Wool Pressing Mat or Steady Betty?
 

I have the chance to upgrade some of my sewing tools. Which is more useful to have a wool pressing mat or a Steady Bettty and what size do you recommend? I do have wooden clappers that I use for pressing and like the flat and even results but was wondering about the other pressing mats that would give good/better results?

Honestly, I just switched to wool mats and I love them. I've got three; one large enough to fit the open arm of my sewing cabinet, a medium one that fits my TV tray off to the side and then a smaller one.

I really like the fact that you can somewhat wash them when they get too dirty and they warm up pretty fast when I use it the first time. You do have to contend with a 'wet wool' smell your first few times using them, but there are now wool mat refresher sprays. I just put some Downy in a small squirt bottle and dilute it down with a lot of water so there's no real build-up on the mat. Who can beat the smell of fabric softener wafting through your quilting room anyway?

I made my own wool mat from a beautiful, wool blanket that I have dearly loved over the years. It had been chewed on by my puppies and was buckled from washing and drying it in the machine. I cut it up, made some pillows out of it and used the rest for a pressing mat. The bubble and buckles smoothed out with all of the steaming and heat from the iron and I'm still able to enjoy that blanket. (Pale turquoise and cream, large plaid.)

~ C

I bought a Steady Betty years ago and it's nice. I have the wool mats now and they are nice. Two different products. The Steady Betty is very sturdy with a hard surface on back, the wool mats are flexible. The SB will keep the fabric from moving while it is being pressed so no distortion. I use it for all my bias edges. It's a foam fabric. Honestly if you find the older foam back vinyl it;s the same thing. That stuff is hard to find now and expensive anyway. The wool mat does a great job of keeping pressed blocks and seams flat.

I haven’t used a Steady Betty, but I have friends who say it keeps things from stretching while pressing. I don’t press anything with a bias edge until it has been constrained by something else. For general pressing of blocks, I really, really like my wool,mat. I have never had such flat blocks and well pressed seams. I love mine so much I went into withdrawal last winter on a snowbird RV trip when I forgot it at home. I bought another one for the motorhome so that never happens again.

Wool pressing mat hands down.

I use both and like each one the same but they are made for different uses.

Same here. Love the wool pressing mat!

Thanks so much for letting me know about your experiences using the wool mats and how great they are to use. I have always wanted one and will be picking a size that will give me the best options. :)

I would like to suggest that you buy the larger mat - mine is 17 x 14 and it fits my ironing board perfectly. I use it for my quilting but I also use it to iron shirts - when ironing over buttons, the sink into the mat and it's wonderful. Also, my DH had embroidery on his work pocket and it pressed so flat, people at work asked him how he did that. (Like he would iron a shirt...)