Month: March 2024

Welcome back to the topic of irons! When I jumped down this rabbit hole, I had no idea there was so much information out there about irons. I thought I’d give you a little history, throw in some nice pictures of antique irons and iron care and call it a blog. Little did I know…

We’re beginning with the best irons on the market and then follow up with the steamy topic of water in the resevoir — should you or shouldn’t you?

The Best for the Buck

Wirecutter, a kind of online mini-Consumer Reports (they accept no ads) took the time to test out 22 of the best selling irons and were kind enough to supply me with the top three.  During the testing, they considered steam bursts, wattage (all had to have at least 1,500 watts – enough to get the job done), comfort, and a long cord. 

Coming in first – Chi Electronic Iron with Retractable Cord 13102.  This jewel of an iron advertises itself with a water tank lid which swivels out for easy filling, 8-foot retractable cord for easy storage, electronic temperature control, Titanium-infused ceramic soleplate and a unique adjustable steam control.  Currently Amazon has this one for $102.  It logs in with 300 steam holes and at 1700 watts it has enough power to remove wrinkles or press seams to one side.  According to Wirecutter’s review, the Chi “has been a reliable performer for three years with regular use on clothes, bedding, and sewing and craft projects (where it really shines).”  The steam bursts are powerful but smooth.  It’s light and has a larger-than-most water reservoir so it doesn’t need filling quite as often as other irons.   The biggest selling point for me is it has a 30-minute auto-shutoff time when you leave it vertical – the longest of any iron I know of.  If I can discipline myself to take better care of my iron, I believe a Chi 13102 will be on my Christmas list. 

Coming in second – Black+Decker Allure Professional Steam Iron D3030.  This is an excellent choice if a high dollar iron just isn’t in your budget.  It creates a strong whoosh of steam, its stainless-steel plate glides smoothly across a variety of fabrics, and its handle is comfortable to pick up, hold, and use.  It advertises itself as having dynamic steam technology, an auto-clean system, variable temperature and steam controls independent of each other (sometimes when you lower the temperature of the iron, it will not steam as well), a stainless-steel soleplate, and a shut-off time clocked at 8 minutes.  Its price on Amazon is $44.99 and it works at 1600 watts and weighs around two pounds.  According to Wirecutter , “It’s a fantastic, affordable iron – as long as it works.”  It’s still a top performer, and almost half the price of the Chi, but will need to be replaced sooner rather than later.

Coming in third – Rowenta SteamForce DW9280.  This iron is advertised on the Rowenta site as: (This gets wordy. Feel free to scroll ahead) The state-of-the-art steam iron from Rowenta. This DW9280 Steam Force iron has steam force technology, a new pump injection technology that forces steam into the fabrics, pushing 30% more steam into the fabric. It has high performance steam, one touch controls for ideal steam and temperature selection; steam output is automatically adjusted based on fabric selection. The READY-TEMP System is an LED display indicating when the soleplate has reached the appropriate temperature for the selected fabric. The iron features Steam MOTION SENSOR, a smart electronic system which stops steam when the iron is not moving. Loaded with features, the Steam Force iron has the following: 3-way smart automatic shut off after 8-minutes if left vertically 30-seconds horizontally, 30-seconds if tipped over. The cool spray mist activated by an ergonomic trigger provides a light mist to remove stubborn wrinkles. The stainless-steel micro steam 400 precision soleplate is stainless steel has an excellent non-stick and scratch resistant properties. The new precision shot area offers a special shot of steam concentrated at the top of the soleplate tip. New ‘profiled’ soleplate design with rounded edges to ensure an optimum glide in all directions, especially laterally. The high precision tip on the soleplate is perfect for hard-to-reach areas, it allows excellent detailed ironing: reach narrow edges, seams and collars. The anti-drip system helps prevent spitting and leaking when the thermostat is on a low setting. The self-clean system flushes out loose mineral deposits ensuring optimal performance. The integrated anti-calc system will extend the life of the iron. The iron has an easy to fill, extra-large water tank and a 7-feet electrical cord with 360-degree pivot, it has a handle that is ergonomically designed for maximum comfort and comes with a 1-year warranty.

Whew. What a lot of words to describe an iron.

Wirecutter claims this Rowenta performs better than any iron they’ve tested.  According to them, the Rowenta Steam Force DW9280 melts creases out of crinkled shirts and flattens quilt seams with almost no effort.  They have used the original test model since 2015 and it still produces strong steam with just a few “minor” water leaks onto fabrics.

Hmm.

I spent about an hour searching for this iron on Amazon to no avail.  They have updated versions of the Rowenta but not the DW9280.  Joann Fabrics (online) did have the iron for $149.99 – which makes it more expensive than the Chi 13102 with the 300 steam holes and 30-minute auto shut-off time and is the top-rated iron. 

Let’s enter Sherri’s Zone of Truth for a moment.  I owned Rowenta’s in the past.  My very first “grown up” iron was a Rowenta.  I used it through two babies and teaching heirloom French sewing.  It was utilized a  great deal and  finally conked out on me after 10 years of weekly (and sometimes daily) use.  I figured an iron which had gone through so much and lasted 10 years deserved a repeat performance.  I loaded up the kids, went to JC Penney’s, and purchased another Rowenta.  For a young family on a snug budget, plunking out a cool $100+ for an iron may not have seemed like a wise purchase.  However, I knew the brand had dependently served me for 10 years.  That equated to roughly $10 a year, which in the long run was a cheap purchase.  I flipped out the credit card, purchased the iron, loaded the kids back in the mini-van, and headed home. 

That new Rowenta lasted me less than a year.  After a few months of use, it leaked water everywhere.  I thought perhaps I had simply purchased a lemon, until I began comparing notes with the women who were in my sewing classes.  They had the same issues I did (this was pre-Google days, so I couldn’t do a proper search about the problem).  Disgusted, I loaded the kids back in the van along with iron and went back to Penney’s – and to give the store credit, they gave me a new Rowenta, no questions asked. 

