Ironing Woes...Love the vintage Hate the ironing

[SuperKawaiiMama]

I'm not a huge fan of ironing due to my inherant laziness, but when I'm doing it I rather enjoy the Zen of ironing. Having time with no T.V, no one talking to me, and just letting my mind run away on wild fantasies. (I do usually have a little Ella on the ipod though) I do find that I don't have to iron all that often, maybe 2 hours every fortnight, due to the way I wash. It is most common here in Australia to dry your washing on a washing line in the sun. So I always make sure to hang things correctly, including hanging dresses on hangers on the line. (I take out excess water by rolling them in a towel first) Once I do this, I find that there is little ironing left to do on the garment unless it is highly crushable.
My ironing equipment is all modern, but I do find that the modern iron doesn't always do the best job, which is when I use starch. I just keep the board and all set up in my studio, as it doubles as a cutting table for some of my sewing projects too.

 

[Odalisque]

Reviving a old thread here but I just had to rave about my new fabric steamer! I am in love with this thing. It's a more industrial model then the Conair steamer and my gosh, does it take care of wrinkles!
Ladies, if you are ironing impaired like myself, invest in one of these babies.

 

[Foofoogal]

I iron almost every single day. Sometimes when it is raining I will go on an ironing kick and iron away. I iron the linens I sell and honeys clothes mostly.
I don't like wrinkles.
Rowenta, Rowenta, Rowenta.

 

[sweetarita]

I have to also rave about steamers. I have had one for about 8 years now and hardly EVER iron. Every once in a while I have to do a collar or a certain fabric, but I use my steamer for 98 % of things. I have both a large Conair and one of those mini ones. I use the mini one most often because I keep in in my bathroom and hang in on the hose on the back of the door with the little hanger that comes with it. Whenever I get dressed I just turn it on, steam the dress and go!

It is fabulous and the mini one was pretty cheap. Like under $40.

 

[sweetarita]

I also wanted to add that one of my favorite things to do is steam 40s rayon or silk. It's like magic.

 

[Esme]

I didn't read the whole thread, as some of it old and I am lazy today, but I love ironing! It is so relaxing. Immediate gratification.
I agree, a good, hot iron is important, and I do like a heavier one myself whihc also means you need a good steady sturdy ironing board. I use spray starch, when I can find it. When I lived in the US I preferred Niagara, which I have used since I was a girl.
I really love ironing handkerchiefs. Weird, I know.

 

[Lady Day]

Im saving for this.

Ive worked on these Reliable Company ironing boards before in the sewing schools Ive taught and good heavens, they are WORTH the price. Like book shelves they are!
A cheapy ironing board is $30, and they are wobbly and icky. So Ill make due with my little table top jobbie until I can get one of these.

Oh one day, one day...

LD

 

[Elaina]

Hear, hear, LD! I want one too, for now I'm stuck with one I got from Wal-Mart. My iron's midrange, but man I want a vintage one.

I iron every time I do laundry/go out/sew..so basically daily. I do need to clean my sole plate tho, anyone have any home remedies for this since the chemicals I can find trigger my toxiphobia too bad.

 

[SayCici]

I used to completely avoid ironing, but then I started sewing and there's no way around it.

My aunt recently gave me a steamer she never used, but I feel like I'm not using it to its full capacity. I thought when I got one I would see miracles performed before my eyes daily, but that hasn't happened. It hasn't gotten any wrinkles out for me, do you ladies have any tips on wielding this appliance?

 

[Lady Day]

I have a vintage iron! But I Cant use it because its too heavy for my table top jobbie! AHHH!!!
Besides, I dont want to spoil it on ANY ironing board.
Im sure my iron has standards.

LD

 

[C-dot]

My mother, for some reason, LOVES old irons. Shes got 8 altogether - The oldest one is Colonial New England. My favourite is a tall one you're meant to load hot coal into, probably owned by an early Victorian farmer's wife.

I'll post pictures when I get some, if anyone is interested!

 

[Antje]

I'm actually a little afraid of ironing,
I once burnt a big whole in a skirt I was making,
the sadest thing was that is was soo difficult to make and it was almost finished.
since then I try never to iron, Just ask my mum and for the rest I always try hang it when wet.

 

[RobbleBobble]

I too, hate ironing on a board, with a hand iron... but I remember having tons of fun using my Grandmother's Ironrite machine. My husband, for my birthday, tracked down an old Ironrite for me - both he and the machine are a dream! My Ironrite is in perfect condition, all the various heat settings and the knee controls work, and I can iron every textile and piece of clothing in the house while comfortably sitting down! This machine is amazing - I wonder why they stopped making such wonderful things?

 

[LizzieMaine]

Hear, hear -- I recently pulled my old Monkey-Ward ironer out of the garage and got it working again, and I'd forgotten how much I missed it. There is no pleasure on earth like sleeping on crisply ironed muslin sheets.

 

[Drappa]

^ Ha ha, my grandmother had one and it was massive. It took up the entire kitchen and she ironed everything on that thing, including underwear (you know, in case one of us got hit by a car and had to go to hospital and they happened to see your unironed underpants!).

Our house is iron central, we do it a few days a week or sometimes every day. My husband has to iron his military uniforms for work and really get his creases right, and he likes creases on the sleeves in his every day shirts as well. I also quilt, so need to iron seams all along and that is truly time-consuming. All in all I find it quite peaceful as well, but it takes a while to get the motivation to actually do it.

 

[BettyMaraschino]

I guess I'm quite lucky as my man is in the TA, so he is a whizz at ironing. I love doing ironing too though. A good solid iron and music in the background and I'm set
All my friends and family thing I'm nuts because I even iron the sheets and my PJs. The only thing better than ironing parts of my sewing as I go along is finally finishing

I do admit it takes some motivation to iron but once I get going thats it!

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

The key to doing something unpleasant or boring is to do something with it. I watch old movies while I iron my pants, they're all cotton so I don't burn them.

later

 

[Miss Golightly]

I'm giving this dress to my Mum to iron as she's brilliant at it (me, not so much) - her ironing board is 50 years old and still going strong - she has this mini board that you use for sleeves etc. so I'm hoping she can put the correct creases back into the bust of this dress (two dry cleaners couldn't do it) as one side looks particularly weird - like someone got fed up after doing the first side of it and then gave up:

 

[Miss sofia]

Hooray for Mums that can iron! These days I always save a nice pile of ironing for when my Mum comes to visit. I get told off for having ironing to be done, but secretly I know she enjoys doing it and would be miffed if there wasn't any!

I have an ironing pile the size of Everest at the moment - so busy. When i do iron i even iron teatowels and socks, i love doing it, i find it rather therapeutic.

I have a friend who never irons, yet always looks like she has stepped out of tissue paper. How does she do that? It's one of the unexplained mysteries of the world to me.