Irons - Blog 3
Irons deserve their very own blog. Yes, irons. These are my opinions on irons and my own personal experience, please use and purchase from whomever makes sense for you. I do not get paid for recommendations.
Always read the label on your clothing and use the recommended settings to iron. If you aren’t sure what setting to use, use a pressing cloth to create a barrier between the iron and the fabric.
Back when I was in the military I used a sunbeam iron that was overall a great iron. When I began quilting, I needed an iron that gave me some ergonomic features due to the heavy weight of the iron and lifting it off of the board every few minutes the sunbeam was no longer effective. I’d have to rest my shoulders for days afterwards. I moved on to the oliso iron. It is also heavy, but can has an up/down feature that activates when you apply your hand to the machine. I used best Press on the fabric and then used the iron to press. Best press is a spray starch that smells amazing and works well to stiffen the fabric and make it easier to get a good press on a quilting block or any seam. I also used a wool mat that helps absorb the heat and a tailors clapper to press the seams.
Once I began garment sewing my oliso was no longer going to work for me. I needed a high steam option and it moved me into the boiler arena of irons. A boiler system is a dream. You can set the iron temperature for the fabric you are using. It also comes with a shoe so you don’t burn polyester when you press. The shoe allows the iron to still provide steam and heat but puts a barrier between the heat and the fabric. The steam option allows me to un-wrinkle delicate fabrics, press every type of fabric, and never go back to a standard iron again.
Why don’t we hear more about boiler irons? Well, we do. Bernina sells an ironing system and so does Rowenta. The Bernina model Laurastar is comparable to the versions that WAWAK sells. I don’t know much about the Rowenta version but there are product reviews that can direct you onto a product that makes sense for you. Make it easy on yourself and get an iron with the features that you need. If you have trouble remembering to turn off your iron, choose one with an automatic shut off system.
All in all, you can achieve nearly the same results from a low cost iron that you can from a high cost iron with a few complementary tools. I have attached some links to the products that I have discussed here. I did try to choose the manufacturers website instead of a third-party.
Products in this article:
Oliso Iron: https://oliso.com/collections/smart-irons?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAACF0LmZU961jQnLg8RzUxU_y6XAwP&gclid=CjwKCAiA9bq6BhAKEiwAH6bqoGAL9X5v2tNmy4gyQiaT9BxmLDhf6hox72kKQqr5WcXFJXa6n8n0dRoCPiAQAvD_BwE
Best Press https://www.maryellenproducts.com/best-press.html
High Steam Iron: https://www.wawak.com/pressing-spotting/irons-mini-boilers/mini-boilers-irons/hi-steam-mini-boiler-w-iron-mvp-35/#sku=irn19
Clapper: https://www.wawak.com/pressing-spotting/pressing-accessories/wawak-tailors-clapper-red-oak/?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAADxYasNUgzczYliHk_unhm0Z5nUQQ&gclid=CjwKCAiA9bq6BhAKEiwAH6bqoKQsXjD5UmFr_Lyit7g1fNbsNStr9ZFGTHQ6AYiJclO7w_E7kyMPlhoCDeUQAvD_BwE#sku=bo108
