Last night I started sewing some quilt blocks around 7:30. I was really tired and was dragging myself into the sewing room. Last week I posted a list of time saving quilting and sewing tips on my other blog, Homemaking Dreams. So, I decided to try one of the tips that I had not tried before.
I decided to try placing the iron on a wooden tv tray beside the sewing machine so I could press as I sewed without getting up and down to go to the ironing board.
The log cabin block that I am making requires that the blocks be pressed as you go, several times. I chain piece the blocks, but after adding two rectangles onto a square, I would need to iron them flat before adding more rectangles. This repeats two more times for each square. No wonder I would be so tired, getting up to press so many times!
It was wonderful! I really don't think I would have had the energy to make more than 2 blocks, but since I could just sit while sewing and ironing I made eight! And the eight blocks went together much more quickly. I normally would have only gotten 5 or 6 done in the same time period. With the iron sitting beside me, all I had to do was turn slightly, press and stick that block back under the needle of the sewing machine and keep going.
Just for experimental purposes I simply placed a home made folded dish towel on the tray and sat the iron on it connected to an extension cord. Now that I know this is the way to go, I plan to make a more permanent mini ironing board. I am going to put a thin piece of quilt batting under the dish towel, pull the edges of both underneath the table snugly and I will either staple or tape the edges down on the underside of the table.
For safety I made sure the iron was not left unattended. If I needed to get up, all I had to do was to move the hot iron to the ironing board, until I came back. If anyone came into the sewing room, I held onto the iron with one hand until they left.
This setup will be especially nice on my days off from work when I want to have a long marathon sewing session. It will help me to really turn out some quilt blocks.
6 comments:
Great idea! I have been thinking of buying a table top ironing board for my kitchen area, and I could move it wherever I needed it. The tv tray is a great idea!
Good idea!
I've used a Quilter's Cut n Press board near my sewing machine when I need to do so much pressing as I sew. It is a great idea and a wonderful time saver. I am going to visit your other blog now :-)
Lately I have been lowering my ironing board to table height and setting it to the right of my machine. Now I'm trying to figure out how to fit in another table so I can put my cutting mat next to me so I don't have to get up at all!
I just set up my ironing board right next to my sewing machine and have it set low so it's level with my table. Then I just swing my chair to the left and iron. It works great!
Love your sewing room. Looks so cosy.
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