Monday, August 2, 2010

It's Not Like Riding a Bike

I quilted a couple of quilts last week and you know, it's not like riding a bike, at least not for me. It takes me a bit to get in the groove again. It's no wonder longarm quilters get so skilled, when you quilt a bunch you get better. If I quilted as much as I pieced I'd be pretty skilled. So, last night I made 30 12" x 12" quilt sandwiches from scrap batting and scrap fabric. I'm going to quilt one each day of the month. I can try different things and hopefully keep my quilting rhythm.

I had a little accident yesterday...I tripped over some debris littering the studio floor (the cleaning fairy still hasn't made her appearance) and in the process, knocked over my iron and smashed it to bits.

Actually, I'm glad it's dead. I never liked it. Do you have an iron you like? Any recommendations?

59 comments:

Qubie said...

I really like my Black & Decker D2020. Shuts off in 10 mins, (love it cause I never remember to shut my iron off) heats up in about 15 seconds, gets nice and hot, but not to hot and is easy to clean. I got mine at Bed Bath and Beyond. I could not find this iron anywhere else. It's at one of their top of the lines. If I was to buy a new iron today I would buy a Black & Decker. They also have great customer service. Long story their, but I now have three of these irons. lol

suzanengler said...

I got a Rowenta made for crafters -- it does not have the automatic shutoff!! I got it from Amazon.com

SeƱora H-B said...

I have a Black & Decker Digital Advantage something-or-other. I love it. It was very highly rated by Consumer Reports. I believe I purchased mine at Bed, Bath & Beyond with a 20% coupon.

I've had it for four years now (just started quilting 8 months ago) and have never had a single problem with it. Like @Qubie said, it has auto shut off, which I adore.

Rae Ann said...

Your quilting is fabulous!
My favorite iron is the Rowneta Professional Iron and Steamer. The steamer is seperate from the iron. I got it online at Joanne's Fabrics. LOVE IT TO PIECES!

Nancy said...

YIKES!! That looks nasty...

Irons are such a hot bed of topic..

I use a cheap one from Target.. not even sure which one... I did learn NOT to keep it plugged into a surge protector and use the switch to turn it on and off. I burned up 4 irons that way before I caught on... {sigh}

Kim said...

I had a black and decker that was so-so then my mom bought me a Rowenta Effective and it is amazing! A world of difference! It gets nice and hot and has great steam. It even winds up the cord in the base so when the cleaning fairies come it is easy to store away. : )

Alice R. said...

When I first started quilting I wanted a Rowenta, but hesitated over the price. Hubby insisted, being a real sweetie, anxious to get me started right on this this quilting thing I'd also wanted, but only now was able to do. It quit the second the warranty ran out, and he immediately bought another (over my objections) insisting it had to be a fluke since so many quilters loved theirs. It quit sooner. I went then bought a Black and Decker, nothing fancy, and it's been working about six years. It gets hotter than the devil, is much lighter, and has auto turn of (I need that) with a light to warn me it needs a jiggle. I love it, and will never have anything else. The only other thing I remember about it - it cost less than half of the Rowenta at the time.

Deb said...

I agree it's not like riding a bike for me either. Since I prefer to hand quilt, I have only machine quilted 3 times ever. I've been trying to "brush up" my machine quilting skills all morning for this baby binkie I'm trying to finish up hopefully today with no avail. Ugh. As for the iron, I have a Black & Decker 757 that I got 9 years ago from Target ($30)and it's fabulous! It even has the auto shut off so I don't burn the house down lol! Good luck with your quilting and a new iron :)

Quilt or Dye said...

I greatly dislike irons with automatic shut-offs and lots of steam holes!

Mary Read said...

I have a Rowenta that I got on sale at Kohl's last Christmas and it has been wonderful.

Meg said...

