In preparation for my next sewing project, I wanted a cutting table but I have no room in my apartment for more furniture. I also want a better surface to iron on that's bigger than my ironing board. Currently I cut my fabric on the floor which is fine for smaller projects. But making my hakama was really testing my physical limits. So to avoid further spinal aches, I wanted to lift my fabric prep from the floor to a table.
I have a cheap, long card table that used to be my main crafting table when I first moved to Texas. It's a good height but the surface is shot due to years of sloppy crafting. It's a long, narrow table which is going to work well (I hope) for my kimono sewing. However, I want to make the surface smooth and clean so it's easy to cut. My current cutting board is too wide for the table. So my first objective was to figure out how to make this table a better surface for cutting fabric.
Cutting Board
As long as you're using scissors to cut, a cutting board is not really super necessary. You only need a smooth, hard surface. However, a cutting board is necessary if you use a rotary blade, scalpel, box cutter or other straight blade to cut fabric.
A cutting board or pattern board can be of assistance when trying to cut straight lines since many of them have grids.
Most hobby or sewing stores will have self-healing cutting boards or plastic covers. They range in price depending on the size and material. You can make your own if you'd prefer.
For my purposes I decided to go for a cardboard pattern-blocking style board. I need it to cut straight lines, pin down fabric pieces and make sure things are the right size.
- Dritz Sewing Board
Ironing Board
A new ironing board was my first instinct. My current one is travel size and while I can put it up on a table, it's still short and narrow for the projects I want to work on. I would prefer to make hakama pleats in one smooth motion instead of bit by bit. Again, I didn't want a new bit of furniture to try and find a place for so I looked into ironing mats or ironing pads. These would be easy to store and often are much larger. (At first I was looking into getting a hera board (hera dai) for kimono tailoring but found out they were not ironing boards like I thought.) A couple of options I compared were:
Wool Pad
Ironing Pad or Blanket (portable)
DIY Ironing Pad/Mat
Wool Pad
Wool absorbs moisture from steam well and heat. These thick, wool pad come in a rolled container like a yoga mat. Here were the benefits:
:) Smooth surface
:) Heat Resistance
:) Can Pin into it (nice for holding down fabric pieces.
x Needs cleaning with lint roller
x Set sizes
x Expensive
Portable Ironing Mat/Pad
These were a bit more affordable and diverse option. Many of these tend to cater towards quilting rather than everyday ironing.
:) Compact and easily stored
:) Relatively Inexpensive
:) Can put pins in it
:) Washable
x Set Sizes
x Not all can handle steam
x Some do not have a super smooth surface
x They move around without securing
x need to be on a flat surface
Here are some quick examples I've found on Amazon.
Of course I considered a do-it-yourself method. Several tutorials were for the smaller quilting size desktop ironing pads (often use a cutting board or wood inside.)
:) Customizable size, color, and features (like handles or a clasp)
:) Relatively inexpensive
:) Personalized
x Requires construction
x Some required materials may be hard to find
x Similar drawbacks as the ironing pad
Supplies:
Heat Reflecting Batting/Interfacing (often used in potholders)
Towels/Terry Cloth/Thick Cotton Batting
100% Cotton/Muslin
Bias Tape
Folding version
I just think this is so cool!
Supplies needed:
Chip board
Reflective batting
Cotton Batting or 2 layers of cotton flannel
Cotton Twill
Canvas
Bias tape
So that covers what I learned in my short bit of research into this. I still dislike ironing and often skip it as a step but I want to make sure my next projects are a bit more professional.
Update: So for the cutting board, it was actually more comfortable cutting on the floor than it was on the table. Hurt my back working on the table but not on the floor this time. 😓 However, using the card table for ironing WAS pretty nice. The ironing pad is GREAT.
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