What a great idea! Can't believe I never thought of that! We can be such creatures of habit.

I do that all the time a guild workshops because I am left handed and they put the boards for right handed people, drives them crazy!! ;)

My friends DH made us tops that go over our ironing boards so that we have more area to iron on. We then put cotton batting on them and an old sheet. Works great :thumbup:

I never had home ec at all, so I was never taught any way to have an ironing board. This is how I've always had mine set up.

What would be the reason to do it the other way (the way that was apparently "taught") ?

I bought one of those full size boards that hangs from a door and would pit the iron on the shelf next to it. But now I'm living in MT. and my sewing room has no door so I have to find another way to use it. Sewing room is a converted attic so no even walls or ceiling. No closet door either. Ever try ironing blocks on a sleeve board? Boy do I miss my ironing board!

Yes, I started that several years ago for pressing shirts. It makes ironing go much more quickly, as you have a larger surface & you don't have to move the shirt as many times.

Never thought about doing that. What a great idea!

so have I, but as the iron can fall easily I put it on the bench next to the ironing board.

Makes perfect sense. My "regular" ironing board has a heavy wire attachment at the broad end for holding the iron so the manufacturer must have been aware of the need for more of the wide space. I've made an even wider add-on that makes for easier ironing of yardage.

I have been ironing and pressing like that for years. My grandmother did it when I was a child. She kept her iron near her wood burning cook stove, because she didn't have an electric iron when I was young. I remember being warned about the hot irons when she was teaching me to make quilts.