I love my Panasonic Steam/Dry Iron. I got it for Xmas, and love it for the extra-long cord (retractable for easy storage), removable water reservoir, and low-steam setting (when full steam is too much and dry isn't cutting it). I found mine here: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-NI-C78SR-Steam-Stainless-Steel-Soleplate/dp/B000H1YS28/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1YJMVXH3G23AV&colid=3OC0R2MADO3JD

Sherry said...

I also have the Black & Decker that turns off after 10 minutes. I like the weight of the iron and it gets nice and hot and the steam part is great but I hate the fact that it turns off after 10 minutes. I have to shake it to turn it back on and then wait for it to get hot again. I wouldn't buy another one like it.

HeatherBC said...

I just got an Oliso... I'll never go back to a regular iron again! Never having to turn it on its "bum" saves time. It also has a sharper nose which makes ironing seams open alot easier too. Highly, highly recommended.

Unknown said...

Rowenta and I love it! :) Got it from a roommate used and it's still truckin'!! :) Great quality.

Erin said...

My mother did the exact same thing to her iron on the same day! I have a Rowenta that I like very much.

Abby and Stephanie said...

Irons seems to be a touchy topic among quilters. I've had cheap and expensive, then cheap and now I'm back to expensive. So far I absolutely love my Oliso; 30 minutes before it shuts off, long cord, powerful burst of steam, conveniently located opening for the water tank, and so far no dripping. I did a blog post a little while back on it. Happy iron hunting.

Belinda said...

Similar thing happened to my Bernina iron a couple of weeks ago - LOVED that iron which is no longer made :-(
Did a bit of research and settled on the Rowenta Promaster from Bed Bath & Beyond - LOVE it & wish I had gotten it sooner! If you get a Rowenta, get one that is made in Germany. It should say that on the box. I'm not crazy about the automatic shut off feature, but am learning to adjust to it.

Audrie said...

I'm always scared of damaging my iron so my ironing board sits in a corner where I can't get to the wire. I use a Rowenta and it's been pretty good... heats up in a flash and presses very nicely.

Lauren said...

Oh my gosh I just got the best iron...eurosteam evolution...it takes only seconds to press the most stubborn wrinkles. Its amazing for clothes too. Seriously, it's expensive but the time I save with this thing is worth it.

Cindy said...

Good move on the quilting practice! I have a Reliable digital velocity iron. It's expensive, but I've been through lots of irons and this is by far the best! It has a separate water chamber for steam - so it only steams when you press a button. No leaking, no mess - I love it!

KateKwiltz said...

Go cordless! I love mine, but I don't think Maytag makes them any more. Oreck has one, though...
http://www.oreck.com/Oreck-Cordless-Speed-Iron?Keycode=DP384&gclid=CKuFh96Sm6MCFQNoDAodoB2jng

BFromM said...

Whenever I need a new iron (which I do far to frequently, because I seem to drop my irons, not because the iron wears out), I buy the latest and greatest (and usually most expensive) Rowenta iron that I can find. I love Rowenta irons!

Paige said...

I love my Rowenta!

Joey said...

I can't give any iron advice...I just use whatever...

BUT, I want to encourage you to quilt one day per month. I heard a strategy not long ago about spending one day a month on something that you really want to do. In a whole month, surely we can find one day...

One strategy is to take the same number (date) as your birthday.

pippinsequim said...

I love my Rowenta, but I'm not sure I'm a good person to ask because it replaced a Crapola Special from Walmart.

I do find that sometimes it doesn't steam enough for really tough wrinkles in fabric that has been sitting crumpled up (what, you don't leave huge piles of fabric sitting around to get wrinkled?) and I have to spritz with water, but maybe that's normal.

Sequana said...

I have two irons....one is a steam iron that I use very seldom.

The one I LOVE is the dry iron that I use almost all the time. I got it from Vermont Country Store.

Shea said...

I got a Rowenta Professional at Target this winter. Best "Fun Money" I've spent in a while!

I like it because it's nice and heavy, heats up quickly, sharp point for seams, etc, etc, etc.

LOVE IT and would buy it again.

