Steam? Or not?

That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing
for a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer
until she was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler
"head" like we used to use, but so far haven't found one.

Louise in Iowa
http://community.webshots.com/user/LouiseinIowa
nieland1390@mchsidotcom

On 8/31/2011 12:59 AM, Steven Cook wrote:
NightMist, you reminded me of something from way back in the days of no
steam irons, or at least one that my Mom could afford in the 60's. It was
my chore when she was cooking supper to lay the clothes on the kitchen table
and sprinkle them with the "sprinkle bottle" so that after supper when Dad
and my sister and I sat at the kitchen table doing "homework", I was only in
grade school mind you, or playing games, Mom would iron away.

Thanks for the memories.

Steven
Alaska


wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:15:21 -0700, Sartorresartus wrote:

I'm pottering through my first patchwork for what seems like a lifetime.
I fell in love/lust of a couple of jelly rolls and decided to go for
Eleanor Burns' "Boston Commons". ALL those little squares and ALL those
1/4" seams: I'd forgotten so much about it all.

I was going great guns until the cross-cutting stage. Then, suddenly,
none of the seams seemed straight. I re-measured and tweaked, but it
all seemed very hard going. I discovered it was the pressing that was
going askew. In the end, I lined up the right angles on the mat and the
ruler and just went for it! SCARY!

Now, I always set the seam, then press. (And I mean press, not iron)
The question is: to steam or not to steam? And is there a trick with
the type of iron? I've tried both, and with the exeption of bias seams
(when steam seems a recipe for disaster) I can't decide which is best.

Suggestions and advice and recommendations, please? And tricks for
cross-cutting that doesn't result in boomerangs and dog-legs?

I am one of those people that has never put water in my iron, ever.
I do believe irons last longer when you only run them dry.
I keep a spray bottle of water near to hand for stubborn bits, and press
things like linen while they are still damp from the wash.

When I am going to be doing a lot of cross-cutting, or crosscutting into
weeny bits, I tend to press seams open.
I am not generally prone to pressing open on a quilt top, but sometimes
you need to have things lying as flat as possible, with fewer layers to
cut through for the sake of accuracy.

NightMist




--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. What's your superpower?

the smell of sprinkled clothes waiting to be ironed is one I don't
forget. It was a pleasant warm smell as long as the clothes didn't sit
too many days. We kept ours in the refrigerator because the freezer
wasn't too big. If someone opened our refrigerator today and found
clothes they would think we had lost our minds.

Susan

On Wed, 31 Aug 2011 08:04:28 -0500, Louise in Iowa
nieland1390@mchsidotcom wrote:

That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing
for a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer
until she was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler
"head" like we used to use, but so far haven't found one.

Louise in Iowa
http://community.webshots.com/user/LouiseinIowa
nieland1390@mchsidotcom

On 8/31/2011 12:59 AM, Steven Cook wrote:
NightMist, you reminded me of something from way back in the days of no
steam irons, or at least one that my Mom could afford in the 60's. It was
my chore when she was cooking supper to lay the clothes on the kitchen table
and sprinkle them with the "sprinkle bottle" so that after supper when Dad
and my sister and I sat at the kitchen table doing "homework", I was only in
grade school mind you, or playing games, Mom would iron away.

Thanks for the memories.

Steven
Alaska


wrote in message
...
On Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:15:21 -0700, Sartorresartus wrote:

I'm pottering through my first patchwork for what seems like a lifetime.
I fell in love/lust of a couple of jelly rolls and decided to go for
Eleanor Burns' "Boston Commons". ALL those little squares and ALL those
1/4" seams: I'd forgotten so much about it all.

I was going great guns until the cross-cutting stage. Then, suddenly,
none of the seams seemed straight. I re-measured and tweaked, but it
all seemed very hard going. I discovered it was the pressing that was
going askew. In the end, I lined up the right angles on the mat and the
ruler and just went for it! SCARY!

Now, I always set the seam, then press. (And I mean press, not iron)
The question is: to steam or not to steam? And is there a trick with
the type of iron? I've tried both, and with the exeption of bias seams
(when steam seems a recipe for disaster) I can't decide which is best.

Suggestions and advice and recommendations, please? And tricks for
cross-cutting that doesn't result in boomerangs and dog-legs?

