small iron

I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has one,
what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of you who
make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to fit a
nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

The tiny sort of pencil-size irons aren't a good tool for everything but
they surely are nice when you need one. They don't cost much and don't take
up a lot of storage space; go for it. They do get hot enough to burn you
good, find a safe place to set it down. The little holder is not very good.
I use a very hefty coffee mug to poke mine into when it's heated up.
If you're thinking of the one that's just about the size of your palm,
study the shape. If its nose is tall and fat, it will be useless for tiny
sleeve puffs. Took me years to find one that worked for preemie clothing
that was sleek enough to be helpful. Polly


"Linda" wrote in message
...
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has
one, what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of
you who make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to
fit a nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

I have one and find it very useful especially for ironing tiny weeny bits of
applique and hard to get at seams.
Like Polly says, it does get hot and the stand is useless. I use a small
pottery bread warmer to sit my iron on and pack it away in a cast off hot
hair curler, just the right size and heat resistant.

Di


"Linda" wrote in message
...
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has
one, what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of
you who make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to
fit a nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

That should read:

and pack it away in a cast off hot hair curler 'bag', just the right size
and heat resistant.

"Di Maloney" wrote in message
...
I have one and find it very useful especially for ironing tiny weeny bits
of applique and hard to get at seams.
Like Polly says, it does get hot and the stand is useless. I use a small
pottery bread warmer to sit my iron on and pack it away in a cast off hot
hair curler, just the right size and heat resistant.

Di


"Linda" wrote in message
...
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has
one, what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of
you who make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to
fit a nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

I've got one I use for the really tiny fiddly bits, in my case usually
applique. Usually for piecing I use a small travelling iron. The only
problem I have with the small craft iron is that there is no finger
protection/guard along the bar from the handle to the actual iron bit,
and I have burnt a finger when I put it a little further forward than
the handle when I felt I wanted to put more pressure on the iron plate
and hadn't got my brain in gear. You only do that once!

Also I bought a wooden stand for it as it didn't seem to fit well on the
one provided. There was a design change shortly before I bought mine,
and I wondered if they were using up the old stands.

I have mixed feelings about it, and given a choice of one or the other I
would choose a small travelling iron which has a good point.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallySeaside

On 10/01/2012 01:36, Linda wrote:
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has one,
what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of you who
make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to fit a
nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

Incidentally mine is a Clover make.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallySeaside

On 10/01/2012 19:48, Sally Swindells wrote:
I've got one I use for the really tiny fiddly bits, in my case usually
applique. Usually for piecing I use a small travelling iron. The only
problem I have with the small craft iron is that there is no finger
protection/guard along the bar from the handle to the actual iron bit,
and I have burnt a finger when I put it a little further forward than
the handle when I felt I wanted to put more pressure on the iron plate
and hadn't got my brain in gear. You only do that once!

Also I bought a wooden stand for it as it didn't seem to fit well on the
one provided. There was a design change shortly before I bought mine,
and I wondered if they were using up the old stands.

I have mixed feelings about it, and given a choice of one or the other I
would choose a small travelling iron which has a good point.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallySeaside

On 10/01/2012 01:36, Linda wrote:
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone
has one,
what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of
you who
make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to fit a
nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda

I've just been out shopping at Joann's and looked at the Clover irons. There
were two models, one has a guard to help prevent burns. That one also could
be fitted with an optional larger plate. There was a small iron, possibly
similar to your travel iron, the plate was 3 x 5 inches, too large for my
needs, but probably just right for piecing. What I ended up buying was one
similar to the Clover irons, same size head but the handle seemed much more
user friendly. Hope I made the right choice.
Linda
"Sally Swindells" wrote in message
...
I've got one I use for the really tiny fiddly bits, in my case usually
applique. Usually for piecing I use a small travelling iron. The only
problem I have with the small craft iron is that there is no finger
protection/guard along the bar from the handle to the actual iron bit, and
I have burnt a finger when I put it a little further forward than the
handle when I felt I wanted to put more pressure on the iron plate and
hadn't got my brain in gear. You only do that once!

Also I bought a wooden stand for it as it didn't seem to fit well on the
one provided. There was a design change shortly before I bought mine, and
I wondered if they were using up the old stands.

I have mixed feelings about it, and given a choice of one or the other I
would choose a small travelling iron which has a good point.

Sally at the Seaside ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk
http://picasaweb.google.com/SallySeaside

On 10/01/2012 01:36, Linda wrote:
I am making doll clothes and am considering buying one of the small craft
irons. I think it would be very helpful for this project, but wonder if I
would have any use for it after this project is finished. If anyone has
one,
what do you use it for? By the way, I have new respect for those of you
who
make tiny quilts. Making facings and hemming pants on clothes to fit a
nine-inch doll is enough of a challenge for me.
Linda