****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I have an ironing board built into the wall which is an odd size. The only ironing board cover that fits has padding that breaks down. With a utility knife I cut th wool mat to the same size as the ironing board and put the old cover over top. This solved all of my issues with the ironing board. With the remnants I cut a large pad that I can put on my lap for needle felting. I still have some left over. I fell like this product was well made and accurately described. Happy with my purchase.All wool mats tend to smell. I washed this and let it dry on a flat surface to get rid of the smell. However, I would not recommend doing this as it took days before it completely dried out and washing it made it fuzz up a bit. I ended up covering it with fabric and everything is fine. The size (22 x 60) size is a game changer for anyone who has an extra wide ironing board to support it. I also had to support both ends with 20" square plastic rulers that I put underneath the mat on each end for it not to sag. The 1/2 thickness is sufficient to get a good flat pressing. Its pricy but will change the way you iron and having a big rectangular surface makes it perfect for basting a quilt sandwiches too.I love this thing. I was worried it would smell after reading some of the reviews, but it didn’t. There was a VERY minor scent (it smelled like it’s made from sheep, go figure, but didn’t smell dirty or anything) right when I opened it, but that dissipated within a day. And there is no increase in the scent whatsoever when I use it to iron, even at max heat and with steam. This is perfect for ironing yardage or anything else large (sheets? large shirts or dresses? slacks if you want to do the whole leg at once?) and it helps hold the fabric still so you don’t inadvertently press a crease into it if it shifts on you. I don’t know that I’ve noticed each area pressing any faster than it did on my old ironing board (I know it “reflecting” the heat is something people like about wool pressing mats but I haven’t noticed that, particularly), but it’s certainly not any slower and I am getting crisper creases than I could on the old one. And I do spend less time overall with ironing since I’m able to do large areas without moving it around, so the time spent rearranging fabric is greatly reduced. It perfectly protects my tabletop under it (it’s a fairly heavy folding table with some sort of plasticky/vinyl top, something I’m positive could melt and be terrible if it did) and it doesn’t get even the slightest bit warm underneath. It also didn’t have any issues staying smooth when I set it on top of something (I left my cutting mat under it, and although I could detect the “seam” when I felt for it with my fingers, it did not transfer at all to the fabric I was pressing; if you have a couple of tables you’re putting together to set this on, or some similar setup where the level won’t be perfectly smooth and level, this mat will still give you a perfect pressing surface). And finally, it’s at least as easy to store as a large ironing board would be, so unless you specifically want a movable and dedicated ironing space, versus just protecting any other large enough surface, this would work at least as well and for a better price. I 100% recommend this.The pressing mat is quite large and covers a wide ironing board and then some. It’s a darker charcoal color as opposed to the lighter gray from name brands. I actually like this charcoal color better. It’s not quite as thick as the name brand mats as you can see by the picture, but still holds steam and heat quite well so you get a good flat seam/crease. I’m happy with the purchase.Just wanted everyone to know that the steam will go through the 1/2 pad. I ironed 10 pillowcase cuffs for making pillowcases for charity. I found that the steam went through to the surface below. Do not put this on top of your cutting mat. My mat is ok but, but use the wool mat on a hard surface. I have a plastic folding table that I will use from now on. I did have to wipe wool from my mat and found wool on the cotton material I ironed. The wool will come off in the wash so I am not worried. BUT before I iron the completed pillowcases before giving them away, I will make sure I have cotton material over the wool mat so that the clean pillowcases will not pick up the wool fibers.Very pleased to add this mat to my ironing table. Suits my needs.this mat really works. I have noticed my fabric doesn't stretch and distort. I bought another one for my tableMy husband made me an ironing board topper 22" wide, by 65 inches long and screwed it to my ironing board. This fits perfectly on top of that. My iron is very happy!Worked very well, though if you have cats, make sure you roll up the mat after you use this. I went downstairs to get a coffee, came back up and our older kitten was sitting smack dab in middle of mat :-), I could wee tuffs...she must have been scratching on it.Well I just received it and I only tried ironing on it once. So far so good. I put it on my kitchen island and seems to work well. I just wish it was wider and not quite so long, I’m going to have to cut it to make it fit.I would recommend to anyone like me that doesn’t want to haul out an ironing board.This firm and smooth mat is thick and even. I haven't cut it to size yet. I plan to cut plywood to match the wool ironing pad size and mount it on my ironing board.Really love it. It does such a nice crisp seam. Would recommend it for sure.
