Tools of the Trade - Steam Press (Iron)

I'm a sucker for a good tool that will make life easier, but when they are as pricey as a steam press, I don't rush out and buy one.  That being said, this is a life changer for making purses!

A steam press in its' natural habitat...a messy craft room

A steam press is like a giant iron that squishes your fabric (or clothes if you are one of those people that like non wrinkly clothes...but I think wrinkles build character).  It isn't good for the fiddly bits of ironing, like card slots, pressing under tiny seams, or small straps, but it is amazing for the interfacing step.  The most boring part of making purses (in my opinion) is fusing all the interfacing to all the pieces.  Usually it takes me at least 30-60 minutes to fuse everything and when I get impatient and try to speed it up I end up with half fused pieces that I have to redo.  The steam press lets me do up to 4 layers of fabric/interfacing combos (so technically 8 layers but I run it twice when I do that many to be sure) in 10 second shots.  The best part? It has a little beep that lets me know it needs opened so I don't get distracted and leave it closed too long.

After 2 years of use, these are actually pretty clean!

This is the one I bought (on lightning deal, so closer to $180). The speed is amazing, but there is a little more set up to get it ready to press.  First I have to make sure the fabric is totally smooth.  Sometimes I do a press on the fabric to get it ready, with a shot of steam (the steam feature fascinates my kids because it makes some crazy sounds and looks like it's about to launch a space shuttle).  Then I put the fabric face down, interfacing on top (bumps against the back of the fabric), and make sure everything is nice and smooth.  I'm paranoid about messing up my expensive machine, so I'm using the flour sack towels that my husband bought in bulk once and has no use for (too thin to embroider!)  as a bottom and top layer.  This means that when I (inevitably) get the interfacing wrong side up, I can throw away a cheap towel instead of spending time with a magic eraser and iron-off trying to clean it up.

My press cloth, before pressing...protects the plates!

So far I haven't burned my knuckles or arms (much), but that is a definite thing to watch out for as you smooth out the fabric!  When I get tired I'm not as careful, and that's when I brush against the hot plate, or pick up a super hot piece of fused fabric...then I'm suddenly awake!

I've had mine for almost 2 years now, and while I don't use it every day, I do it use it for every purse and wallet I make (so usually 1 per week or more).  I buy distilled water to fill the tank, but I mainly use the a spray bottle of tap water since it's handy, and I don't like to leave water in the tank until the next time I use it.  So far I've only ironed one piece of foam to the press cloth instead of the fabric, but I'm really glad I was using the cloth!

Pros:

• Press a lot of small pieces at once
• Speeds up interfacing fusing
• GIANT heated plate means you can iron a lot in one shot
• Steam comes out fast and strong enough to lift the top plate a little

Cons:

• Make sure ALL the wrinkles are out, or you have a nice permanent crease
• Not good for intermediate steps, like card slots, turning under small seam allowances, or anything near vinyl
• GIANT heated plate means chance of burnt knuckles/arms as you smooth stuff down
• It's big - like 2/3 the length of my ironing board and still takes up room even when closed and locked
• Definitely an investment compared to 'average' irons you'd find at Target or Wal-mart.

 I've heard of people being lucky and finding new or nearly new ones at thrift stores for amazing deals, so be sure to check there first!