Christmas Oranges (and an iron review)

Happy New Year! 

Have you compiled your list of 2013 accomplishments and resolutions for 2014?  I haven't because I've still got Christmas on the brain.

It was a very merry and orange Christmas.

From my hubby, new flannel sheets just in time for a wicked cold snap. Tonight's low is -12 (-24 Celsius). Brr.

For my oldest son, an orange reading light.

For my fabric shop, a fresh bolt of the world's best orange fabric, Clementine Moda Bella Solid.

And to me from me, a new iron!

This is the Velocity V50 iron from Reliable. Don't be fooled by the cute orange exterior, this baby is a powerhouse!

What's so great about this iron? Simple. It presses a mean seam.

Why?

• It's heavy
• It's hot
• It's got wicked steam
• The edges of the sole plate fold those quilt seams over so nicely

I've made the same quilt three times now in the last three months (crazy, I know). The pattern requires lots of accurate pressing. I didn't realize how much I was struggling with getting flat seams until I suddenly wasn't. Honestly, this iron cut my pressing time nearly in half.

The Velocity takes a little getting used to. It's kind of like driving a manual transmission car. This is because you control the steam. See the white button on the side of the iron near the handle? There's one on each side. Press this button to get steam. Press it again to turn it off. Don't want steam? Don't press the button.

The Velocity has a separate heating element within the iron for generating steam. This means you can use the iron at cooler temperatures and still get good steam. It theoretically means no spitting, either. So far, so good. Here's a promo video from Reliable with everything you need to know and probably more.

There are a couple of things about this iron that will take some getting used to:

1. The manufacturer highly recommends using distilled water. Tap water, especially the type with a high mineral content, is to be used as a last resort. If this is the price to pay for no orange mineral messes on my fabric, then so be it. I also want this iron to last since it was not cheap, so distilled water it is.

2. I discovered that if I don't turn off the steam  when the iron is in the resting position, the next time I lift the iron to press a seam an enormous cloud of steam comes rushing out. Scary! Now I'm very careful to turn the steam off the moment I tip the iron back up again. Again, it's like driving a stick shift.

In general, I'm very impressed with the Velocity iron, and completely beguiled by the orange color. Never underestimate the importance of good sewing machine and a good iron!

One last thing before I go. Remember that reading light for my son? I have one, too, and it's the bomb for sewing.

This little LED light is super adjustable so you can get light exactly where you need it when you're machine or hand sewing. The JANSJÖ is $10 for the stand version and $15 for the clip variety. It's great for retreats, too.

Okay, that's enough product endorsing for 2014. Do let me know if you have any questions about the Velocity iron, though. Do you have an iron you love? I'd love to hear about it in the comments.

Happy sewing,
Annik

The Sewing To-Do Pile Gets Smaller

This weekend I started to climbed Mount UFO and finished up (or started) some projects that have been on my sewing to-do list for a long time.

First I made a pair of flannel pajama pants using this gorgeous Anna Maria Horner Folksy print. I used New Look pattern #6321, omitted the pockets and skipped the drawstring in favor of a basic elastic waistband. I took 1.5" off the top at the waist because commercial patterns always seem to be designed for people who wear their pants in their armpits. The front could still be an inch or so shorter in the rise. I also took an inch or so off the length of the pants. Despite taking my measurements and matching them up to the pattern chart, the pants are ENORMOUS (there's a reason why you're not getting a full body shot). I look a bit like Charlie Chaplin but at least I'm comfy!

Next up, a new ironing board cover!!

The old cover was so gross. Despite the millions of water stains I didn't dare wash it because it would shrink like crazy.

The ironing board makeover started last fall. I love this ironing board - it's an antique which means it's heavy and super sturdy. But it was also dusty and the paint was crumbling. Would you believe there were five different covers layered up on this thing?

 

Here's what it looked like before:

Before

 And this is after a coat of plum spray paint:

To make the new cover I used the fabulous twill "Mad Hatter" cheater print from the original Wonderland line by MoMo from Moda. I remember walking into my local fabric store and just freaking out when I saw this fabric (and the others from the line). I had no plans for the fabric, but I knew I had to have it. It's just perfect for an ironing board cover since it's covered in sewing notions - scissors, pin cushions, and yes, irons! I had just enough fabric to make the cover. Destiny, I tell you.

Now I'm planning to finish sewing a top I started (ahem) two years ago.

When that's done I'm going to tackle a UFO a friend gave me. She started making this dress for her daughter but never finished it (and now it definitely wouldn't fit). Look closely. Do you see a problem?

Yes, the print is upside down. So the question is this. Do I go ahead and finish the dress and not worry about the direction of the flowers, or do I rip out the seams and use the fabric for another project? Keep in mind that the dress is made from old Heather Ross Lightning Bugs prints. What would you do???