Prym Mini Steam Iron

A good iron is one of the most crucial parts of your sewing kit for setting and pressing seams and ironing your fabric too. This mini steam iron is one of the best we’ve found as it has various heat settings, a good steam flow and a long cord. We use this all the time for pressing our fabric as we stitch and its mini size means we can keep it on our work table or near the sewing machine so it’s always to hand. It’s perfect for taking on workshops and is a fantastic travel iron too 

Features

·      Ergonomic design means it sits lightly and comfortably in your hand and its specially shaped handle makes it easy to transfer the right pressure.

·      Small shape allows you to press small curves and tight corners

·      Non-stick soleplate

·      Long Power Cord: 78in (198cm)

·      Adjustable Temperature setting ranging from 65°C to 200°C designed for synthetic, wool, silk, and cotton fabrics

·      Iron temperature indicator light.

·      Heats up in under a minute

·      Can be used with or without steam and features a 40ml water tank

·      Voltage selector switch – can be used with 100-127V or 220-240V making it ideal for travel abroad

·      Measuring jug included for filling the water reservoir for steam pressing

·      Drawstring carrying bag included

·      Full instructions manual included

·      Fitted with a UK 3-pin safety plug in accordance with BS 1363

·      One year manufacturer warranty

·      This appliance complies with the requirements of EU directives 2004/108/EC (electromagnetic compatibility) and 2006/95/EC (low voltage directive). The appliance bears the CE marking on the nameplate.

Dimensions

Length: 5¼in(13.5cm), approx.

Width: 3in (7.5cm), approx.

Height: 3in (7.5cm), approx.

Weight: 420g

How to Press

Pressing fabric before and after stitching will give you a neater more professional finish. These tips will help you achieve this

1.     You should always press as you sew, then each stage of your stitching process will be neat and flat before you move on to the next.

2.     There is a difference between ironing and pressing and when you’re sewing, it’s pressing that you need to do. Ironing is sliding the iron back and forth on your fabric whereas pressing is placing your iron on the fabric and pressing down with some force, often applying steam at the same time. 

3.     Take care not to press over pins as this can melt the plastic heads, if they have them, or leave impressions in the fabric that can be difficult to remove.

4.     Before you cut your fabric, give it a good press to remove any creases and restore its crispness. Using a synthetic starch such as Best Press or Starch Savvy will really make a difference as creases remove more easily and it will give your fabric a slight stiffness that makes cutting and sewing easier and more accurate. This does wash out if needs be to.

5.     After you have sewn a seam you should press it flat. The motion of the needle and thread stitching through the fabric will distort it a little and your finished seam may look a little uneven. A quick press will set the seam into the fabric, giving you a neater finish.

6.     With patchwork you often need to press seams to one side. This helps with nesting seams, is quicker to do and also makes the seams a little stronger as the threads on an open seam are more exposed. To do this, place the fabric RS down then push both seam allowances over to the side you want them to face and press. Turn the fabric over to the RS and press again to make sure the fabric is flat without creases but making sure these seam allowances stay pressed over to one side.

7.     To press a seam open and flat, open up the seam with your fingers then press it flat from the WS. Turn it over to the RS and press again, just to make sure it’s all flat and there are no creases.

To make a seam lay right on the edge of the fabric, roll it gently between your fingers until it lays exactly on the edge, then press.