Have you ever felt like the steam from your iron just was not doing the job you want it to? The steam comes out of the iron and just bounces back at you? That may be exactly what is happening. Here are instructions on how to turn your ironing board into a tailor’s ironing board.

You will need:

• Two (2) pieces of newspaper taped together, short edge to short edge.
• Kite string or similar material for drawstrings
• A piece of heavy wool (we got an old army blanket from the Army/Navy store).
• Four (4) to eight (8) ironing board cover fasteners (purchased at a discount store for a nominal price)
• One (1) yard of unfinished, untreated, 100% cotton muslin (60″ wide muslin will keep you from seaming your cover and needing another yard)
• Cotton knit  – this fabric has wefts of very thin cotton and warps of thread to hold it together. It can usually be purchased at tailoring shops. Cut a piece that is 67″ x 33″

Turn your ironing board upside down on the newspaper; trace around it with your pencil. Measure 3″ out from your traced line all the way around. This will be the pattern for your muslin cover. Now, measure 2″ out from your original traced line all the way around. This will be your pattern for the wool cover. With your scissors or rotary cutter, cut the muslin from the largest pattern (3″ allowance). Next, cut the wool cover from the 2″ allowance pattern. Serge the edges of the muslin and the wool. Fold over ½” to form casings in both the muslin and the wool. The thickness of your drawstring will determine the width of casing that you need. Your ends should tie at the wide end of the ironing board.

Thread drawstrings through casings. Place the wool cover over the ironing board. Pull the drawstring very tight so that the wool is taut and smooth over the board. Tie securely. Lay the cotton knit over the wool. Mother and I reinforced the top and bottom edge of the cotton knit because it ravels very easily. Put the muslin cover over the cotton knit and pull the drawstring very tight. Tie securely. Tuck and fold the excess cotton knit so that it lies smoothly under the muslin cover and does not stick out from under the ironing board. You do not need to trim off the excess, but you can.

Turn over the ironing board and clip the ironing board fasteners from one side of the muslin to the other. This will help keep the whole thing in place and help keep excess cotton knit tucked up under the ironing board. The cotton will pull the steam through the fashion fabric and the muslin cover. The wool will pull the steam through the cotton and wick it away from the cotton knit. Now try to steam that seam open!