty.

I had one of these and the surface was just too small. There are cutting/slash ironing units available at JoAnn's that you can use your 40 or 50% off coupon for that are a lot better. You just have to remember which side you are using at the time. I don't like the cutting side at all. The whole unit rocks when I try to cut, but I will keep it for the ironing part.

Bed, bath and beyond, have a neat roll up ironing surface. I have one of these at our fifth wheel camp and love it. The back is kind or rubbery so it sticks to the table it is a decent size for blocks. http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/stor...pad/1017670379

Amazon sells a lot of different varieties of ironing mats. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...l_293wploh8f_b

Igot a board that fabric came on, wrapped it with warm and natural batt, cover it with a pc of muslin and it works perfect for smaller pcs or blocks to iron on and fits well on any table.

I found a small desk and put. It on the other side of my sewing. Machine. Padded it for all of ironing.

My hubby took a 18x18" board (plywood or chip board), covered it with batting and then with fabric. We duct taped the batting and fabric on. I use it all the time. We made me a longer one.....28" long, but it's too clumsy for me to use. I had a big 3 foot by 3 foot one on my table and LOVED that. I donated it to my quilt group when we downsized and went on the road RVing full-time. I like the SOLID feel of it.....the blocks press nice and flat. :) Oh.....and CHEAP!

I made an table side ironing surface using a TV tray. Lots of how to's on line. I love it....no worry about damaging the dining room table

I fold the heat resistant fabric used for making pot holders four layers, cover with a towel and iron away. It works great.

I just move my ironing board into my sewing room. Husband even likes to iron now because he can watch the tv.

I have a small folding ironing board I use for travel and meetings that has a pull-out shelf for holding my iron. I bought it years ago at JoAnn's with a coupon. Recently I purchased a smaller one that I needs extra padding and a new cover. It will take up less space in my sewing room and will go to retreats with me. I used a 50% coupon at JoAnn's a month or so ago to purchase this one for $14.99. I also recently picked up a ham which is very portable.

Have you thought of using a wooden tv tray? Just cover it with insulbright and batting and staple all layers to back.

I bought a June Tailor pressing board 8 to 10 years ago from Joann's with a coupon and really like it. I'm not sure they carry them anymore, but here is one on amazon http://www.amazon.com/June-Tailor-Cu...pressing+board

It is still in great shape. It is only for pressing and there is no cutting board attached to the back side. The back is covered with a fabric that will not mar your table. I keep it on a t.v. type table in my sewing room for pressing while I am seated at my sewing machine.

I found a small table top ironing board@ walmart's(looks like a mini ironing board) when the college furniture section became popular. It has pop up legs that raises it about 3" off the table. the legs fold flat for storage.It may be in the regular laundry supply section now,with the other ironing boards.

I too have a mini ironing board and it has little rubber thingos so it doesn't scratch the table. I use this when piecing, but any major jobs get done on the normal ironing board (I just move it around the place to suit my needs). It lives in a cupboard at the end of every day as I try and keep the house relatively tidy.

Many of my friends have a tv tray table that they covered with batting and fabric that they place beside them and iron on while quilting.

Another chime in for the wooden tv tray. Walmart has nice ones. :)

Depends on the size of the piece you want to iron. My DH has made a lot of these for quilting friends of mine.

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On mine I use a Conair miniature steam iron. The board measures about 15" long and is free standing with a handle.
I take mine to the quilt guild during classes as there are only 2 ironing boards and with many members they are very busy. At home, mine sits beside my sewing machine.

I made a pressing board, easy peasy found a video on line that I'll find again and share. 1/2" or 3/4" plywood or particle board. Basting spray cotton batting that is cut 3" bigger than the board. Heavy canvas, you can get fancy and get the kind with a 1" grid, again 3" bigger then board, turn it over staple gun nice and tight. Then finish the back with a good fusible interfacing to keep the staples from scratching the surface. Ahhh here is is Sharon Schambers video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c

can you move your ironing board next to your work table for the sewing time?

I have a very expensive solid oak dining table, so when I have to use it to iron, I put a sheet of foil on it, lay two layers of thick toweling over that and iron. I would never use it for large ironing though., I do not want to risk my table.

My LQS sells little kits containing insulbright for batting and a piece of heavier fabric to make a cover for a Walmart tv table. The tables are wooden and very sturdy--sell for around $6 at my last check and then you make a drawstring cover for over it or you can even use heavy staples and staple it on. Mine sits right by my machine and I just press as I go. They really are wonderful. When they get a bit scorched, I just let the cover on and put a new one over top. Best thing ever.

I wrote a nice reply and an idea, and it hasn't shown up yet. What did I do wrong?

Now it appeared. Oh, well, not good at this so par for course I guess.

I wanted to have a larger ironing surface that I could move around. I used scrap plywood about 3' X 4', some felted wool yardage (sale fabric too heavy for a coat), and a remnant of 100% cotton decorator fabric. It took very little time to staple gun the fabrics on there. I move it to several different surfaces, usually to a 36" high counter next to the kitchen. I like having a larger rectangle to iron rows of blocks and yardage for garment sewing. Before I got a dedicated cutting table, I would flip it over and put my largest Olfa mat on the bare wood. I remember reading that a wool underlayer is recommended for tailoring and fusing interfacing because of the way it holds the steam and then evaporates.

Missouri Star has a tute for making a portable pressing board from a thin plywood scrap, an old towel and cotton fabric or your choice. I like mine. Use it for travel.

Here is the link to M* ironing tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uGVYK-VeNs

I use one of my two June Tailor press pads. They have a moisture-blocking inner liner which prevents steam from penetrating to the wood below. They come in various sizes and one is permanently mounted on a TV tray beside my machine. I have used these on the washing machine (no enamel damage), the kitchen counter, a table on my back porch. . . . You get the picture.

I have an extended dining room table for ironing. I have a thin blanket on it first, then a mattress cover (with the elastic to hold it in place) and then a clean sheet. It works wonders. Diana

I have often used a folded towel on top of any available flat surface. I have also used a small portable table top ironing board - usually available around back to school time for dorm use.

Please be cautious when using a matress cover, some of them are polyester and will melt onto the blanket and or sheet.