The same thing happened with my new Rowenta.  Water leaked all over my ironing board.  This time I stopped using water in the reservoir and simply misted my clothes with  water in a spray bottle if steam was needed.  After about a year, the Rowenta decided to quit working and I purchased a Black+Decker iron.  I haven’t purchased another Rowenta steam iron since.  For this blog, I did dig into Rowenta’s background and found that water leakage in American made Rowenta’s is a fairly common problem.  However, the German made Rowenta’s had the best reputation.  So, if Rowenta’s are your iron jam, you may want to check to be sure it was manufactured in Germany. 

One iron which didn’t make the top three, but you see and hear a lot about is the Oliso Iron.  This is the iron with the legs.  If you leave your iron in a horizontal position, the iron has legs which lift it off the pressing surface.  It received mediocre reviews.  It reportedly leaked around the legs but some of them did have a 30-minute shut-off.  What I have noticed among my friends which have an Olsio is, once it has lived out its lifespan, it was not replaced with another Olsio. 

Finally, before we move into iron care and the touchy subject of what kind of water to use in your iron or even if you should, I’d like to share a few esoteric facts I picked up in my research.

1. There are no left-handed irons.
2. The automatic shut off was developed in 1996 and soon became widely used.  While it’s a wonderful safety feature to have, those of us who tend to have longer pressing times dislike it.  However, there are a few Chi irons with no automatic shut offs.
3. Irons whose soleplates are coated with a non-stick substance typically don’t hold up to cleaners.
4. According to Consumer Reports, all irons – the expensive kind and the inexpensive kind – have about the same life span.
5. In the research I’ve used for this blog, cordless irons were not part of the equation.  The reason given was because they are of “inferior quality and don’t tend to heat up as well as those irons which are plugged into an electrical outlet.” 

Well.

Let’s re-enter my Zone of Truth.  I have two Panasonic Cordless Irons and I absolutely love them.  They are great for ironing large pieces of fabric, such as borders, quilt backs, and quilt centers.  There’s no cord to get in the way and they both have given me no issues with heat – and the oldest Panasonic Cordless is 3-years old.  They are lightweight, have a nice water reservoir, and re-heat quickly.  That said, let me also add I don’t use them in my everyday quilting, but they are put through the paces about twice a month.  If you’re interested in a cordless iron, I advise you to read the reviews and make up your own mind. 

Care and Cleaning of Your Iron

The better care you give any piece of equipment, the longer it will last.  And while irons (at least most of them) have a shorter shelf-life than those of twenty years ago, every bit of extra love we give them can keep them working longer.  If your iron comes with an instruction book, I strongly advise you to keep it.  Care (especially internal cleaning) varies from iron to iron and what worked in your last iron may not in your new one.  If you lose your booklet, don’t despair.  Google the make and model of your iron and it should be online.  Read through it before cleaning anything.  The following suggestions are general ones and may not pertain to your iron. 

1.  If you use your iron daily, plan on cleaning it once a month. 
2. Clean the sole plate.  There are commercial cleaners available for this process, each with varying degrees of effectiveness.  Be sure to follow the directions carefully and use them in a well-vented location, as they may cause a bit of smoke.  One commercial cleaner I used caused so much smoke, it set off my smoke detectors (and yes, I was following directions).
3. You can make your own cleaner by mixing baking soda and water with a 2:1 ratio. Apply to the iron’s soleplate, especially coating the area’s with heavy mineral deposits.  Wipe it off with a clean cloth.
4. Dip cotton swabs in distilled water and insert the ends into the steam vent.
5. Fill the reservoir with water and run the iron on full steam.  Do this over a sink or bowl to allow the steam to flush any water scale or dust through the soleplate.  Once the water reservoir is empty, the iron is clean. 
6. If your iron has a self-cleaning feature, utilize it.

If your iron’s soleplate is sticky with black stains – usually a combination of burn marks, melted fibers, etc., — those can be removed with a dry cotton towel and salt.  Simply turn your iron to the highest setting and turn the steam option off completely or empty the reservoir.  Run the hot, dry iron over the cotton towel until its clean.  If there are still some stubborn stains remaining, sprinkle a tablespoon of salt on a newspaper, paper towel, or dry cotton towel and repeat. 

Once the soleplate is all clean and shiny, be sure to wipe down the rest of the iron with a damp cloth.

At this point, I would like to re-visit step five above – fill the reservoir with water and run on full steam.  Several of the sites I researched in writing this really long blog mentioned adding vinegar and water to the reservoir to clean it. 

And I get it.  I do. Vinegar descales any residue left by hard water.  A lot of us use white vinegar and water to descale our coffee pots.  It makes sense that this would probably work with an iron, too.  I wouldn’t use a water/vinegar mixture in any iron unless the directions for that specific iron said it was okay.  The reason is this:  Vinegar can react with some rubbers and plastics (like gaskets and the reserve itself), wreaking havoc on your iron’s innards.  Unless the directions for your iron says vinegar is fine to use, I would stay away from it.

Finally, let’s talk about water.  I know some quilters don’t ever fill their reservoirs with water. I know some quilters (including myself) who do keep water in their irons.  If you’re one of those quilters who do enjoy a good, steamy iron from time to time, what kind of water should you use?  There are five myths surrounding water and irons and I’m here to dispel each of them and then tell you which is the best kind to use.

Myth One:  Regular Tap Water is Best

Nope. 

While most high-quality iron manufacturers state you can use regular tap water in your iron, most iron manufacturers have never lived in an area of the Midwestern United States or other areas with high levels of limescale and sediment in the water.  They cannot possibly fathom the levels of both of these some of us have.  Just don’t use it.  If you’re still uncertain, read your iron manual.  You may notice some fine print that says extra-hard water will need to be diluted.  Go the safe route and don’t use tap water – especially if you live in the Midwest or have well water.

