Amber Makes Sewing Project - The Iron Cosy
When you press delicate, synthetic or non-iron friendly fabrics such as PU you need to use a pressing cloth to protect the fabric. This is placed over the fabric then you press on top of this. But it’s often tricky to see where you’re working especially when you’re pressing seams open or turning edges over. Well – what you need is an iron cosy which we’ve developed and designed specifically to solve this problem. Every iron is different though so you need to make a cosy to fit yours exactly. Use our easy to follow instructions to make your very own iron cosy and make pressing these fabrics a breeze!
INGREDIENTS
- Cotton fabric: see instructions for details, light colour
- Narrow elastic: see instructions for details
- Paper: to make the pattern
- Sewing thread
- Basic sewing kit
NOTES
- RS = right side
- WS = wrong side
- Slip Stitch is worked by hand using small, neat almost invisible stitches. These stitches are worked into the fold of the fabric on one side then into the fabric on the other side.
TIP
If you have an Oliso Smart Iron which has special feet that raise when you press and lower when you’re finished then you can make an Iron Cosy for it using these instructions.
The stretch in the elastic casing will allow the feet to raise and lower whilst still staying in place as you press.
METHOD
MAKING THE PATTERN
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Your iron needs to be cold whilst you’re making the pattern so let it cool down before you begin.
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You need paper to make your pattern which should be about 4in bigger than the base of your iron all around. You can use any paper for this and stick sheets together if you can’t find a piece big enough.
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Place you iron sole plate down centrally on top of the paper
- Draw around the sole plate onto the paper. The iron cosy will need to fit round your iron so if your sole plate is smaller or inset form the end of your iron where the flex is then draw round the end by holding your pencil level with the iron then drawing onto the paper.
- Take the iron off the paper and draw back over the outline you’ve traced to make it smooth and even.
- Take a tape measure or ruler and measure 3in outside the drawn outline all round. This is for the extra fabric needed to wrap round the iron and includes the elastic casing allowance. The easiest way to do this is to measure and mark 3in out from the drawn line positioning each mark about ½in apart.
- Join up all the marked lines so they form a smooth line, some sections will be straight, and others curved.
- Cut along the outer marked line and you have made a pattern to fit your own iron exactly. Mark the flex end of your pattern with a X to remind you later.
CUTTING THE FABRIC
- You will need a piece of fabric that is a little bigger than your drawn pattern. The fabric must be cotton and not too heavy – a quilting weight cotton is ideal. It needs to be a light colour so that dye doesn’t get transferred when pressing later – I used a plain, cream, quilting weight cotton for mine.
- Pin the pattern to the centre of the fabric and cut around it.
MAKING THE ELASTIC CASING
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With the cut fabric piece WS up, turn the raw edge over by ¼in to the WS all the way round and press into place.
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Turn the edge over by ½in to the WS all round and press then pin into place. Where the the edges are very curved, such as at the tip of the iron, you will probably need to place small pleats in the fabric to make the turned over edges lay flat. Try to keep these small and evenly placed rather than big pleats as you’ll get a neater finish.
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Stitch the folded under Casing into place close to the inner turned under edge, starting in the centre of the flex end of your Cosy which you marked on the pattern earlier. Finish stitching at the same end but leaving a ½in gap unstitched for threading the elastic through later.
FINISHING THE COSY
- The elastic needs to be narrow enough to go through the Casing – ¼in width is ideal or a cord elastic. It needs to be the same length as the Casing all round.
- Thread the elastic though the gap in the Casing you left earlier using a safety pin then all through the Casing and back out through the gap again. Knot the two ends together to secure them for now.
- Place the cosy on a flat surface WS up (so the folded under stitched Casing edge is showing). Place your iron centrally on top of it.
- Pull both ends of the elastic together until the edges of the Cosy fit snugly around the sides of your iron and the fabric on the sole plate is flat. Pin the ends together where they come out of the gap in the Casing. I used a safety pin to make it secure.
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Take the Cosy off your iron then tie the elastic ends in a knot where you’ve pinned them together, removing the pin as you tighten the knot. Don’t cut off the elastic ends just yet though.
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Place the Cosy around your iron again and check the elastic is just tight enough so you can get it on and off but it’s still nice and snug. The most important thing to check is that the fabric lies flat and smooth over the sole plate to make pressing easier. Once you’re happy with the fit, take the Cosy off the iron and trim the ends of the elastic just beyond the knot.
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Tuck the knot and elastic ends into the gap in the Casing so they are hidden inside.
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Slip Stitch the gap in the Casing closed to hold the elastic knot neatly inside.
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Your Iron Cosy is now finished and ready to protect all your precious fabrics and make pressing much quicker and simpler!
Download the PDF here!
Such a wonderful idea & why has nobody thought about this before. Safes a lot of work cleaning my iron. Saw you talki g about this on sewing street.
Thank you for the pattern
Saw Amber with this on Sewing Street yesterday – now off to make one!
Brilliant, saw it yesterday, did not realise it was home made. Thank you for instructions, just what I needed. Hopefully no more dirty irons. X
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