Ironing or Pressing is something that should become second nature when you are doing any kind of sewing project. I can admit that when I began sewing as a child, it was my least favorite part and I couldn't understand why I had to do it. There were many projects I completed without pressing between steps but they didn't turn out exactly as I hoped. As I practiced more, I saw that using my iron to create flat surfaces and hem openings made fitting pattern pieces so much easier. Now, it really has become just a habit to heat my iron when I am starting to sew. My board surface shows the use so I have been thinking about updating the cover with a bright piece of fabric.
This is the before picture. It might be a little hard to see, but it had become stained with the steam and spray starch over time.
I really had never looked at how it was attached to the board until I decided to update it. When I looked closely, I realized the manufacturer had used just an overlock seam and some heavy duty string to gather the fabric around the edges.
The string that had been passed through the overlock seam was tied off on the end and there was a small piece of plastic that held the wrapped string in place.
This is a picture of the piece of plastic. The document below is a good resource if you would like to replicate the plastic piece. I scanned the piece on my printer and it should print off in a good size.
| ironing_board_clip.pdf |
I used a piece of plastic cutting board from the Dollar Tree to trace over and it worked just as good as the original.
My fabric is canvas that I found in a remnant bin at Hobby Lobby. When I purchased it, I wondered what I could do with 18 inches of fabric. Well, you can always think of something creative. I used a heat away marker to trace 2 inches wider than the ironing board and cut around it. That extra 2 inches was enough to come up and around the board.
2 layers of quilt batting made the board extra fluffy so I will have padding now when I press projects. I just cut the batting to the size of the wooden top.
On my serger, I set up my seam for a four thread wide overlock. I finished the entire edge around the perimeter and then finished the thread tail with a needle so it wouldn't unravel.
I used a large needle with 6 strand embroider floss underneath the seam leaving extra length on the ends. This is the part that did take the longest to complete. It would be good TV time sewing. My best advice is to use a large blunt needle so it doesn't get caught on the fabric as you are passing it underneath the seam. I tied the ends with a knot and a bow so I could grab them and pull to gather.
The fabric was put face down then the batting and finally the board. When I pulled on the string, the cover began to gather.
The edges cupped around the board just right and then I used the plastic piece to wrap the string around and lock the position. All of the ends pieces were neatly tucked under the material.
Here is the newly covered ironing board ready for use. I love the bright color.
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BEFORE AND AFTER
I have a video you can watch below that shows the entire project. I hope you have enjoyed this post, share what you learn and are generous with what you create. Someone will appreciate your hard work!