Most of the time when your iron spits or leaks from the soleplate, it’s because you’re using tap water.  What’s probably happening is this:  Sediments and limescale are accumulating on the gaskets controlling your steam vents and preventing a proper seal. This causes leakage.  The fix is to fill the reservoir with clean, filtered water, turn the iron on to high, and pump the manual steam button.  While you do this, use your other hand to move the steam control level back and forth from no-steam to full-steam, and back again.  This raises and lowers the steam gaskets and will hopefully dislodge some of the sediment on the gaskets as they rise and sink in the steam vents.

Myth Two:  Distilled Water is Best

Nope …. And yes.

This one is a little tricky to explain, so bear with me.  Truly distilled water is a perfectly lovely thing to use in your iron’s reservoir – in theory.  However, it’s really not a good idea for most irons.  Here’s why:  Distilled water has no solid minerals in it.  It’s been super-heated and turned into steam and then collected (rather like a dehumidifier does in your house).  Distilled water is pure water.  Which sounds like a wonderful thing – the best thing – to use in your iron’s steam system.  Until you remember your basic chemistry class.

See, pure water molecules are starving to get their little atomic hands on carbon dioxide from the environment, making the pure water molecules just slightly acidic.  Which makes them prone to corroding metals…and your iron is full of metals. Savvy?

The “yes” part of this myth is for some irons which specifically state in their manuals to use distilled water.  The innards in these irons are made from non-corrosive materials.  However, if your manual doesn’t state distilled water can be used, just don’t. 

Myth Three:  Deionized Water is Best

Nope.

Deionized water is cheaper than distilled water and is defined as water which has had its ions removed.  Now, let’s go back to basic chemistry class again.  If the ions are removed from the water, the water is now starving for positively charged ions.  Putting water that’s starved for ions in anything electric is a very bad idea.  You’ve got alternating current flowing through your iron and a bunch of working metal parts.  Add deionized water to that and you’ll have temperamental beast of an iron in no time flat.

Myth Four:  Spring Water is Best

Nope.

Spring waters are full of minerals, which are great for your health, but not so much for your iron.  Minerals are solids which can gunk up your reservoir and steam vents.

Myth Five:  Keeping Water in your iron will shorten its life.

Nope … and yes.

If you use any of the waters above, then you will shorten the life of your iron no matter if you keep the reservoir full or empty it at the end of every sewing session. Most irons – no matter how much money you spend or whether or not you keep the reservoir full or empty – have the same average life span, which is about three years, give or take (or if you’re the Iron Destroyer from North Carolina).  If you are using your iron regularly – every day or several times a week – the water in your iron is being cycled out pretty quickly.  The trouble comes when you let water – any type of water – stay in your iron for a week or longer.  If you’re only using your iron for occasional pressing or use it once a week or less, then empty the reservoir before you store your iron.

Okay…drum roll please….What is the best kind of water to use in your iron?

Filtered Tap Water

Water which has been filtered through something like a Brita has most of the solid particles filtered out of it.  If you have a refrigerator with an icemaker and water dispenser, this is even better, as most refrigerator filters will even filter out the sodium that’s present from water softeners.

I think we’ve covered most of the pressing topics concerning irons (sorry, couldn’t resist the pun). You may want to bookmark this blog for when you need to make your next iron purchase. I hope you’ve learned something, because I certainly did.

From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

PS Standard disclaimer applies for both blogs. I’m not employed nor do I receive any type of compensation or free gifts from any of the iron manufacturers, water filer companies, etc., mentioned in this blog.

Today we’re discussing one of the unsung heroes of quilting…the iron.

I am more than aware sewists of all types use irons of all types.  There are lace irons and steam irons.  There are gravity fed irons and large, complex ironing systems. What I wasn’t prepared for is how uncoupled today’s young adults (read some Millennials forward to today’s Generation) are from them.  And heaven knows I was unprepared for the fact my daughter, who grew up with me sewing and having an ironing board and iron at the ready in my dining room, didn’t even own an iron – something which came to light when she asked to come over and press the grand darlings school uniforms. 

“Why iron when you have a dryer?” she asked.

Because the uniforms were cotton.  They needed steam and starch or sizing to look respectable.  Anyway, that all led to an interesting conversation about the chemistry of ironing, the fact a dryer didn’t always do a good job, and an Amazon order for a steam iron to be delivered the next day (thank goodness for Prime). 

I share this little story because I think most of us really don’t give a second thought about our irons.  As long as they heat up and do their job, we’re okay with them. We don’t consider color or contents or any of the other characteristics we may pay closer attention to with other quilting tools.  We plug them in, they sit there until we pick them up to press a seam, and then turn them off when we’re through.  It’s when they don’t heat up correctly that we frown and begin looking for a replacement.  So with that in mind, what I want to do with this blog is share some of the history of the iron, what makes a good iron, and how much money should we plan on spending for an iron.  I’ll leave ironing/pressing techniques for another day and another blog.

A clothes iron is also called a flatiron, smoothing iron, dry iron, and steam iron.  The name used depends on what country you’re in.  However, no matter where you’re at, it’s a small appliance used to press clothes to remove wrinkles and unwanted creases.  Domestic irons (the kind most of us use in our studios) generally range in operating temperature from 250 degrees to 360 degrees (Fahrenheit).  It’s named for the metal (iron) of which the device is historically made and the use of it is generally called ironing.  We quilters press (move the iron in an up and down motion) instead of iron (move the iron in a back-and-forth motion) because normally we’re not ridding the fabric of wrinkles.  We’re pushing the seam allowances in one direction or open.  Ironing a quilt block instead of pressing it could distort the bias and that’s why we generally press and not iron.  Historically, ironing was the final step in laundering clothes.

