Iron and Ironing Board!

A crucial piece of equipment for any type of sewist is an iron and ironing board. Pressing seams is an important part of quilting and ensures accuracy and the same goes for dressmaking. I have an ordinary iron and large ironing board that I use for daily ironing of clothes, and I use this for ironing large pieces of fabric. But I realised I wanted something smaller, particularly for quilting projects. It's so handy to have a small iron right next to your sewing machine and my large ironing board does not fit into my small sewing room and I didn't want to be constantly getting up and going into another room after each step of making a block. So I did some research.
There are many different irons and pressing mats on the market for quilters and to be honest, they are pricey. I'd rather spend money on fabric! So here is what I did.

I bought this Russell Hobbs travel iron which is currently selling for £12 on Amazon. When I bought mine it was only £8 so if you are thinking of getting one then shop around first. I recommend this iron because it really glides over the fabric, you can use steam if you want, and most importantly in my opinion, it has a good point at the front for pushing seams open and getting into small areas. It isn't the most powerful iron and I wouldn't use it for large pieces of fabric. But it really does the trick for patchwork. 

The next thing I was on the look out for was a small ironing board or pressing mat, again, the ones specifically for sewing are expensive. So I bought this ironing board from Ikea for £4! Such a bargain and fits perfectly in my small sewing room. 

Unfortunately, I managed to ruin the cover on the ironing board with a bondaweb accident! So I turned this into a happy accident by taking the cover apart and using it as a template to make a new one out of this super cute fabric! And it worked a treat! I reused the foam that was inside the original cover so nothing was wasted. I love this ironing board and I love that it has a hook on the back so I can hang it on the back of my door when I 'm not using it which is another great tip if you have a small sewing space like me. 
Do you like my ironing board? What do you use to press your fabrics? Do you have a special pressing mat? I'd love to know so please leave me a comment below. Happy sewing!