Tomorrow is bourbon. Today is Cherry Moon, a cherr Tomorrow is bourbon. Today is Cherry Moon, a cherry oatmeal stout at Fusion Brewing in Lexington, KY. So good!
#fusionbrewing #lexingtonky #craftbeerlife #roadtrip
A first for me--10k with @jennifer.elyse. Still no A first for me--10k with @jennifer.elyse. Still not really a runner, but I finished and had fun. #hauntedharriet #10krun
Another day, another block. Number 34 today. #100 Another day, another block. Number 34 today.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler
Fantastic Cory Chisel concert at Mile of Music in Fantastic Cory Chisel concert at Mile of Music in Jones Park.

#mileofmusic #jonespark #corychisel
Block 33 of 100. So grateful to all the musicians, Block 33 of 100. So grateful to all the musicians, singers and songwriters who sacrifice to make their dreams come true.  It's Mile of Music weekend in Appleton--200+ original artists, 70+ venues and 900+ sets of music over four days and all free. Our favorite so far? The fabulous Sarah Potenza.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler #mileofmusic #sarahpotenza
Block 32 of 100. Today I'm grateful for a safe, un Block 32 of 100. Today I'm grateful for a safe, uneventful trip back home and a picture perfect summer day.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler
It's July 31st so Block 31 of the 100 Days 100 Blo It's July 31st so Block 31 of the 100 Days 100 Blocks challenge. Today I'm grateful for "Sibling Week" at Gregory Beach and time spent with my husband's sisters and brother and their spouses. Always fun to catch up.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler
Block 30/100 of Kinship Sampler. Today I'm gratefu Block 30/100 of Kinship Sampler. Today I'm grateful for "lake time." Time for long weeks, reading and lots of idle chatter.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #gnomeangel #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler
Block 29 of 100. Grateful today for time spent at Block 29 of 100. Grateful today for time spent at Magician Lake and beautiful sunsets.

#100days100blocks2019 #kinshipfusionsampler #workingmystashoff #patchworksampler #magicianlake #puremichigan #godspaintbrush
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quilting · December 1, 2018

Wool Pressing Mat Review and How to Save Money on One

Have you noticed how popular wool pressing mats have become with quilters? The description claims to trap heat from the iron to press both sides at once. They are crazy expensive so I would expect it to make a noticeable difference in pressed blocks. Prices are about $54.00 for a 12” x 18” or $75.00 for 14” x 24”. Like I said, crazy expensive, so I put it to the test to see if it’s worth the money.

For this comparison, I pieced three nearly identical blocks. One block had a different fabric in it, otherwise, everything was the same. For the first block, I pressed on the wool pressing mat. The second was pressed on a 100% cotton terry bath towel (my previous pressing surface of choice), and the third was pressed on a standard ironing board cover. My ironing surface is a wooden “big board” and each of the pressing surfaces was placed on top of the board. This particular block has a number of bulky seams which made it a good choice for my test. I always press using full steam. True confession here, I don’t actually press—I iron blocks into submission. I like really flat blocks. A dry iron and light pressing don’t get me there.

This first picture shows the pieced units in the block; some flying geese and half square triangles. I stack press so each unit is ironed more than once. If you don’t know how to stack press, I have a tutorial here. I don’t think there is much difference in the way these look.

Pressing Test-units

This picture shows the small center star. Again, there isn’t a big difference in any of the blocks.

Pressing Test-Star

The last picture shows the pieced block. I thought there was a big difference in the block that was pressed on the board only. If you look at the top seam between the center star and the flying geese unit, you can see puffiness. The whole block is distorted and isn’t very flat. This was much more pronounced in this block than either of the other two. I still didn’t see a huge difference between the blocks pressed on the wool pressing mat and the bath towel. My guess is that the cotton bath towel also holds the heat to some degree so both sides are pressed at the same time.

Pressing Test-blocks

Even though I didn’t see much difference, I still like pressing on the wool mat. It seems more substantial and the blocks are certainly flat and crisp.  I’m a little concerned because sometimes I use pressing spray, especially when ironing wrinkles out of yardage. The literature says it’s okay to use pressing spray with the wool mat, but I don’t know if it will build up over time. With the towel, I can just toss it in the washer periodically. Since the wool mat is felted, washing should be okay, but I would probably hand wash it. Overall, I’m vey pleased with the pressing mat and use it every day.

When I was shopping for a pressing mat, I knew I wanted a large one. I thought it would be especially useful for pressing borders and yardage (after all, it presses both sides at once!!!). After a little research, I found that this type of wool pad is used in the automotive industry, where they pay much, much, much less than we do as quilters.

A little more research led me to The Felt Company where I bought a Wool Felt Sheet (F11). It is 1/2” thick and 24” x 72”. This covered my big board with enough left over for the pressing station beside my machine. I cut the mat with a 60mm rotary cutter. The Felt Company is overwhelmed with orders from quilters and unfortunately, the price is about 40% higher than what I paid six months ago. Still, it is a great deal if you are looking for a large mat. If you don’t need one this large, you could also consider going in with friends and cut the mat to size. Still not convinced?Try pressing on a 100% cotton bath towel to see if you like the results. If so, investing in a wool pressing mat may be worth it.

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In: quilting · Tagged: product review, wool pressing mat

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