Ironing or pressing works by loosening the ties between the long chains of molecules which exist in polymer fiber materials.  With the heat and the weight of the ironing plate, the fibers are stretched, and the fabric maintains the new shape when cool.  Some materials, such as cotton, require the use of water to loosen the intermolecular bonds. 

We will discuss irons and water a bit later.  While steam seems like such a simple thing, when it comes to your iron, opinions are all over the map.

The Hot and Heavy History of the Iron

Before the introduction of electricity into everyday household use, irons were heated by combustion, either in a fire or with some kind of internal arrangement.  An electric “flatiron” was invented by American Henry Seely White and patented on June 6, 1882.  It weighed almost 15 pounds and took a long time to heat.  The UK Electricity Association is reported to have said an electric iron with a carbon arch appeared in France in 1880, but this claim is considered to be pretty doubtful.  Two of the oldest sorts of iron were either containers filled with a burning substance or solid lumps of metal which could be heated directly. 

Metal pans filled with hot coals were used for smoothing fabrics in China by the 1^st century BC.  A later design consisted of an iron box which could be filled with hot coal and had to be aerated by attaching bellows to it.  In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, there were irons which were heated by kerosene, ethanol, whale oil, natural gas, carbide gas (acetylene, as with carbide lamps) and even gasoline.  If the natural gas and carbide gas sound a bit dangerous, remember some houses during this time were equipped with a system of pipes for distributing the natural or carbide gas to different rooms in order to operate appliances and lights.  And despite the risk of fire, liquid-fuel irons were sold in US rural areas up through World War II.

In Kerala in India, burning coconut shells were used instead of charcoal in irons, as they have a similar heating capacity.  This method is still in use as a backup device, since power outages are frequent in that area.  Other box irons had heated metal inserts instead of hot coals.  From the 17^th century, sadirons  or sad irons (from the Middle English “sad”, meaning “solid”, used in the English through the 1800’s) began to be used.  They were thick slabs of cast iron, triangular, and with a handle, heated in a fire or on a stove.  These were also called flat irons. 

In the industrialized world, these designs have been replaced by the electric iron we’re used to.  This iron uses resistive heating from an electric current. The hot plate (the sole plate) is made of aluminum or stainless steel polished to be as smooth as possible.  Sometimes it’s coated with a low-friction heat-resistant plastic to reduce friction below that of the metal plate.  The heating element is controlled by a thermostat which switches the current on and off to maintain the selected temperature.  Early electric irons were considered too dangerous to be successful.  Those irons  had no easy way to control their temperature and the first thermostatically controlled electric iron didn’t appear until the 1920’s.  The first commercially available electric steam iron was introduced in 1926 by a New York drying and cleaning company, Eldec, but it wasn’t a commercial success. 

The patent for an electric steam iron and dampener was issued to Max Skolnik of Chicago in 1934.  In 1938, Skolnik granted the Steam-O-Matic Corporation of New York the exclusive right to manufacture steam-electric irons. 

This was the first steam iron to achieve any degree of popularity, and led the way to more widespread use of the electric steam iron during the 1940’s and 1950’s. 

With all this technology funneled into a working steam iron, you’d think the only reason people wanted one was to remove wrinkles from their clothing.  And while this was certainly true, there were two other reasons:

1.  To remove all the moisture from clothing and linens so they would not mildew.
2. To kill any lice.  Ew.

Modern Irons

Modern irons have come a long way from the heavy ones introduced in the twenties and thirties.  Most of them have at least some of the following features:

• A design that allows the iron to be set down, usually standing on its end, without the hot soleplate touching anything and damaging it.
• A thermostat ensuring a constant temperature.
• A temperature control dial allowing the user to select the operating temperatures – usually marked with types of cloth such as silk, linen, cotton, etc.,– instead of temperatures.
• An electrical cord with heat-resistant silicone rubber insulation.
• Injection of steam through the fabric during the ironing process.  Steam is produced by water in a reservoir inside the iron.  This reservoir usually has an indicator showing the amount of water in it, and the iron constantly sends steam through the hot part of the iron into the fabric.  It may also give a burst of steam when a button is pressed. Sometimes there is even a dial which controls the amount of steam emitted as a constant stream and has an anti-drip system. 
• Cord control at the point where the cord attaches to the iron.  Usually there is some sort of spring to hold the cord out of the way while ironing and setting the iron down.  This actually prevents fires.
• Some irons have a retractable cord.
• Some irons have a non-stick coating along the sole plate to help the iron glide across the fabric.
• Some irons have anti-burn control.  If the iron is left flat for tool long, the iron shuts off to prevent scorching and fires.
• Another irritating feature some irons have is automatic cut off.  If the iron is left undisturbed for several minutes, the iron will automatically cut off.  Some irons even have 3-way automatic shut-off.  This feature will be discussed later in the blog because it’s one of the most disliked modern features for many quilters.
• There are cordless irons.  And they are wonderful.
• Many are self-cleaning, anti-scale, and have vertical steam.

Okay, that’s a lot of information about irons.  Probably more than you wanted to know.  But I always think it’s interesting to see how our sewing tools developed and a little history about the inventors, if I can find it.  Now I want to move into the nitty gritty of this blog – what to look for in a good iron, how much money to spend, what are the best irons so far in 2024, how to take care of your iron, and….do you put water in your iron or not, and if you do, what kind do you use?

Obviously, this will be a two-part blog.

What to Look for

I am pre-supposing one issue with this part of my blog:  You are not like me.

I am notoriously hard on irons.  They get bumped off my pressing station, dropped in the floor, carried and toted from yonder and back, tossed in the back of my Tahoe and are generally disrespected in so many ways.  For this reason alone, I do not purchase expensive irons.  As a matter of fact, the first characteristic I look for is price.  What is the cheapest iron in the store or on-line?  That’s the one which will be thrown in my shopping cart. It may last me a year or a day, but at least I won’t have the nagging thought I spent hundreds of dollars on an iron which met an untimely demise. 

