Pressing mat............
I have seen these wool pressing mats all over the internet and wanted one but they are so expensive. I finally decided to get a small one for my main floor studio since I'm usually just pressing small seams there. This one is 8.5" square and if I have a seam longer than that I can press it on the diagonal of the mat.
Since my little blocks are 8 squares across the blocks measure 8.5" so it is perfect for pressing this. Half of a block fits on the mat, press and swing it around and put the other half on. It really works great. The pressing is really flat with or without steam.
The new Charley Harper fabric is out and I had to have this print. The light backgrounds and cardinals always sell out first so I had to purchase at full price to be sure I got some of it.
14 comments:
I LOVE the pressing mat too. I think it does more for our pressing issues, (block stretch/distortion) and creating seams that are flat and crisp. I too started with the 8.5 and am ready to upgrade to a bigger one for the long seams. Just for the simple ease of more room to press. I have a really small one 4.5" in stock and call them the test drive size... Because it is a lot of money to invest without even trying.
I recently used one at a retreat and loved it. Came home and measured the top of my small rolling microwave cart that I was going to fix up with a pad. Got on Amazon and bought it and the small iron. I love it and now I’m going to buy a smaller one for my cottage. I have the really big one and it’s just perfect for the top of my cart.
Thanks for the heads up about the fabric....going to order some too!
Thanks for the tip about the Charley Harper fabric. I realized when I looked up the name, that I had bought some Charley Harper fabric at a quilt show because I loved the pattern but did not know the designer. Now I am so excited to realize what I have! And I am going to buy some of the cardinal fabric as well.
I love the wool pressing mats but have resisted so far because of price -- my big ironing table is right behind my sewing machine so I keep telling myself I can stand up and press and then sit back down again . . .
You can order large pieces of felted wool and cut it to the size you want -- google large felted wool - available in different thicknesses, also.
I really like it, too.
I requested and got a wool pressing mat as a gift. It is really convenient for those small seams. My ironing board is upstairs and the sewing machine is downstairs (deliberate for me to get exercise), but now I can do those quick seams and not be too lazy and just fingerpress.
I have a couple of long wool pressing mats. They are the same stuff that carpet layers use in premium installations. Some one at our guild bought a roll, had her husband cut it, and sold it to us very reasonable.
I love Charley Harper. When I was little, my dad worked for Ford and Charley Harper used to do the illustrations for the Ford magazine. I loved the painings and looked at them longingly. Little did I know they would be found on fabric now!
I think I need a wool pressing mat too ! Even though I'm not a quilter, I am a tailor. I didn't even know there was such a thing. How many years am I behind ? Thanks for showing. Cardinal print is simple but so striking.
JJM
My sister gifted me a wool mat and I am a convert. It’s the perfect size right next to my machine and does a beautiful job. Highly recommend.
I had seen reviews about the mat and watched people using it, so I bought myself a bigger size (but not the biggest because I'm not about to remortgage our house to get it) and it's fabulous. I even ironed shirts to test it, the only thing is I kept getting sleeves caught on the edges - but then if they made one to fit a large ironing board, then I might just do some odd jobs to raise the money for it!
Wool pressing mats sound a good idea, I guess they have larger sizes, I'll look them up.
I also bought the large mat through Amazon and love it. With my discount it was really worth the price notwithstanding the excellent pressing results I get.
Linda can you share the roll source? Sounds like a great guild project!
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