Wool pressing mat recommendation
 

Are there certain brands you have tried and liked? Ir brands you did not like?

I have purchased pads from this website and am happy with the quality and the price! Lots cheaper than buying the pads specifically sold for use as quilting. http://ecorugpads.com

Thank you! I will look it up!

I have a Steady Betty mat and I love it.

See if you can get a deal on one. They can be expensive.

I don't have one but I have heard they are cheaper where there are horse products, as a saddle pad.

I bought one from Quilt in a Day and it's very good. I also got one from Missouri Star and it's good. Can't tell any difference. I also found pressed wool carpet mats from the carpet store that were scraps. The aren't as thick but work fine. I was having my floor replaced and he gave them to me free. My whole guild got pressing mats cut in many different sizes. I tried the wool blanket but it's not stiff enough to work like the pressed pad.

I like my wool mat especially when I am working with a lot of small pieces. I press them open and they get flatter on the mat.

This is my question of the wool mat. Does it help to get your pressed pieces flatter?

i can only speak from my own experience and yes it does. I use a mat not a blanket or horse mat. Maybe the same results but I couldn’t say. I got it on a website I’ve forgotten. Sally Collins also puts a big ruler with a weight over her newly pressed block and lets it cool. That works well too.

Ok, I finally dug up my info on the pad I ordered from Ecorug...I got a 4' x 4' 100% wool pad and with the 15% coupon, it was $48. I cut it in half to give my DIL the other half. My DH made a plywood base for my ironing board that is 24" wide and I love it and feel like it really helps seams lay flat. Hope you find something you like!

Steam and heat goes through the wool mat. Be sure to protect the underneath surface if using a table top.

I purchase 1/2 yd of wool felt at JoAnns. folded up and use on board or at sewing machine love it.

I bought a round pressing mat from Martelli because I have their roundabout cutting system. The pressing mat works very well. The pieces do lie flatter. As a matter of fact, I am teaching a tee shirt quilt course and one woman brought in some poly cotton blend shirts she really wanted to use. Her tee shirt facing was not adhering to the fabric. I lent her the mat, and it worked! One happy camper.

I also purchased my wool rug also from http://ecorugpads.com and today Dec 2, 2019 -
I had a large piece of plywood the size mentioned above, and he put wooden turn handles onto the frame and it just fastens to my ironing board, and very easy to take off and put back on when I need to use it. I leave it on most and made 2 long pillow cases to snuggly fit over the wool rug, keeps the rug clean, and can be removed to wash it, then the other one replaces the other one. I also pin that pillow case with the rug inside onto the ironing board cover, so no little fingers can pull it off the ironing board.

I really like mine, as it really flattens the seams, make quite a difference when I use it. I think this is a really good price for the size I received.

I have some gray wool fabric, can I felt that to use as a pressing mat. Have been wondering what to do with it, would be nice if it can work.

I bought a wool pressing mat friday for a black friday sale off of amazon...it should be here in few days. I hope it's worth it!

That's what I have. Four of us bought one horse pad and I cut it into 4 pieces. We each got a 15 inch square, and it cost each of us $10 with taxes..... One corner is rounded and the other three are square.

I bought mine on Amazon. It is made from New Zeland wool ! $20 for a large mat was a great buy.

I purchased my pressing mat from AtomicSisters an Etsy shop, 12 x 12 and 1/2 inch thick for $20. Wide range of sizes small to large and wool is felted in USA. Have heard comments that wool pressing mats can have an odor but I haven't had that issue. Really like mine and the pressed seams are flatter after pressing.

I bought one from the Featherweight shop and I love it. It really does make the seams flatter.

I like the idea of making "pillowcases" for them.

This shop is having a sale on wool mats right now:
18" x 12" for $25 14"x13" is $22

https://love-sew.com/products/love-s...l-pressing-mat

meant to add that I'm not affiliated in any way.

hmm. Will wait to see if that does anything to make it less effective

They are pricey, but maybe it's where I got mine. It came with a nice bag to put it in but I think it was expensive. I can't really remember. I know it was on sale but nothing from the Featherweight shop is cheap.

I have tried the felted wool blankets and fabric but it is not pressed and firm That makes a difference. Not that the blanket won't work to be a good pressing cover but it won't be like using pressed thick mat.

Well I got a nice surprise yesterday - I had asked my friend to pick up another full side horse mat for me so I could make it into a long rectangle for my ironing board - she went to pick it up at the shop and it was half the price of the one we got about 6 months ago....$20 vs $40! My lucky day!
I recognize it might not feel quite as dense as the much more expensive gray felted ones, but it's good enough for me. It does make a difference in how things press. Very worthwhile investment on my part...

Great deal Gemrm.

I tried the horse pad and while it works really well and is very affordable, I was not happy with the slightly musky sheep odour that it has, and which is released by pressing. The wool felt is not as dense as that of the pads sold for quilters, and is a bit rougher as well...so I am still on the hunt for yardage of felted wool similar in quality to the stuff you find in the pressing pads in quilt shops. I have a 3' x4' pressing table I want completely covered!

On the topic of flat seams with no pressed ridge from the fabric in the seam allowance, take a look at this video from Margaret Leuwen (love her tutorials), the pressing sticks are on my to-get list!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_97-KDq5IXU

Please post a picture, and describe the turn handles.