Now with me keeping in mind you’re much more responsible than I am, let’s talk about what the average person – not the iron-destroyer from North Carolina – should look for in an iron.  These characteristics are supplied from Consumer Reports, Martha Stewart, and several quilt books.

On average, irons range in price from $15 to $150.   There are more expensive ironing systems, but for this blog, I only want to deal with the types of irons which rest on the end of our ironing board.  What is truly interesting is that price itself doesn’t always indicate performance.  According to Consumer Reports, the best irons ranged around the $50 mark.

The basic features you should pay the most attention to are these:

 Steam – Both steam and water in any iron can be enough to set some quilters off.  They don’t like steam because it can stretch the bias.  Water left in the reservoir can shorten the life of the iron (or does it?).  However, there are two reasons why steam should be given careful consideration.  First, you may not always be ironing quilt-related items.  You may actually need to iron a cotton shirt or skirt or other apparel.  With these, steam is the most effective way to get rid of the wrinkles and creases.  Second, you don’t have to fill the water reservoir when you use the iron in your quilt studio.  Most irons work just fine without it.  So, you may want to purchase an iron with an adequate steam rating just in case…on the spur of the moment…you have to iron some piece of clothing instead of just tossing it in the dryer with a wet cloth to get the wrinkles out. 

Soleplates – Choose from stainless steel, anodized aluminum, and nonstick.  The best gliders are often stainless steel or ceramic.  Consumer Reports tested the nonstick soleplate and found they did not glide as well as the others.

Controls – Iron controls run the gamut from dials, slides, and digital controls.  Make sure the controls are easy to see and adjust and that fabric settings are clearly marked.

Comfort – This is pretty important for quilters because we handle our irons a lot…and the average quilter is in his or her mid-sixties.  This means just perhaps some of us are experiencing some arthritis in our fingers, arms, and hands.  So, the weight of the iron, the feel of the handle in our palm, and the ease of which it glides across fabric is pretty important.  If you purchase an iron in a brick-and-mortar store, take the time to pick it up.  Imagine lifting it up and down several times during a quilting session.  Pay attention to how it makes your hand feel.  If you buy your iron online, try to get one you’ve used before and really like.  If that’s not possible, be sure to read the reviews to get both the good and bad about the product.  Even an iron which is excellent at ironing may feel awkward or heavy in your hand, and that’s not good. 

Other features to consider are automatic shut-offs, burst of steam or surge, retractable cord, self-cleaning system, adjustable steam, anti-drip, transparent water reservoir, and vertical steam (which is great for curtains).

Next week we’ll look at the top three irons on the market according to Wirecutter and handle the hot topic of should you or shouldn’t you use water in your iron, if so what kind is best, and does it make any difference at all if you let water remain in the resevoir. Lots of conflicting thoughts about those topics, believe it or not. And prepare yourself for some basic chemistry…

From my Studio to Yours…

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Here’s a few more mistakes we make and how to correct them.

• Rows Don’t Line Up or Points are Chopped Off.  As far as the blocks in the rows not lining up:

Sometimes this is caused by inaccurate cutting, but more often than not it’s caused by inconsistent seam allowances.  I know you’ve heard me ad nauseum about keeping a consistent seam allowance, but it’s important for all types of piecing.  So if your blocks are offset from each other in rows, the first thing to check is your seam allowances.  Most of the time if this is corrected, the blocks will line up just fine. 

I have learned for myself that consistent measuring and squaring up usually eliminates mismatched rows.  It’s a process.  First I make a test block.  If the block is the correct unfinished size, make a note of the unfinished size of each block unit (such as four-patches, flying geese, etc.).  Then I cut out my fabric and make enough block units to create several blocks.  I sew the blocks, measure them, and trim if necessary.  If the blocks require sashing, I also cut out my vertical sashing strips and sew those to the right side of the block.  If both the block and the sashing strips match perfectly, then I know both my cutting and my piecing is accurate.  Once I make two rows, I sew those together.  If the rows match up the way they should, I continue this process.  It’s a lot easier to correct mistakes when there’s only two or three than to complete the quilt center only to discover things really went wonky on the second row. 

Chopped off points are a pretty easy fix.  We’ll use a flying geese unit as an example.  Personally, I have found the basic flying geese construction the most accurate way to make one of these units (other than paper piecing). 

Once you have your “geese” rectangle and your side squares cut out, draw a diagonal line across the squares.  Lay the squares, right sides together, on the ends of the rectangle.  Sew a thread or two above the line.  Repeat on the other end of the rectangle.  Press and trim the excess square fabric away.

If this process has been accurately completed, there should be ¼-inch (or slightly more) fabric extending beyond the beak of the goose.  Now flip the flying geese over and look at the back of it.See that spot where the two lines of stitches makes the X?  When joining the flying geese to another unit or piece of fabric, the stitching line should go right through the middle of the X or slightly above it.   

This way the point isn’t chopped off.  This holds true for any point or corner. Make sure your stitching line is slightly above the point or corner and it won’t be lobbed off when joining it to another unit. 

• Wavy Borders or Sashing.  I won’t go into a lot of detail here, but will point out this blog:   https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2020/06/03/destination-the-borders/ which shows the correct way to put on borders and why it’s important to measure, measure, measure.  What I will say is make sure your borders and sashing strips are all cut on the same grain – either all width of fabric or length of fabric.  Don’t mix the two.  That will definitely cause them to be wavy.

• Where Do I Look When I’m Sewing or Quilting?  This almost seems like a “duh” question – you look at your fabric, right?  But where on your fabric?  At the needle?  The point before the needle?  Or is it behind the needle? 

Sewing is a bit like driving a car.  Your focal point should be slightly forward to see where you’re going.  The eyes need to be focused on the point before the fabric goes under the needle – this is true no matter if you’re quilting or piecing.  This line of vision helps you see where you need to go before you’re already there.

