Day 14
CLEAN YOUR IRON AND
IRONING BOARD COVER
If you tend to use a lot of
fusible adhesives, spray
starch, or fabric spray, it’s
important to clean your
iron frequently. Cleaning
products for irons are
available at your local quilt
shop. Or try this simple
solution: While the iron is off ,
wipe it with a damp cloth to
remove dirt and dust. Turn
the iron on high and rub the
soleplate with a dry towel
until buildup is removed. For
your ironing board cover,
refer to the manufacturer’s
washing instructions. Note
that some covers can only
be hand-washed or spot-
cleaned.Day 15
KEEP SCISSORS SHARP
Take a moment to designate
each pair of scissors in
your sewing space for
either fabric or paper. Add
a piece of decorative tape
to the handle of the paper
scissors so you can tell at
a glance which one to grab
for cutting materials other
than fabric. To sharpen
fabric scissors, cut through
a piece of sandpaper or
several layers of aluminum
foil multiple times and wipe
the blades clean.Day 16
REFOLD STORED FABRIC
If fabric is stored too long
folded in one way, it can
develop permanent creases
and possibly weaken or
fade threads along the folds.
Periodically take the time
to refold stored fabric and
return it to the shelf.Day 17
MANAGE REFILLS
Refi ll your bottle of spray
starch. Label each bottle
with the date you bought
the starch so you can be
sure you’re using up the
oldest starch fi rst. You
may want to consider
upgrading to a fi ne-mist
spray bottle, which reduceswaste and spreads the
starch more evenly on
fabric. We like the 10-ounce
Continuous Spray Bottle
from Mary Ellen Products
(maryellenproducts.com).Day 18
CORRAL CORDS
Keep cords in your sewing
space neat and compact by
adding reusable cord ties to
each one. This will reduce
tripping hazards and make
it easy to pack your supplies
for a retreat. You can fi nd
hook-and-loop tape ties
at most home and offi ce
stores.Day 19
CLEAN YOUR WORK SPACE.
Keep your work space
clutter-free by storing only
your most-used and favorite
supplies close at hand. If
you have tools in multiples,
consider storing only one
in sight and moving the
extras to a nearby drawer or
cabinet for future use.SOME LOCAL QUILT SHOPS ALLOW YOU
TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET YOUR
SCISSORS PROFESSIONALLY SHARPENED.
Hire a ProIron photo by Adobe Stock/Mikhail.
AllPeopleQuilt.com 21