Butterfli19

Mine is seriously old, 1970s (maybe the frame itself doesn't matter?) and I have a teflon cover.

I don't have room for one of those wide boards so I am wondering if I can doctor up mine.

I read that I should put a layer of cotton batting over the top then use a cotton cover and not teflon, and that it should be taut and not soft. I also have one of those 12x18 June Tailor "Cut & Press" iron board/cutting boards. I've never used the cutting side and the pad side seems to work well for ironing squares and small things.

How do you iron and what do you use for your yardage, prior to cutting it up? What seems to work best?

GGinMcKinney

I just use my 1967 ironing board. It is very sturdy. I purchased a grid cover. Turns out cannot use it for measuring. I put a measuring tape to it and it is not accurate. I want a big board to go over my board. So, far, hubby has not built one. When we get the bed out of the 2nd guest bedroom and it can be a full time sewing room we will get serious about the big board. I did iron 30 yards of muslin. I draped it from the recliner through the air, over the kitchen breakfast bar, onto the counter top, onto the ironing board. Worked out fine. Did take extreme patience to handle. Didn't want to cut it and loose a bit of fabric:)

Jo Mama

I have a wide board that my friend made me; it fits over my regular ironing oard and hides behind the door when I am not using it.

AliceQ

I use my late Grandmother's wood ironing board. I don't remember a time that it wasn't sitting in her dining room while she was alive and I'm 60. I had to make my own cover cuz it's too big for store bought covers. It's against a wall, under a window in my sewing room. It's a bit of a struggle to press yardage but it works. Wish I could lift it in some way though. My back would really appreciate it!

bearisgray

You could have a smaller "big board" style made to go over your ironing board. That could be made to be only a couple of inches wider and longer than the ironing board you currently have.

A rectangular shape is nice to have for ironing larger pieces.

Prism99

I would re-do your existing board following Sharon Schamber's recommendations. She has a video on Youtube on how to make a portable pressing board; I'm thinking it would be great as a full ironing board. Here's a link to her video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LGbXou_u4c

Glassquilt

I made my board to fit over an old dresser. It's just the right height for me to iron.

ckcowl

my ironing board is a really old one too- when we moved 4 years ago somehow a couple items chose to not make the move- ironing board being one of them- lucked out & same weekend of move a new neighbor had a (barn sale) i stopped in-looked around- lady asked...are you looking for anything in particular? my response- kind of hoping to find an ironing board- mine is MIA-
she said- gee- i think i have one back in this other room-give me a minute- and sure enough===it was good enough= once i carried it home & set it up---that's it- i have not been able to re-fold it since i brought it home- but that's ok- it lives in the sewing room and can stay -up-
i removed the old stained cover that was on it- washed it- replaced the batting with new- recovered-
once in a while i'll be in a store with new ones and i always seem to look- thinking one of these days i should buy a new one...but then i look at the price and decide my old barn sale board fits my needs just fine.

jbud2

I have two ironing boards - the regular kind. I have my Mother's ironing board that I think she had since the day she went to housekeeping in the sewing room. It's always up and ready to go (except at Christmas when sewing takes a back seat!). I have an ironing board in the laundry room that I just replaced with a 'silver' cover. Just keep putting new covers as needed over the old one. That board I got when we got married in 1970. I have called this ironing board in to 'buffet duty' at times by just throwing a tablecloth over it! Goodness, I have some old boards!!

GrannieAnnie

Don't own an ironing board. I put a few layers of fabric------usually a sheet or table cloth, sometimes with newspaper under---------on a table the size I'm going to be ironing. For little pieces I use a snack table, for bigger pieces I use the right end of my sewing table.