I'm trying to finish my class samples for the next quarter of classes at my LQS. Next quarter I'm doing one of the quilts from the book Sunday Morning Quilts.
It uses strips (or strings).
I can pack quite a bit of fabric into this bin but when I open it they kind of explode out. I worked on this at work over the last couple of weeks in between my other duties. I finished six blocks.
I want to make at least three more blocks, maybe six more. I'll work on those when I teach the class so I can demo the technique. Not many people around here seem to be familiar with this type of improv-style piecing. I've already had one person express interest in the class!
Recently we had to replace one of the classroom irons at my LQS. The owner bought a cordless model.
This one is by Panasonic. It has a cover that locks on for travel. The iron sits in the dock to charge. It is dual sided so you can't stand it up on one end. You just put it back in the dock instead.
Pros: (1) It is dual sided and there is no cord (only the base plugs in) so it works well for both left-handed and right-handed quilters. We routinely have both at the store. (2) It is a good weight, not too heavy and not too light. (3) It has a good size reservoir for water but we haven't tried it yet. We keep a spray bottle full of water at each ironing station and only fill the irons if steam is required for a particular project. (4) If you are taking this iron to retreat or a class, you don't have to wait for it to cool down before packing it up. The cover locks on securely and the cord retracts into the base.
Cons: (1) It is dual sided and folks are always trying to stand it up on one end which does not work. (It is comical to watch though.) I've also seen some folks just leave it sitting on the ironing surface while they adjust their fabric instead of putting it back in the dock which over time is going to ruin the ironing surface. (2) It does not seem to get quite as hot as I like. Not everyone has had this complaint though. I may just be picky. (3) It seems to take longer to heat up than I am accustomed to.
I'm not sure how long it stays hot once you remove it from the dock and are using it. So far we've just used it for pressing seams which only takes a few seconds. If you were trying to press a large piece of fabric or a garment, I wonder if it would stay hot enough until you were ready to put it back in the dock to adjust your project/garment.
Overall, I think this is a great iron. For the store it is perfect because we often have both left-handed and right-handed students in the same class. The majority of the time we are just pressing seams with it and have had no issues with it staying hot long enough. It is pricey, retailing for $130 but worth it if both righties and lefties will need to share the iron or if you need a good iron to take to class or retreat.
It uses strips (or strings).
I can pack quite a bit of fabric into this bin but when I open it they kind of explode out. I worked on this at work over the last couple of weeks in between my other duties. I finished six blocks.
I want to make at least three more blocks, maybe six more. I'll work on those when I teach the class so I can demo the technique. Not many people around here seem to be familiar with this type of improv-style piecing. I've already had one person express interest in the class!
Recently we had to replace one of the classroom irons at my LQS. The owner bought a cordless model.
This one is by Panasonic. It has a cover that locks on for travel. The iron sits in the dock to charge. It is dual sided so you can't stand it up on one end. You just put it back in the dock instead.
Pros: (1) It is dual sided and there is no cord (only the base plugs in) so it works well for both left-handed and right-handed quilters. We routinely have both at the store. (2) It is a good weight, not too heavy and not too light. (3) It has a good size reservoir for water but we haven't tried it yet. We keep a spray bottle full of water at each ironing station and only fill the irons if steam is required for a particular project. (4) If you are taking this iron to retreat or a class, you don't have to wait for it to cool down before packing it up. The cover locks on securely and the cord retracts into the base.
Cons: (1) It is dual sided and folks are always trying to stand it up on one end which does not work. (It is comical to watch though.) I've also seen some folks just leave it sitting on the ironing surface while they adjust their fabric instead of putting it back in the dock which over time is going to ruin the ironing surface. (2) It does not seem to get quite as hot as I like. Not everyone has had this complaint though. I may just be picky. (3) It seems to take longer to heat up than I am accustomed to.
I'm not sure how long it stays hot once you remove it from the dock and are using it. So far we've just used it for pressing seams which only takes a few seconds. If you were trying to press a large piece of fabric or a garment, I wonder if it would stay hot enough until you were ready to put it back in the dock to adjust your project/garment.
Overall, I think this is a great iron. For the store it is perfect because we often have both left-handed and right-handed students in the same class. The majority of the time we are just pressing seams with it and have had no issues with it staying hot long enough. It is pricey, retailing for $130 but worth it if both righties and lefties will need to share the iron or if you need a good iron to take to class or retreat.
1 comment:
A friend of mine has one of those. She said it took a really long time to get used to having to put it on the dock instead of setting it up on end each time. She seems to like it, overall, though. It's nice for taking to class, she says.
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