Pressing Tools on the Go

Pressing is so important, whether you're a quilter or a sewer. It makes all the difference between a professional-looking project and one that just looks just sort of eh, okay, homemade. We're going for professional. But what do you do when you go camping or when you're going to a sewer or quilting retreat? You don't wanna make the big full-size ironing board and the heavy steam iron with you, so what do you do? What about at home? You know you're supposed to press every single seam, but you just really don't wanna get up and go press just one. It's a pain. Can't I scrimp and nobody'll notice? Well, yeah, they do notice. So let me give you some ideas for pressing on the go or for convenience at home. Nothing will ever beat that full-size ironing board and that full-powered steam iron, believe me, but here are some convenient options. The first is a mini iron. It's exactly what it says. It's a cute little miniature iron. And this one even has a Teflon bottom so it won't stick. Now, it's not powerful, but if you're sitting at your sewing machine and you just need to quick press something, it's a great tool. It also is very portable, so the cord comes off, like it just did for me there. And you can pack it very, very easily. So it's good for retreats or sewing, having it right next to your machine while you're at a retreat. Another thing I like about it is for young sewers, for children just starting out, especially for little quilters. It's a good way to get used to the iron and for being able to handle it to press the seams open without the fear of burning themselves on a big full-fledged steam iron. So the small iron is one item that you might wanna put in your toolbox. Another thing I really like it for is for applique because if any of the stickiness from the applique gets on the iron, it's easy to clean. And after awhile if it gets a lot on there and you just can't get it off anymore, you're only out just a few dollars instead of the cost of a full-fledged iron, which could be as much as $100 and up. So consider this nice little travel iron. Another one I'm going to show you is the Clover Mini Iron. It comes with its own stand, and it's a nifty little tool. It has a low to hot setting. It was originally designed for fusible bias tape. Fusible bias tape is something that mostly is used by quilters, although sewers can use it for decorative accents. It comes on a role, and one side is sticky. It's got fusible on it. And the other side is your bias. So as it comes off the roll, you just press it. Well, it's a lot to work with with a full-sized iron, so the Clover Mini Iron was designed specifically for putting on this bias tape. And it's wonderful when you get to the corners and you have to make the miter. This is what it was designed for. But who says we're just gonna use it for one thing? I find it's wonderful for binding. When I'm putting on my binding and I have to come and do the miter and I'm working with the corner, this iron will get in here and hold it and help me get a really good miter, much better actually than what my full-size steam iron will do. And when I'm doing the binding and I'm bringing it over, I can't tell you how many times I've literally steamed my fingers. And with this one, it's just riding right along, and it's applying enough heat to hold that binding until I can pin it and sew it. So I really, really like it for that. So consider the Clover Mini Iron. It has several uses, and I think you'll really like it. Another option, very low-tech, is the wooden iron. Quilters know about the wooden iron. They don't wanna get up and go to the ironing machine or the ironing board, and they just have a little tiny seam to do. Maybe they're doing a nine-patch. It's beveled. It fits in your hand. It's smooth. And you just do it the old school way of adding pressure to open the seam. I don't recommend it for a permanent fix, just for while you're at the machine and you have to cross or you're in a hurry. This is a wonderful little tool, the little wooden mini iron. It's great for shoulder seams or underarm seams like on your sleeves where you're just getting ready to sew that next one. You just need to hold it open enough to sew it, and then you're gonna go press it at your major ironing station. I think this is a good tool to have in your toolbox. But I'm talking about pressing next to your machine, so what are you pressing on? Well, you've got a couple of options. You can always fold a towel, a nice thick terry towel. Or you can do what we call the Quilter's Square 'n Press. It's by June Tailor. I apologize for the looks of this one. You can tell it's well-used. This is one I take when I'm traveling or we're camping. We do a lot of camping, and I quilt in our motor home, just because it's the only time I can quilt for me. The rest of the time I'm quilting for other people. So I like this one. It's padded, and I can iron all day on it. It's got a heat-resistant backing. The only problem is it's got a grid, and when it was brand new it was perfect for using as a grid, but over time it has distorted. So if you're using it for measuring, make sure that it truly is square. But this is a good option. You can roll it up. It packs easily. One that I like even better is one that we use hear in the studio. It's the Omnigrid folding mat. And you get a small cutting mat and an ironing surface, so you get a double bang for the buck. It can fold back either way so that you have more room at your cutting table. And it's very easy to tote and store. So any and all of these tools, I think, will be great additions to your quilting or sewing toolbox, and I think it'll make your life a lot easier and save you a lot of time.