MightyMom said...

Noidea but it's light n works...

FrancisMoore said...

I use a Rowenta.

Natalie said...

I love my LauraStar ironing system. It is absolutely amazing. Not cheap, but it is worth every penny.

Julie @ Jaybird Quilts said...

same as "HeatherBC"

I just got an Oliso as well.. and i'm in heaven!! It has "feet" that work like a tripod... so you never have to stand it up... you need to see it to believe it.... go watch the video on their site! http://www.oliso.com/

Paula, the quilter said...

I have 2 irons: the steam iron that I very rarely use and the dry iron from Vermont Country Store that I use ALL the time. I love that iron.

Rachel at Stitched in Color said...

I few months ago I bought a Panesonic from Amazon with a retractable cord. It wasn't very pricey and I LOVE it. Lot's of steam and a removable water tank to make it easy to fill!

Cami said...

Rowenta all the way! My husband thought I was crazy to want a new iron, especially an expensive one when I had one that worked fine. That all went out the window as soon as he ironed with my new Rowenta. he actually will iron his own clothes he loves my Rowenta so much. 100% recommend it

Tracey Jacobsen said...

I have a Sunbeam something or other DripFree... I like it. I got it as a wedding present, but didn't open it for 2 years!!! Now I use it every day...but not exactly for clothing. ;)

Elena said...

I've been loving my Rowenta. Great steam, auto shut off, heats up pretty fast.

Colleen said...

Actually, my DH has a Rowenta that he uses (yes, he does his own ironing :)) and I have a cheap Proctor Silex that I've had for years. Could you come over and trip and destroy my iron??...LOL

Esch House Quilts said...

I love my Rowenta! It heats quickly and does not have auto shutoff (HATE auto shutoff). I really like the hefty weight of it too - it puts some oomph behind the pressing.

debbi d-w said...

I also broke an iron by knocking it off the ironing board twice - hence my suggestion to invest $6. in a Michael Graves Iron stand that slides on the end of the ironing board & results in a much more stable situation - got it at Target. Good Luck!

2ndAvenueStudio-Rachel said...

I'm a steam lady .... I like steam I use steam and I have a Euro- Shark Pro with a tank.. it has a flat area I use to push/iron seams to one side. Curved for curves.

http://www.amazon.com/Euro-Pro-Shark-Steam-Iron/dp/B000GPX6QE

It was 100$ which was crazy to spend on an iron but I have never regretted it.
the iron I had brfore this was a 10$ black and decker from Home Depot...
I cried when it died..I loved it so.

Sarah Craig said...

I have three requirements in an iron - it needs to shut off automatically (I hate worrying that I forgot to shut it off), it can't have a retractable cord (they always fail and it's annoying), and they have to be a price I can pay without pain! That way when it dies or falls down and breaks, it's not a disaster!

And on your once a day quilting, have you considered putting together pretty quilt sandwiches that you can make into potholders, coasters, or placemats for Christmas presents? That way you can kill two birds with one stone!

Nichole said...

i have the rowenta focus. it's terrible. i have only had it for 6 months and it's super leaky! i had a black & decker digital advantage before this one that i LOVED. i was the most wonderful iron ever. i miss it every time i use my current iron and it leaves a little pool of water on my fabric.

Gari in AL said...

I also love my Rowenta Pro/Steamer. I have had it for 5 years and still love it. It does require that I steam away from fabric for the first sprit because it spits but thereafter it works great: very hot and lots of steam.

Little Bluebell (Adrianne) said...

Meet McSteamy...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CSBLYE/ref=oss_product

I bought this one about six months ago and I love it. I know Rowenta has a bad rap but apparently they've completely redesigned their irons.

It gets hot and there is tons of steam. The water resevoir holds a decent amount and you can see it. I love the stainless steel plate. I had a nonstick one before and I will never go back.

I love the idea of practice sandwiches. It will be good for getting your groove on! : )

Kimberly Whispell said...