• Squaring Up.  This is one point I really try to drill home with my beginner quilters.  Yes, squaring up is important. While squaring up isn’t as fun as piecing, it is just as important.  When each block unit is the correct size, each block is the correct size, each piece of sashing or setting units are the correct size, and the borders are the correct size, your quilt top will lie completely flat, which is one of the goals.  And a flat quilt top quilts beautifully.  To find out how to do this, go here: https://sherriquiltsalot.com/2022/11/16/what-you-need-to-know-about-grain-lines-and-squaring-up/

• Never Underestimate How Important Pressing Is.  Pressing after each step helps your block units lie flatter, therefore your block will be flat.  Pressing seams in the correct direction allows you to nest seams, so corners, points, and seams line up.  Pressing in the correct direction prevents “shadowing” from the darker fabric (always press towards the dark side as much as possible).  However, the most important thing I think good pressing technique does is reduce bulk.  If seams are pressed to the side where needed, or open, bulk is reduced which makes the block lie flat and makes the quilt easier to quilt.  The needle won’t stall out in bulky spots.

• The Kind of Thread and Needle Used Is Important.  The right tool for the job makes the job much easier.  Many of my regular readers remember I am a thread snob.  Cheap thread leads to lint.  Lint makes your machine work harder and need frequent cleaning.  Long staple thread produced less lint.  For piecing, you don’t want a thread weight which takes up a lot of space in your seam allowance.  A 50- or 60-weight thread (preferably two-ply) makes a great piecing thread.  Quilting thread is an entirely personal choice.  If you want your quilting stitches to melt into the background, choose a thread with a higher weight.  To show off your stitches, a lower weight thread works well.

Be sure to match the correct needle to the thread and fabric.  This is source of many skipped stitches – the needle is too large or too small for the diameter of the thread or you’re using the wrong needle to sew the fabric.

• Not Storing Your Quilt Sandwich Correctly.  If there be some time between when you layer your quilt sandwich and the time you sit down to quilt it, be careful how you store your sandwich. If you’ve spray basted, laying it flat until it’s quilting is a good idea.  Remember basting spray is not a permanent adhesive.  Folding the sandwich several times can cause the quilt layers to come “unstuck.”  If you baste with needle and thread, make sure the basting stitches are secure enough to keep everything in place.  The same goes with pin basting.  If you’ve pin basted, make sure the pins are close enough together, so nothing shifts.  And beware of brass pins.  A friend of mine used brass pins to baste with, then set the sandwich a side for several months.  When she returned to the sandwich to quilt it, the brass pins had rusted, leaving brown spots all over the front and back of the quilt. 

• Check for Fabric Value.  I’m not talking about monetary value.  Nope.  While that can be important, what’s even more important is you have lights, darks, and medium color values in your quilt.  When pulling fabric for your quilt, it’s easy to use all the fabric from one family.  And there’s nothing wrong with that, except most fabric families now are primarily mediums.  And this means your quilt will look “muddy” because there are no true lights or true darks to mix things up and cause distinct contrasts.  The easiest way to make sure you have a good mix of lights, darks, and mediums is use your phone to take a picture of the fabric.  Once the photo is in your album, edit it to the back and white (sometimes called noir, silver tone, or mono) setting.  Then give it a close look.  If you can clearly see white, gray, and dark gray-to-black fabric images, you’re good to sew.  If everything is gray-ish, you’ve chosen all mediums and need to revisit your fabric choices.

• Keep Spray Bottles Clearly Marked and Separated.  This is one of those mistakes which comes from personal experience.  As quilters we have spray bottles of starch, sizing, starch alternatives, water, Flatter, and spray baste.  It’s okay to keep all those spray bottles used with your iron on or near your pressing surface.  May want to keep that spray baste in another area of your studio, away from your pressing station.  Just sayin’. 

• May Want to Take a Peek Beneath the Fabric Before You Sew.  This primarily applies when you’re sewing a lot of fabric bulk, bulky seams, etc.  Make sure you don’t have the additional bulk of something else caught up in your fabric.  It’s easy to get a border folded back on itself and sewn into a seam twice.  If you’re in the quilting process, it’s common to have the quilt back pucker because it’s gotten caught up in the wrong place.  And I’ve even accidentally had the sleeve of the extra-large sweatshirt I was wearing get sewn into a quilt.  That was not a good day.

• Close that Rotary Cutter When You’ve Finished Cutting.  I think if there are children around your cutting area, you tend to be very safety conscious and close the cutter when your through.  However, when you’re alone or with other adults, you may opt to let this safety rule slide.  Please don’t.  Close the cutter.  Accidents happen.  I left a cutter open on the mat and my cat, Sam, jumped on the cutting table about the time I laid the rotary cutter on the mat.  As a result, the cutter was knocked off, bounced off my knee, and slid down the front of my leg.  I didn’t require stitches, but I didn’t think I would ever get the bleeding stopped.

Come to think of it, wear closed toe shoes in your cutting area, too.  If you accidentally drop an open cutter on your foot, it could be disastrous.

• Be Careful How You Transport Your Sewing Machine.  More than likely, at some point, you will need to make your machine mobile.  You may want to take a quilting class or attend a retreat and need to take your sewing machine with you.  I’ve tried corralling my machine in the back of my car or in the floorboard.  The best way I’ve found to keep the machine stable, in one piece, and unharmed is to set it in one of the seats and seatbelt it in.  The seatbelt holds everything nice and steady until you get where you’re going.  This is important because the last thing you really want to do is deal with the aftermath of A). Gathering all the pieces of your sewing machine back together once you arrive at your destination or B).  Find out your machine took a hard tumble and no longer works. 

