Choices.Vintage Ironing Boards.

How to set up the ironing board

I had three ironing boards to chose from: a very old wood one I found at the curbside, Mom's metal one from the 50s or 60s, and the light weight one I bought twenty years ago.

I removed the cotton cover and padding from the wood one and found the original label.It was older than I had even thought! The illustrations show how to set it up. Not an easy process.





Which one to choose?

Mom's ironing board

1. I will be able to set up a permanent sewing room that will meet my needs. I hope to make a great space with good lighting and useful storage. I could make a padded table surface for ironing.

My first sewing room was in a basement

My second sewing room was in a guest bedroom corner

For 2 years I had a huge guest room to take over

2. I will still need to iron things like a shirt. Occasionally.
3. We have a lot less space to fit into. Plus our son is still living in our retirement house.
4. My future sewing room space is today an empty corner of the unfinished side of the basement. The ironing board would have to be stored and set up as needed.

My future sewing room today

My brother took the wood ironing board. He will do something interesting with it. He mentioned seeing an instrument made out of an ironing board. Perhaps like the one at AQS Quilt News found at: http://aqsquiltnews.blogspot.com/2009/05/during-our-planning-meeting-in.html

steel guitar ironing board!

Mom's vintage metal one is really heavy. Mine is light. I am having trouble lifting those cast iron frying pans we use. On the other hand my light one is shaky and unstable.

A little research found a Proctor Hi-Low from 1964 on Craig's List.











And this ad from 1952.

And another ad showing a happy housewife who can sit down to iron. I have set my ironing board up next to my sewing machine. I have a small "rolly" secretary's chair and can swivel from sewing machine to ironing board to press as I sew. But I don't know I'd be able to iron a shirt sitting down.

Grandma ironed sheets and skivvies. Mom had me iron Dad's shirts and handkerchiefs when I was not in school. But I never ironed a sheet, or skivvies, in my life! Am I a slacker? Or is it the poly-cotton blends that have saved me from that task?



I had decided to keep my light one, as it is so easy to carry around. I have had it hanging from the back of a door. But now I have changed my mind. Mom's ironing board has lasted all these years, it is perhaps as old as I am, and it is better made and more stable. My cheap light one will go. After all, Mom's will "end sewing drudgery forever!"

A great blog post with ideas for wood ironing boards can be found at First A Dream http://firstadream.blogspot.com/2010/08/wooden-ironing-board.html