I have a Rowenta as well that I bought at Macys. I absolutely love it and the automatic shutoff.

Wendy P said...

Irons? I went through about 7 in one year. One defect after another. Some don't get hot enough, some shut off while you are moving it around, etc.

I tried cheap ones and one expensive one with the same results. I looked and every single one for sale is made in China.

So I bought a 1960 something GE (made in the USA) off Ebay and it works great. Very hot. Doesn't care if I refill the water while it is hot and it never turns itself off. I paid less than $10 including shipping.

Jennifer said...

Add me to the Oliso fan club. Not having to stand it on its end is a joy, not just for speed and ease of use, but because I no longer need to worry about bumping the ironing board and tipping the iron over.

k.somerville said...

LOL! I've got my eye on a couple of things in my studio that I hope will die of natural causes since I can't bring myself to throw something out when it technically still works.

Lisa said...

I go through irons pretty quickly but haven't smashed one in a while! I buy cheap ones just because they are well used and then tossed!

Dianne said...

I've been using a Rowenta iron for the past 20 years with nary a problem. I like the weight, the fact that is gets HOT and the fact that there is lots of steam when I want it and none when I don't. Have always had the models that are made in Germany. Good luck with your purchase!

Laura said...

I love the idea of quilting one square every day for a month. What a great way to get lots of practice without using up a big block of time! Good luck with your iron purchase.

Carrie said...

I love my Rowenta "master steam generator".

It's the perfect quilter's iron:
-- there isn't an automatic shut-off
-- the iron part is lightweight because it doesn't hold any water
-- you can press dry and then set the seam with a shot of steam
-- the water reservoir holds enough water that you can sew and press all day without having to refill
-- the heat setting is quite hot ~ a bit hotter than most irons

I've used this type of iron for almost ten years and I would never go back to a "regular" iron. This is my second one of this type, and my second Rowenta. While I've had problems with other Rowentas, I haven't had a problem with this one. The only issue I've had - or friends have had with theirs - is you might eventually need to replace the knob that closes the reservoir as the seal/gasket can wear out.

Dandelion Wishes said...

What, no 'ironing fairy' either?!! Love the 'quilt one a day for a month' idea. You are on a winner there!

VickiT said...

Oh no, not the iron. But it helps you didn't really love that one. Woohoooo you get to buy a new toy. That's always fun.

I bought a Shark last year because someone was nice enough to break my Oreck iron which I dearly loved. Sadly, I couldn't afford a new one of those. I got the Shark Euro_Pro although they now call that model the Professional Electronic Iron. It's got THE BEST and most powerful steam I've ever had from any iron I've owned. I've owned a few too since I am no spring chicken over here. We won't discuss my age but, I am a Grandma so yea, I've had a few in my life. LOL

They also dropped the prices on this iron since I bought mine. I think mine cost about $40 more than it does now.
Here's a link to the one I'm talking about since they have a few different models.
http://www.sharkclean.com/cgi-bin/livew/site.w?location=b2c/product.w&product=GI490&frames=no&target=main&sponsor=000001&nocache=61734

Rhonda said...

I'm the proud owner of a Shark which I love. It's the right weight of me and gives great steam plus it's hot as in temperature...LOL

Marianne said...

I am on my second Rowenta. It's great, makes lots and lots of steam and doesn't have the automatic turn-off. Which of course means I have to always double-check the iron before I go out the door or off to bed because I can never remember if I unplugged it or not. But that's just me.

Edna said...

I L.O.V.E. my new Oliso. It does have automatic shut-off but, it reheats in an amazingly short time. It generates HUGE amounts of steam too and, not having to lift it to put it on its heal saves time and strain on my wrist. I used to own a very expensive Rowenta Professional and I'm using the Oliso now instead and loving it much more.

Spangle said...

Olisio baby!

corina said...

Oliso all the way! It's wonderful not to have to stand the iron on its end, lots of steam, holds lots of water and you can fill it when it is down (without spills).