Irons ~ A Sewing Geekery and Gagets Review

An iron is a pretty integral part of any sewing studio and most projects.

As I was gathering my supplies to go to Fabric Fest I read on one of my class lists "wooden iron". I immediately had panic...it would take up too much room in  my suitcase, add weight, would allow me to bring less back with me. I was visualizing some big, heavy, takes up lots of space item fashioned out of block of wood. Off to google to see if I could get away with not taking it and "improvise" something possibly from a hotel room. Silly me is all I will say now!!!

A "wooden iron" is a favorite tool of Eleanor Burns. For good reason too! This little teeny takes up next to no space little tool is THE BOMB!

I used it throughout my class with her for the Kylies Kits Quilt. Rather than hopping up to the ironing board set up, rub this nifty tool over your seam and you can move on to the next step. From the manufacturer... Excellent to press seams open or to one side or crease fabric instead of your fingernail or iron. Use for applique, paper piecing and quilting. Carry in your hand sewing kit. Set next to your sewing machine. This little tool is available in both a left and right handed version. I found mine on Amazon and they are in the $5- $6 range.


Now my "regular iron" has been giving me fits for AGES! There has been no steaming for I have no idea how long and the reservoir leaks so I had been keeping an eye open for months to see if I saw something suitable. In forums various names had floated around as "good" including Rowaneta and Shark. Up here my choices are limited so it was on my list to keep an eye out for while in Vegas if I had the opportunity to get some shopping in.

Then I saw her!!! Oh my LOVE at first sight! Let me introduce you to the Oliso TG1600 1800 watts Smart Pro Iron.

This is some poor random lady standing next to me :) We had fun!

Up and down! It has FEET!!

Ben crashing around in the basement proof!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this iron. Did I mention I LOVE it?

First the features that "work" for me.

• 12 foot cord. My iron plugs in under my sewing table bank and this cord length means I can move my board back away from my chair reducing the risk of injury while increasing my overall room to work in.
• the FEET. Seriously this is the BOMB! As soon as you lift your hand from this iron it raises up on a set of feet and your fabric and board cover are not at risk of scorching. It takes a little bit to get used to not "tipping your iron up" but believe me you do get used to it and it is an amazing feature.
• Extended Auto Shut Off. With the feature of the feet they have been able to allow for an extended period of heat. No longer do I need to "bump" my iron to turn it on again. It is fully hot like it was 5 minutes ago. It will shut off after a period of 30 minutes of inactivity.
• Board Stability. this has long been an issue in our home. With my sewing studio in the basement where the kids can also play, w have previously experienced a couple episodes of the iron got knocked over and turned on and melted/scorched...insert: fabric stack, ironing board, carpet. In fact, when I saw this iron my first consideration was that I could sell my hubby on approving the purchase with this one safety feature alone. It has been that much of a concern to him.
• Steam...it has OODLES and OODLES of nice hot steam and a wonderful glide on the fabric. NO LEAKING.

It is pricey but not insane when compared to a Rowaneta. Retailing for $200 US, one can often find it at a "show price" around $150. Mine also came with an additional year of free warranty through the show and they will honor the warranty even though the iron is now "Canadian" without issue. Believe me, I checked this fact out.

Super happy with my purchase and as much as I absolutely despised ironing before I enjoy it now.

Getting Ready!

In 24 hours my journey to Las Vegas begins. I am so excited to be headed off to Riley Blake's Fabric Fest.

Why? So very many reasons why!

For the past few years I have been saying  that when Ben went to kindergarten I would take a hard look at and evaluate BB Butts Diapers. I knew that was when I would (finally) have  hours in my day to dedicate to pushing a business forward. I have held back from expansion a couple of times to be the mom I wanted to be for his preschool years.

Several months back I came across a Facebook post regarding Fabric Fest. I scanned it quickly and commented to my hubby sitting next to me about how cool would it be to go to Vegas for an event like that?  This is where I get to brag about what a lucky lady I am.... He turned to me and said... GO! I was to tell him when he needed to take time off to care for the kids. My retort... No way! Don't be silly! I could never. We are talking International travel.....

I could not help to look at the class list...drafting, embellishing, a quilt top caught my eye, social media ...

Before I knew it, I had a schedule planned and figured out how much it would be to fly from my remote Northern community...I was getting sucked in.

Then I realized it also fit into my overall timeline goals and into the developement plans for Nechako Notionary AND Ben starting school!! Did you know I have had little people at home (preschoolers with a few years of homeschooling the eldest) for TWENTY years!?!

 When hubby asked when he needed to book off the next day I knew this was a gift I could not, would not pass up.

I am not 100% sure what I will get out of this trip. I do know my eyes and ears will be wide open soaking it all in and that I will have much to come home with to further my business goals. 

I also feel like it will recharge me. It is the beginning of a new me.. The grown up, pushing 50 me. The me who gets to tune out the cartoons that makes a mom looney and focus on what will make me tick like a fine Swiss watch.

This is a new era of my life. I can not think of a better way to celebrate the last era or to begin the discovery of next.

Viva Las Vegas... Be ready for me!