So tool time this month translates to the Steam Press Unit. Anyone who sews knows that pressing our seams is as important as the stitching of the seam. I have several irons that do the job with no problem but fusing interfacing and avoiding that painful bias stretch on large blocks can be tedious.
This is my new toy. At 21.38"x 25.59"W x 8.19"H she is a big girl. She weighs 22 lbs so she needs a fairly strong base to function properly. She heats up in 3 minutes, has multiple temperature settings and a burst of steam function that really helps you move along quickly. I have pressed strips, blocks, fat quarters, etc. however, even though one is supposed to be able to press shirts etc., I may need lots more practice to make that work! I attempted to press a 100% cotton shirt the other day, it looked better before and that was not good. (I bought this at a local quit/machine shop. It is available on Amazon, right now at a reduced price, much less than I paid,,,,if you are interested.)
It has a non-stick surface and is highly rated. I have no idea why my computer is no longer recognizing photographs. They transfer but refuse to go into a folder, into the cloud, into this format. I gifted mr. a new laptop last Christmas but he refuses to use it so I am going to take it. Quite frankly, he won't even notice. Then I hope to make this work. I am so sorry.
I was pressing my blue and yellow quilt blocks with this press. I sprayed them lightly with some starch. They pressed perfectly. I am hopeful that this will make the trimming to size more efficient. Since I absolutely dislike trimming, I may have found a remedy to my angst. Photo's soon, I hope.
- The other day I searched high and low, literally, for my favorite Hardwicke Manor 8 inch oval hoop. I am mapping center on a piece of Aida and it would be easier with a larger hoop than I am using. I had just arranged and organized all my embroidery stuff, I donated a some of it and my fear was that it ended up there. I waited months for this one because it was an oval shape and during the pandemic production was stopped. I gave up and ordered a new one. It will be here next week but when I went to set my teacup onto the table I lifted up another piece of linen that I want to use a there she was, oval number one. Yeesh!
- I found a really fun site where you can bid on merchandise that is returned by large retailers because it arrived in an open box, or fell off a truck, etc. The name of it is MacBid. I gifted my rice cooker some time ago and decided I need it. So I found what I wanted on this site and bid my $4.00. In two days that bid went up to $30 and that was all I was prepared to bid on a item that retails much higher but I had no guarantee. I dropped out, it went for $29.00. Shoot me in the foot.
- And last but not least I went to my eye doc for my annual check up suspecting that I needed new glasses because I was having some trouble seeing the small print on the TV and I am constantly adjusting the lights at my sewing chair. Well, the bane of the aged, Cataracts. Last year she mentioned that one eye had an early formation and now, bingo, both eyes, ready to harvest. It's been one of those weeks.
- And now the clincher, husband was mooning about because we rarely have any cold cuts. I avoid the processed stuff and the salt in them but I decided to give in. We stopped at our local butcher/deli and he stocked up, knowing that this rarely is permitted. Then we watched the evening news. Even though he did not purchase any Boars Head (which he usually does) what he did buy was sitting right next to that brand in the refrigerated case. The warning and recall had been extended and we are just not willing to risk the listeria illness just in case. So, $$$$ down the drain and I have one cranky husband.
- Other than that, smooth sailing, now I have to go find that new laptop. Be well.
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