• Sometimes Handwork is Easier than Machine Work.  There are some quilters who enjoy handwork and there are others who would prefer not to hand piece.  Then there are those who absolutely refuse any type of handwork at any time.  I’m one of those who enjoy both.  However, I do understand those who do not, under any circumstances, want to do any handwork.  But, let me throw this in here:  Under some situations, hand piecing is actually easier and faster than machine piecing.  I’m thinking about small, set-in seams in particular.  In those situations, hand piecing is more accurate and faster than wresting with a sewing machine.  And if per chance you do make a mistake, hand stitching is easier to take out in those situations than machine stitches. 

I hope my mistakes and how I corrected them prevents you from having the same problems I did.  And if you find you’re continually making these mistakes, I hope my “fixes” can help you put a stop to your problems. 

Until Next Week, Keep Stitching.

From My Studio to Yours,

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

Everyone makes mistakes.  It’s true.  If you’re human, stuff is going to happen.  And if you’re a quilter, you may as well determine that some … blunders are part and parcel of the art.  One of my goals for this year’s blog is to bring you into my studio (or at least as close as I could get) and discuss what I do and why.  This week, I want to tell you about some of the mistakes I have made (as well as a few of my quilting friends admitted to me they made) and how we corrected them.

•  Sewing too long.  There are times when everything in your quilt room will flow together.  The seams are a perfect quarter inch.  Netflex is showing four of your most favoritest movies.  Needles aren’t breaking, the fabric is beautiful, and you found your preferred wine on sale this week, so adult beverages are not a problem.  You could sew for hours.  And hours.  Perhaps you do.  But somewhere around the third or fourth hour, you start making rookie mistakes.  Suddenly your half-square triangles aren’t the right size, or your seams go wonky.  The flow stops.  You get irritated at the quilt and at yourself and wonder how the evening could end so badly when it started out so great.

The answer is easy.  You’ve sewn too long.  Even though we love our craft and could (and do) sit behind a machine for hours, after a while, we need a break – both our bodies and our minds.  It’s not good to sit so long in one position and our brains need some time to do mindless things.  Through the years I’ve learned my max sitting and sewing time is three hours.  I need to get up, move, and hydrate.  Do something mindless for a while, or if it’s late, go to bed. 

The key to correcting this mistake is to find out what’s your limit is.  Is it one hour or two?  Perhaps it’s forty-five minutes.  Whatever it is, take note of it and get up from the machine before you reach your limit.  You’ll leave and return to your project with a much better attitude than if you exceed your limit and keep pushing yourself.

• Consistently making the wrong size block.  There are a couple of ways to correct this mistake.  The first one is to invest in a quarter-inch foot (also called a Quilter’s Foot). 

When you line the outer edge of the foot up with the fabric, or have the fabric next to the phalange, you’re well on your way to making the correct size block.  If you don’t have a Quilter’s Foot, measure from your needle over ¼-inch and mark that spot with a piece of painter’s tape or a marker.  Line your fabric up with that mark and sew. 

If you’re sewing a consistent ¼-inch seam and the blocks still aren’t the right size, the problem could lie in accurate cutting.  Measure a few pieces before you cut everything out.  For instance, if the pattern calls for twenty 4-inch squares, cut a couple out and measure them to make sure your cutting is accurate. 

• The fabric runs when you wash your quilt.  I’ve written blogs about this and my passion for pre-washing.  Personally, I have never had any fabric bleed or crock on any quilt when I’ve taken the time to prewash the fabric.  Prewashing was ingrained in me when I was a beginner quilter.  My teacher prewashed and emphasized why it was necessary.  To me, it’s as natural and important a part of quilting as the ¼-inch seam.  I bring the fabric home, toss it in the washer, hang it to dry, press it while it’s still barely damp, fold and store it or proceed to cut out what I need for a quilt.  If I add the fabric to my stash, I clip one corner off.  This tells me it’s prewashed and ready to rock and roll when I need it.  Prewashing pretty much guarantees the fabric will not shrink any more (or at least not much) and neither will the colors run.  If I’m iffy about a particular fabric – such as an over-dyed batik or a red, blue, or black material – I can use Retayne or Synthrapol. 

I also realize I seem to be in the minority.  Very, very few of my quilting friends prewash.  It’s an extra step.  It takes time away from the quilting process.  For those of you who decide not to prewash but still freak out about your fabric bleeding or crocking, wash your finished quilt in cold water, on a gentle cycle, and use three to five sheets of color catchers

in the wash.  Closely examine the quilt when you remove it from the washer. If you see areas of bleeding, repeat this process until the color catchers come out with no dye on them.  If there is no bleeding fabric, either let the quilt air dry or toss it in the dryer.  Do not put it in the dryer if there is fading, as the heat will set the areas where the material has bled onto another fabric, and you won’t be able to wash it out. 

• Free Motion Issues.  Okay, let’s just be honest.  Dropping those feed dogs and quilting your quilt on a domestic machine is just a little scary the first two or three times.  We are used to the feed dogs doing all the work for us, grabbing the wrong side of the fabric and pushing it over the feed dogs at a consistent rate so we have even stitches.  Once the dogs are dropped, all of that is up to us. 

I wish I could give you some formula like the Golden Ratio or Quilter’s Cake to make it easy-peasy, but I can’t.  What I can do is share with you the tools I use which have made free motion quilting easy and fun for me.  The first tool is practice.  Practice, practice, practice, and then practice some more.  Even though I have a long arm and use it, I still quilt small-ish quilts on my domestic machine.  And while the outcome may look similar between the two machines, the technique is definitely different (with a long arm you bring the foot to the ruler, and with a domestic machine you bring the ruler to the foot).  So practice is necessary in order to become fluent with either.  The easiest way I’ve found to foster practice is construct a few quilt sandwiches – no bigger than 18 x 18-inches square – and keep them by your machine.  Then each time you sit down behind your machine, they’re ready for you to take a few minutes, drop your feed dogs, and practice.

