Wool Pressing Mats--The Latest Thing for Flatter Quilt Blocks
Posted by Judy Taylor on
Quilters and crafters are raving these days about wool pressing mats. The mats are made from compressed, or felted, wool and are about a half inch thick.
They are bendable, and easy to store and transport, and they do a wonderful job of producing flat blocks.
They come in a number of sizes and are easy to take to class and quilt retreats.
The wool absorbs heat (and steam) and essentially presses the fabric or block from both sides in one pass.
You can also use less heat (try the wool setting on your iron, instead of cotton) and the mats often reduce the need for steam. You’re also likely to need less starch or pressing spray to remove wrinkles.
Whatever you place on the mat tends to stay in the position you put it in. That makes it more difficult to distort blocks with vigorous pressing and can even be used to straighten blocks that are already a bit distorted. Plus, you can pin into them for blocking.