How in the world dose anyone iron more then a yard of fabric at a time? I have 4 yards of fabric (with print) that I need to iron. I don't want to cut it yet because of the pattern on it, but that much fabric is hard to iron and keep all the wrinkles out. I had to give up because everything I ironed is wrinkled now, plus I ran out of starch :x

Kris

a) I don't iron anything until I am ready to use it

Fabric usually comes out fairly decent from the dryer and if I hand-smooth it right away, it is good enough to put away.

b) don't starch it until you are ready to use it

c) On a regular ironing board- I iron about half the width at one time - the ironed part falls to the floor as it "overflows"

d) then I turn the fabric around and iron the other half.

I usually set the iron down on a nearby stand or on the floor while I move the fabric to maximize the available board space

I usually only iron fabric on the wide part of the board -

if I do use the full length of the ironing board, then I only do about six inches of length at a time before moving the fabric.

I set up my ironing board next to the bed and spread the fabric out over it as I press it. I usually have to flip it around to catch the other edge for 6-8" or so. Not the best setup, but it works for me. I HATE ironing, but since I love to quilt I guess I have to take the bad with the good.

I'm too new a quilter to have encountered this yet, but there's some product on the market that you can spray on a fabric and it gets the wrinkles out. I'm thinking you could hang your fabric from your shower curtain rod and spray it with this, maybe? It's marketed for clothes, not quilting/sewing, if that helps you find it.

Then again, my beginner class taught that we pre-wash fabric to get the finishes off before using it, so this just puts on another type of finish. Still, you may want to consider it.

It is a trial, but it is doable. I recently bought a new ironing board, made by Rowenta that is wider and has an iron holder which pulls out from the blunt end. I still hate ironing, but for a quilt I will do it.
BTW, I often cut and trim on this ironing board also. It is really adjustable for height!

I haven't bought an ironing board since the 70's. Are they smaller than they used to be? Mine is 53" wide and washed fabric is seldom more than 42" so ironing yardage has never been any kind of problem for me unless it's the wide backing fabric. One main reason I prewash is to remove the chemicals, so I don't add new ones like starch when I iron. A spritz of water and a hot iron do just fine on any wrinkles.

I just washed and pressed and folded several boxes of fabric from my stash that had been stored. Several of them we "a few yards" I washed and damp dried them, then just opened the fabric out full width.. let it fall in front of me at the ironing board and draped it over the other side in gentle folds as it was ironed. As soon as it was all pressed, I took one selvage and fan folded the length , folding the final length around the fan folds. Made sure they were fairly even, then using my 6x24 ruler folded this widthwise around it making a neat packet. then I labeled it with how much is there.

I have a fabric cradle. It works great to keep the wrinkles out of the ironed fabric and keeps it off the floor. I was taking it back and forth so much to guild workshops the guild decided to buy one. It makes ironing a quilt top or backing so much easier.

https://bigboardenterprises.com/accessories/

Fan folding long lengths of fabric like Tippy suggested is a good idea, too.

I measured a 30 inch span for my first fold, and went from there. Then I fold that into thirds.

It's a span I can handle fairly easily - and it's easy to estimate how much is in the piece when I count the layers - 5/6 times the number of layers equals the approximate number of yards

I hate to iron fabric too. It's easier for me if I cut a smaller portion and then iron that. For example, if I'm cutting 5" width for 5" squares, I'll cut about 21" and iron/starch that. That makes it easier also to use my Go cutter.

If possible, you could set your ironing board up next to the dining table....letting the ironed fabric lay on the table as you go.

when i need to press a large length of fabric i use the dining table to hold the "to be pressed" fabric and then i have a laundry basket under the ironing board and i put the "already ready pressed" into the basket much like that $100 fabric cradle except i use a $15 laundry basket.

I have to set the ironing board up by my diningroom camera and it still drives me crazy. I try to get the fabric out of the dryer before it is completely dry. That makes it a little easier. I just wash mine as needed.

Does everybody wash before quilting? I either wash everything if I have bold colors but don't if I have softer colors. I like the crispness of the fabric before washing, it is easier to handle and cut particularly. I also do a fair amount of embroidery, and things embroider much better if they are unwashed.

I just saw an episode of eleanor burns and she advised to iron strips hanging perpendicular to the ironing board and not longways. she said she gets less distortion that way. I guess it's based on the theory that we'll get into true ironing mode if the fabric goes lengthways, but you can only truely press if it goes perpendicular and you only have 6 inches of fabric. there.

I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority here, but here goes. I don't wash anything, so I don't have to iron it! I like to feel of new fabric, so why wash it out and then put starch back on. The only time I wash before using is if it is old fabric and it is a dark red, black or green. So far I haven't had any problems.

I'm with you. I definitely wash red. Dark green if it is going in with much lighter colors. Never have worked with anything darker than a dark green.

Do you have an island, I have a big iron pad that I lay on my island and it really helps with those big pieces.

This is what I use, a large ironing pad on my cutting table- works great for tablecloths too!

I recently (as in, Saturday) became the proud owner of an old Ironrite mangle that I'm hoping will help solve this exact problem.

great advice, I can't add anything of value to that

When I am at the cottage, I turn the ironing board so when I put the iron down to rest it is on the narrow point. That way the fabric is on the wide area. At home, DH made me a wonderful large board that fits snugly over the ironing board. I have ironed bolts of fabric on this.

piney

I don't usually wash either, but often the fabric off the bolt is not folded correctly and would cut wrong if I did not iron it. Sigh.