pressing

Next to your sewing machine, your iron may be the most important item in your sewing room. Look for features that fit your sewing needs.

Auto shut-off

Some sewers love it, others loathe it—that “feature” that turns your iron off when it’s not used for a certain period of time. Shut-off times vary up to 15 minutes of non-use. Although designed as a safety feature, there are many irons without this option if you find it an annoyance.

Warming Ways

Some irons have dials, others have digital read-outs to tell you actual ironing temps, but still others list only fabric/fiber names, like cotton, silk or wool to indicate a safe temperature setting. A few brands offer only dots or arrowheads to indicate temperature ranges. Choose a brand with an indicator that works best for what you want to know.

Bottoms Up

Rowenta DW8270 Pro Master 1750 Watt X-CEL Steam Iron with 400 Hole HD Profile Soleplate available on Amazon.

You may never have given it a thought, but if you research irons, you’ll find aluminum, stainless and ceramic soleplates available. Some also offer a non-stick coating—ideal if you do a lot of fusing.

Depending on the type of sewing you do, the number of steam holes in the soleplate may be important. You can get more than 400, like in the Rowenta DW8270 Pro Master 1750 Watt X-CEL Steam Iron with 400 Hole HD Profile Soleplate pictured to the right, all the way down to less than 50, depending on the brand and model. If you do a lot of tailoring, look for a higher number of steam holes with many near the iron’s point.

The soleplate shape is also a consideration as some irons are very pointed with a space for detail pressing, while others are more rounded for more general use.

Hefty, Hefty, Hefty

Most home irons fall in the 1- to 5-pound range for weight. For tailoring, heavier is better as more pressure is applied to shape the fabric during construction.

Steamy Situations

Sewists (and most quilters) love steam, and it comes in various forms. Some irons offer only a single steam setting, others offer adjustable steam–from bursts to continuous—depending on your needs. Irons should also offer a dry setting for those fabrics that can be damaged by water or for use with some fusible products. Some irons steam only in a horizontal position, while others can also steam in a vertical position.

If you like convenience, look for a removable water tank to take directly to the faucet for filling. A transparent tank lets you keep tabs on the amount of water in the iron and know when a refill is needed. Check the size of the water tank, as smaller capacity reservoirs require more frequent filling, especially if you’re using a lot of steam.

In addition to steam, some irons offer a misting or spray feature to allow for a bit of extra moisture in certain pressing situations—especially helpful for shaping fabrics and removing wrinkles.

Fill ‘er Up!

Note what type of water the iron requires. Many simply take tap water, but others require distilled water. There may be regional differences, depending on the water where you live. Using hard water can lead to a build-up of residue in the tank (or on your sewing project) and clogged steam vents, so check for a self-cleaning feature.

It’s a good idea to empty the water in your iron if you’re not going to be using it for a while to help prevent mineral build-up in the tank.

Plugging In

Think about where you’ll be ironing and check the cord length—they can be up to 12 feet long. Some irons offer a retractable cord for easier storage. Iron cord positions can be fixed or they can pivot for convenience of both left- and right-handed users. Cordless models are also available with a charging base, but keep in mind that the head has to be returned to the base frequently to reheat itself.

Sit-ups

Most irons sit vertically on their heel when not in use, but one brand {Oliso photo) has “legs” that raise it off the ironing surface when not in use, so there’s no need to set it upright. When you hold the handle, it lowers itself for use.

Liking it Hot

It’s important to let any iron fully heat up before using it. If you don’t, it may spit water onto your project. Some irons fully heat in 30 seconds, other take as long as 10 minutes. There may be a beeper or a light to indicate when the desired temperature is reached.

~Linda Griepentrog
Linda is the owner of G Wiz Creative Services and she does writing, editing and designing for companies in the sewing, crafting and quilting industries. In addition, she escorts fabric shopping tours to Hong Kong. She lives at the Oregon Coast with her husband Keith, and two dogs, Yohnuh and Abby. Contact her at .

Ho hum! You may never give much thought to your ironing board—it works fine for pressing and that’s all you need…or so you thought. There are lots of options for this important sewing room tool.

Depending on the amount of space you have, the ironing board can be freestanding, fold down from a wall cabinet, slide out from a drawer, hang over a door or sit on a tabletop.

Brabantia Ironing Tables with Iron Rests

Im-pressing Profiles

Boards are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most standard floor models are 14”-18” wide and 48”-54” long. Almost all brands offer one wide end and one tapered end to make ironing clothes easier, but when the board is located in your sewing room, check for some other features as well.

If you’re a quilter, there are larger wooden surfaces that fit over a standard board to extend it in both directions so there’s more support for a large quilt top.

Most ironing boards offer adjustable heights so they can be used sitting or standing, and by users of differing heights. The board can also be locked into table-top height so you can use it as an additional work table surface if needed.

Surface Solutions

The top surface of an ironing board should be permeable so steam and moisture can pass through without damaging the pressing surface. Most board tops are metal mesh covered with a pad and a cotton cover to allow moisture pass-through.

Support Systems

Ironing boards come with a variety of leg styles—from loops and T-shapes to three or four legs—so be sure to double check for stability if you’re purchasing one in person. Accidental tipping can be dangerous to both you and your iron.

Household Essential Euro Styl ironing board with wide T-leg

Some boards offer wheels for easy transport, but check that they lock in place for use if you opt for this feature.
If you need a place to store pressing tools, spray bottles or more fabric, some boards have a shelf underneath them for extra space.
And, don’t forget a slide-out or clip-on iron rest so that you can use the entire board surface for pressing. Cord clips are also available to keep the cord safely off to the side of the board.

Covering Up

If your ironing board comes with a standard metallic cover and thin foam pad, consider replacing them with natural fiber options. Cotton or wool padding allows for steam absorption and it should be thick enough so as not to see the imprint of a metal mesh board top on your project.

Look for a cotton cover that’s removable and washable. Some designed specifically for quilters and sewers offer printed grid lines, bias lines or common appliqué shapes on them.

Whatever cover you choose should fit tautly on the board to avoid wrinkles. Look for one with a drawstring, elastic or use stretchy clamps to keep it in place.

For even more fun, make your own ironing board cover from colorful cotton prints. Use the original as a guide for sizing and shape and add a casing around the edge. Thread elastic or a drawstring through the casing and pull it tautly over the board.

Pressing Matters: Choosing the Right Iron