Ironing with the Steady Betty – Video

I picked this little ironing board up at Quilt Market last fall ….and it has really become on of my favorite quilting tools!

It’s not that big– around 16″ square so it’s super easy to travel with and really works well for keeping your quilt blocks in place and shift free.

Why does that matter?  Well….when you are sewing your quilt blocks there are times when a bias edge is on the outside and you’ll notice that when you iron or press it, it kind of stretches or bows out.  Yes.  You know what I’m talking about.

This bow and additional issues that come because of that can be avoided all together with the Steady Betty.

Let me show you how it works.

Materials Needed: 

Steady Betty

Half square triangles or anything else you are pressing!

Iron (here are the best ones for quilters!)

Using a Steady Betty for Pressing–

As mentioned above there is a special covering that the steady betty is made from.  It is a kind of foam and doesn’t allow the fabric to scoot when you are pressing.

Lay your fabric or quilt blocks / pieces on top of the steady betty

Press with your iron — if you can keep your iron from moving side to side…it’s really about an up and down pressing motion.  Because of the foam cover, the fabric shouldn’t shift when you are pressing at all.  This minimizes misshaped pieces or stretched half square triangles!  So excited about that!

Move your pieces and set another piece down and repeat.

*watch the surface — it does get hot just like any other ironing surface!

Here is the video to see it in action– (remember to subscribe so you don’t miss any new videos!)

Need some help with your half square triangles?  Here’s a quick tip video on how to square them up.

 

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