I am one of those people that has never put water in my iron, ever.
I do believe irons last longer when you only run them dry.
I keep a spray bottle of water near to hand for stubborn bits, and press
things like linen while they are still damp from the wash.

When I am going to be doing a lot of cross-cutting, or crosscutting into
weeny bits, I tend to press seams open.
I am not generally prone to pressing open on a quilt top, but sometimes
you need to have things lying as flat as possible, with fewer layers to
cut through for the sake of accuracy.

NightMist




--
I'm raising a developmentally disabled child. What's your superpower?

Wow, I forgot all about "sprinkling" with the Coke bottle and cork sprinkler
top! Now, I use a plastic spray bottle from the dollar store, but it's not
nearly as much fun anymore.....not that I iron much, except quilt-stuff.
KT. in MI

"Louise in Iowa" nieland1390@mchsidotcom wrote in message
...
That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing for
a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer until she
was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler "head" like we
used to use, but so far haven't found one.

Louise in Iowa

On 31/08/11 14:04, Louise in Iowa wrote:
That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing
for a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer
until she was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler
"head" like we used to use, but so far haven't found one.

Our sprinkler head was a snap-on plastic lid that had had holes poked
into it with a nail or skewer. It wasn't fancy, but it worked. I have
to admit to having a steam iron and a spray bottle these days.

Lizzy

The Vermont Country Store has them. I bought 2 the last time we were there.
Of course, they may be flooded, but the river shouldn't have reached
them---maybe I'll check on that. I lived in Grafton and Saxtons River-if any
of you have been watching the news on the VT flooding. Very familiar with a
lot of the washed out roads.
Gen


"Louise in Iowa" nieland1390@mchsidotcom wrote in message
...
That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing for
a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer until she
was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler "head" like we
used to use, but so far haven't found one.

Thanks for the suggestion, Gen. I'll check them out. Let's hope they and
their staff are safe. Seeing some of the individuals affected on TV is
very reminiscent of our flooding three years ago, and it's sad.

Louise in Iowa
http://community.webshots.com/user/LouiseinIowa
nieland1390@mchsidotcom

On 8/31/2011 3:58 PM, Gen wrote:
The Vermont Country Store has them. I bought 2 the last time we were there.
Of course, they may be flooded, but the river shouldn't have reached
them---maybe I'll check on that. I lived in Grafton and Saxtons River-if any
of you have been watching the news on the VT flooding. Very familiar with a
lot of the washed out roads.
Gen


"Louise in Iowa"nieland1390@mchsidotcom wrote in message
...
That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing for
a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer until she
was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler "head" like we
used to use, but so far haven't found one.

On Aug 31, 6:28*pm, Louise in Iowa nieland1390@mchsidotcom wrote:
Thanks for the suggestion, Gen. I'll check them out. Let's hope they and
their staff are safe. Seeing some of the individuals affected on TV is
very reminiscent of our flooding three years ago, and it's sad.

Louise in Iowahttp://community.webshots.com/user/LouiseinIowa
nieland1390@mchsidotcom

On 8/31/2011 3:58 PM, Gen wrote:



The Vermont Country Store has them. *I bought 2 the last time we were there.
Of course, they may be flooded, but the river shouldn't have reached
them---maybe I'll check on that. I lived in Grafton and Saxtons River-if any
of you have been watching the news on the VT flooding. *Very familiar with a
lot of the washed out roads.
Gen

"Louise in Iowa"nieland1390@mchsidotcom *wrote in message
.. .
That was one of my chores, too. And if Mom couldn't get to the ironing for
a few days, we rolled the clothes up and put them in the freezer until she
was ready to do the ironing. I've looked for the sprinkler "head" like we
used to use, but so far haven't found one.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I'm enjoying this thread. Was a childhood 'sprinkler' myself. I
think the last time I looked in my mother's freezer over 10 years ago
there were still 'sprinkled' tableclothes in there! And I inherited
her need to iron EVERYTHING. When I was still working (and I really
should get another job) a few years ago, I ironed my clothes every
morning. And DH isn't allowed out of the house for dinners and the
like without being ironed as well. It's terrible to be me sometimes.

Kim in NJ