Choosing An Iron

The history of irons is no mystery, or so you think! You remember your mother putting clothing in the refrigerator, sprinkling them from a water bottle and trying to get out the wrinkles. But the first record of ironing clothes belongs to the Chinese in the first century BC. They used pans of hot water to smooth their clothes. Irons progressed through slabs of iron heated on a fire to irons heated with ethanol, gas, or whale oil in the 19th century. There were even hollow irons to fill with hot charcoal.

The 5-9 pound cast iron types were called "sad" irons. "Sad" is a middle English word for solid, and solid they were, for the handle was also cast iron. They were heated in a stove, removed by wrapping a rag around your hand, and used before they cooled off. The number of wounds, burns, etc. sustained by the user made "sad" a good term for these irons. Later, detachable wooden handles were invented.

The electric iron was first used in New York between 1882 and 1926. Sources disagree as to the inventor and the date. Irons became a commercial success around 1933 when the Steam-O-Matic sold for around $10.

The first decision to make is dry or steam? A steam iron can be used dry, but a dry iron has no water reservoir, so most quilters would want a steam iron. Things to look for in a steam iron:

• The number of steam holes in the soleplate
• A spray or mist function
• Tank capacity

Other questions to ask yourself include:

• What is the composition of the soleplate – stainless steel, aluminum, ceramic, or non-stick? One person noted that the non-stick plate does not glide as well as steel or ceramic.
• What heat settings are available? Of course, quilters need at least cotton and wool.
• What is the wattage? More wattage produces a hotter iron.
• Does the iron have an automatic shut-off? Although some quilters find this feature to be a nuisance, it is a safety feature for those inevitable interruptions.
• Does it have a cord minder? – does the cord swivel? A left handed person would want the swivel.

Lastly, what is the weight of the iron? Some say that a heavier iron will do some of the work for you because it is heavier on the wrinkles. The comfort of the iron in your hand is probably the most important factor of all and a heavier iron may not be easy to use as we age. Those of us with arthritis and other joint problems will struggle with a heavy iron.

This Contessa is of the not-the-most-expensive school. In my house, we have two of the same medium price national brand irons because we both quilt. My secret is because I do mostly small or art quilts, I use my wool mat under my iron. It does a great job of reflecting the heat and I don’t need to use a heavier iron.

So, keep in mind the difference between "ironing" and "pressing" and you are on your way!