How to set up the ironing board |
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 |
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 |
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 |
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