Irons, Presses and Steamers…Oh My!

By Scott Goodman
Scott Goodman, owner of Sewing Machine Warehouse & Kneedle.
com has been servicing the sewing public since 1976.
Irons, Presses and
Steamers…Oh My!
Heat and steam are
helpful necessary, in our
embroidery process. I
use heat to help remove
gel-pen markings. Heat
vanishes peek-through
fuzzies from puffy letters
and it disintegrates heataway type stabilizers.
Iron-on stabilizers need
to be…well, ironed on!
Steam helps ease puckers, it can
dissolve water-soluble toppings
and can help soften baseball
caps that defy being hooped in a
cap-frame. Steam has rescued me
from the occasional hoop-burn
crisis.
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Ironing and steam devices can
be broken down into several
categories. From the bottom up:
The basic iron. Through the
1950s, this was it. Water was
sprinkled or orally spritzed on
laundered items. My mom used
a sprinkler-nozzle that fit into a
soda bottle, shaking the inverted
bottle over dry laundry until
appropriately dampened. Steam
was created on-the-fly when the
hot iron’s sole made contact with
damp laundry, easing wrinkles
away.
friends, some brands are still
available without auto shut-off.
But, please be careful. Special
mention: Oliso Smart Irons have
little feet that protrude from the
soleplate. When you touch the
handle, its little feet play peekaboo
and magically retreat into the
soleplate. When you let go of
the handle, the little feet pop out
again. No need to place this iron
on its heel. oliso.com
The steam iron became a de
facto standard in the 1960s.
Steam is created when water
from a built-in reservoir
comes into contact with
the hot soleplate. This
only works well for a
moment or two, because
once the iron temperature falls
below 212°, steam isn’t steam-it’s
water, causing slobbery, wet blobs
everywhere. Most come with
auto-shutoff, intended to save
your home from an unintended
fire. For my adventuresome
Designs in Machine Embroidery • Volume 85 • March/April 2014 • www.dzgns.com
2/13/14 1:23 PM
The steam generator. Traditional steam irons make steam at the
expense of soleplate temperature. Steam generator irons have a
reservoir and steam chamber. Continuous steam is created in a
base unit and sent through an umbilical cord to the iron without
diminishing soleplate temperature. For example: you can have oodles
of steam coming from an iron surface that is cool to the touch. This
is a great combo for blocking knits. Steam generators come in two
flavors: continuous steam and traditional. Continuous steam models
slurp water, as needed, from a refillable tank, and inject water into
the steam chamber. Traditional models must be turned off before
water can be replenished and require time to heat up enough for
steam production. Special mention: Reliable Ironmaven series.
reliablecorporation.com
Integrated Steam generator with blower/vacuum table.
Now it’s a party! This setup combines continuous
steam with a ventilated ironing board. Set for suction, the board
immediately removes heat, steam and moisture from fabric. Switch
to blow, and air inflates the board’s cover; creating a puffy surface
for crease-free pressing on silks and other delicate items. Special
mention: Laurastar. laurastarus.com
Rotary Irons and Presses. Remember the mangle? Before
fitted sheets and perma-pressed clothing existed; sheets,
table cloths and napkins were pressed with a rotary iron.
Miele Appliance Company still makes one. mieleusa.com
The Singer Magic Steam Press is a great way to
affix transfers, apply iron-on stabilizers and press
projects. Special mention: Singer singerco.com
One of the most important features is you! How does the device feel in your hands? Is it well balanced,
does it glide well? Can it heat or produce steam quickly? Will the auto-shutoff feature match your
expectations? Think Goldilocks: Not too light, not too heavy… just right.
How do irons
and steam
help enhance
your embroidery
process?
Send me 2014
a steamy
email: GreatScott@kneedle.com
Designs
in Machine
Embroidery
• Volume 85
• March/April
• www.dzgns.com
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