From personal experience, I really want you to know how beneficial this is.  First, the sandwich is smaller than most quilts, so it’s easier to control.  But this allows you to feel the rhythm of your machine without dealing with the bulk of a larger sandwich.  It’s easier to manipulate, allowing you to be comfortable while your discovering favorite fillers, how to quilt from dot to dot, and learn how to deal with tension issues.  And I always practice on a sandwich before I put a quilting stitch in my quilt.  I use the same thread on  top and in the bobbin that I’ll use on the quilt.  This way I can iron out tension issues, needle problems, or anything else before I quilt my quilt.  Second, this process allows you to build confidence and even be a little more daring on a sample than you would be on a quilt.  I’ve even drawn quilt blocks on a practice sandwich to experiment on how to quilt them. 

There are a few tools I feel are indispensable for free motion quilting. 

1. The Supreme Slider

This is a Teflon coated plastic sheet with a sticky backing and a hole in it.  Position the slider over your needle plate, with the hole over the feed dogs.  The sticky backing will hold it in place as you free motion your quilt.  The Teflon coating reduces friction to zero and makes moving that quilt sandwich oh-so-easy.  The Supreme Slider comes in regular, medium, and large sizes (although the large is getting harder to find).  Personally, I find the small works for most quilts, but I have a medium I use frequently, too.  They are slightly pricey, so you may want to begin with the medium or small and move to a larger size if you feel it’s necessary.  One word of caution, if you switch from free motion and your feed dogs lowered back to a foot which requires you to return your feed dogs to the up position, be sure to remove the Supreme Slider from your needle plate.  The feed dogs will chew a hole in it ask me how I know. 

• Water Soluble Marking Pens

Even the most experienced quilter will need to make some registration marks on their quilt sandwich.  Personally I really like the blue water-soluble pens the best for this.

• Mega Magic Bobbin Genies

What the Super Slider is for the quilt sandwich, the Mega Magic Bobbin Genies are for your bobbin.  These are ultra-slim and simply drop in your bobbin case and then your bobbin sits on top of it.  These help to eliminate backlash, birds’ nests, and eyelashes on the back of your quilt when your quilting (especially when you get good and fast at free motion).  I always keep one in my domestic sewing machine as well as my long arm. 

• Quilting Gloves

They simply help you keep a good, solid grip on your sandwich.  I also wear mine when adding borders to a large quilt.  The grippy stuff on the gloves helps me wrangle all the fabric bulk.

• The Right Machine Needle

I cannot emphasize enough how very, very important the right needle is.  And it’s also a personal decision.  Some quilters use Microtex needles, others use denim or top stitching needles.  It’s just crucial the needle has a sharp point which can cleanly pierce through the weight of a sandwich.  Some sewing machines have their own brand of quilting needle.  I quilt and sew on a Janome.  Janome has a line of “Blue-Tipped Quilting Needles” made for quilting.   I am always a bit skeptical about brand-specific equipment (many times producers will hike up the prices on brand-specific items because they’re supposed to be better than generic equipment).  However, I gave them a try and they are very, very good.  And while we’re on the subject of needles, it’s important to change your needle before and after quilting a quilt (you can get by without doing this if the quilt in question is a small one). 

• Running Out of Fabric.  This does happen on occasion.  As a matter of fact, it happened to me this week.  I thought I had purchased enough backing fabric for a quilt and was a half-yard short.  Fortunately, even though the fabric is a couple of years old, I was able to find it (thank you Shabby Fabrics).  Now I’m in a holding position waiting for it to arrive so I can quilt my quilt.  So how do you avoid this dilemma?

Read the pattern carefully.  Highlight the yardages, fat quarters, etc. needed.  Most good quilt patterns do allow for mistakes and will “pad” the amounts needed by several inches.  If I’m purchasing fabric for a specific quilt pattern, I’ll take sticky notes with me to the quilt shop.  As the sales associate cuts what I need, I will write the yardage and what it’s for on the sticky note and attach it to the fabric.  If I’m purchasing fabric online, I’ll print out what’s in my cart and write this same information next to each fabric.  This way I’m checking and double-checking my yardage.  With either, as soon as I have the specific fabric for a particular quilt, I cut the quilt out.  This way if I have made a mistake, I can rectify it then.  If I wait a year or longer (and sometimes even a few months) to buy the additional fabric I need, it may not be available.  If pulling from my stash, I measure twice to make sure I have enough and again, label the fabric.

Sometimes you can fudge on the amount.  For instance, if the pattern calls for a yard and you have ¾-yard, sometimes some skillful cutting can make up the difference – again remember most quilt patterns call for a smidge more than you need.  One tip I will offer concerns block-of-the-month programs.  If the program offers an “oops” package, it’s usually a good idea to purchase it.  The “oops” offers a few additional inches of each fabric used in the quilt just in case you mess up.  If you purchase a quilt kit, and cut it out as soon as you can.  This way if you’ve been shorted any fabric, you can contact the shop where the kit was purchased, and the material will still be available.  If you wait a year or two to begin the quilt and you find you’re short, it may be too late to get the fabric the kit calls for.

If you find you’re short and you’re in the middle of a project (like I am now), it’s frustrating.  If you have the name of the fabric (it’s on the selvedge), you can Google it and see if any is available.  A search will usually also include Etsy and Ebay (which has saved me from a few disasters).  If the fabric is found, purchase it.  If it can’t be found or it’s beyond your price range, make a design decision and change it up. 

And if you’re waiting for your fabric to arrive, simply move to another project during this time.

There still are quite a few mistakes to cover. We’ll finish this topic up next week. Until then, keep quilting!

From My Studio to Yours…

Love and Stitches,

Sherri and Felix

PS — My favorite “bleed” corrector for quilts is a mix of two parts Oxyclean to one part hydrogen peroxide. This does form a paste, but a paste is easier to control than a liquid which may make the bleeding worse. Dampen the area which has the fading on it and then with a cotton swab or soft brush (a baby toothbrush works GREAT), gently work the paste into the area. Let it set for a few minutes and wipe off. You may need to repeat this a few times, but generally it works pretty well.