DIY a Pressing Mat? Wool, yes, I think I can!

Let me preface this post by saying that when you add up time spent and supplies, yes, it may have been cheaper for me to click the "pay" button. But for me, I don't always DIY something to save money or time. I just simply love the creative, inventive process of DIY!

In the quilting world, there is an endless number of things on the market to magically make me become an amazing quilter....I admit to falling into the trap more than once. I love watching videos and going to quilt shows to be mesmerized by demonstrations of quilters' tools. I must admit, I am blown away by the abundance of ingenuity in the quilting world.

Trending this year....the felted wool pressing mat.

Oh, yes, I wanted one when I saw them being used....c'mon, admit it...you did too!

I love my DIY iron board, but what if I had a felted wool pressing mat? Could my quilt pressing be sooooo much more satisfying?

I had to know.

This post was created after visiting many online stores placing the magical felted wool pressing mat into my cart only to leave it abandoned in the virtual aisle waiting to be put back on the shelf by the virtual stock person because the DIY voice in my head kept saying, "Hey, I wonder if I can make one?"

I have no idea if my felted wool pressing mat performs like the ones I left abandoned in my cart. I do know that creating this was fun and it felt kind of adventurous because I could find no DIY,  made from scratch, felted wool pressing mat tutorials on the world wide web.


So, this is my adventure creating a felted wool pressing mat.....

I crocheted a large rectangle using inexpensive 100% wool yarn. I got tired of crocheting at about 38 x 28 inches and figured that was good enough for my experiment.



After stitching in my loose ends (not sure if this matters but it feels necessary).
I tossed my rectangle into the wash with some towels and set the machine to HOT. I added a drop or two of detergent and closed the lid, pushed start and hoped for the best!

I have some experience in felting so I knew this was going to require patience and a watchful eye. One of the important things to note here is that the spin cycle will create creases in your hours of crochet (don't ask).....do not let your machine go to spin!

It took 5 cycles to get my nicely crocheted rectangle to become
this ---------------------->

I know, it doesn't look very impressive but wait...










 Shaving is a very important part of a felted piece's beauty. Shave, shave, shave...a lot!










Shave it some more...trim it and oh my!     

                                     It looks like it could be a REAL felted wool pressing mat!

Let me say again, that I don't know if my DIY felted wool pressing mat performs like others but I am pretty impressed with the flatness of my block!








My mat is not as thick as purchased mats but it still works well and I can use it on any surface without worry AND I created a hinge in mine so I can take it with me to classes. I can use it open if I have room or folded if I have a smaller space....HA!...Two sizes in one!

My finished size is 26 x 12. Those of you with math skills can figure the shrink percentage precisely but I'm going say as a general rule make your square or rectangle 50% bigger than the size you want to end up with should you want to go on this adventure.

I love my DIY felted wool pressing mat!

Two of my favorite things.....

Don't you just love it when you purchase something and it actually lives up to your expectations? ......Okay, I know you've all had your share of disappointing purchases, I know I have. The stain remover that didn't remove the stain and even made it worse, the tool that made the job even more complicated, the useless piece of miracle equipment that did not work so miraculously.....uh, huh, I've bought them, tried them, tried them again and then placed them in the round file just like you.

This weekend as I began my February blocks on my Craftsy Block of the Month , yes, I know it's March but that's not important right now, I grabbed one of my favorite sewing tools and thought....."I really should blog about these!"

So, I am.....1. Procrastinating on making those February blocks again and.....2. Sharing with you the joy of finding a couple of products that absolutely do what they are suppose to do without any fuss and there is no learning curve, just plain simple things that work.
 (sounds like the description of someone's perfect guy...plain, simple and works)...


But seriously (I find that hard to be sometimes) there are all kinds of things out there for marking on fabric. I came across the "Frixion" pen at a quilt store recently. I was skeptical because so many of the chalks and markers I have used have not been so easy to remove, though they claim to be "disappearing" or "wash away".

I LOVE this pen by Pilot!! The ink is erasible with heat, hence the name "Frixion". Any source of heat will completely...and yes, I mean COMPLETELY erase the ink whether on paper or fabric. I use my iron but you could use a blow dryer. I don't think it was intended for fabric but some wise quilter out there discovered it's fantastic abilities and now I am so glad I have too! 

 
If you sew, this pen will be a welcome addition to your stash of tools.

 Have you ever bought something from a relative because it was a relative selling it?....Come on, you know you have. With so many in home party themes out there, Scentsy, Pampered Chef, Princess House (I wonder if they are still around) and then there is Tupperware....how many of you have a cupboard full of Tupperware?  I do too.
It's one of those things that when you use it, you are glad you have it because it really IS a great product.


And coming to you now from Canada is Norwex. I know, I know, one more thing to buy and hate....but wait....while I had a healthy dose of skepticism when my sister approached me about this new line, I bought one of these  Anti-bac microfiber window cleaning cloth  because she's my sister.

She promised me that I would love it. That my windows would look like this..... 


      
....Instead of this




 I said "Are you buying me a house on the lake?"


Well, of course she wasn't but she was going to make me love washing windows....????
I hate to admit it but, she was right and I will NEVER buy another bottle of window cleaner again....EVER. Use a wet cloth first (you might try this one Anti bac Envirocloth ) and use the  Anti-bac microfiber window cleaning cloth to dry them off. I swear (and I don't do that very often) you will be amazed! Easy, streak free, beautiful windows with just water.
You may wonder what this product has to do with crafting, well,  I thoroughly enjoy looking out my sewing room window now....it's so darn clean :)