Monday, December 30, 2013

Pressing Matters: The Elna Press

You know how they say, if you write out what you want it's x number of times more likely to come true?

I wrote about wanting an Elna Press in this post, and my dreams have come true.
Elna press Alize
The ElnaPress Alize.

My parents read my blog post and then hopped over to ebay where they snagged this one for Christmas.

I saw the Elna Press in action in Janet Pray's "Sew Better, Sew Faster" Craftsy class and was AMAZED.  You might even say I was impressed (ha ha ha ha ha).  Plus velosewer, who is the fastest seamstress I know, owns one, so it has to be one of the secrets of her speediness.

Elna press Alize
I tried it out yesterday when I made another NYC subway zipper pouch.  Here I'm ironing  pressing on the interfacing:
Elna Press Alize
Perfectly pressed!
another zipper pouch!
It makes ironing  pressing on the interfacing a breeze because it takes all of 10 seconds to fuse the interfacing to the fabric!!! And it times it for you and beeps to let you know when it's ready.

So it's speedy + times it for you + really fuses the interfacing to the fabric. Yay!  I wish the surface was a bit larger, but I think this will speed up part of the sewing process.

It does not have a light, the sleeve board, or the "vap o jet" (it's a dry press, so I use a spray bottle to spritz) but it is still pretty awesome.

Here I'm ironing pressing some corduroy. I know, I know, crushing the nap. But this is for pillows. And I suspect those who disapprove of my dodgy sewing techniques long ago stopped reading this blog.
Elna press Alize
This is the pillow I'm working on.
Fabric pressed.
Interfaced pressed (you can see the interfacing on the bottom left piece)
Fabric raw edges serged.
My inspiration leaves....
pillow I'm working on

And my zipper pouch:
another zipper pouch!
the zipper
another zipper pouch!
The inside
another zipper pouch!
If you own the Elna Press, do you have a stand for it? If yes, which one? I'm thinking of either buying a pressing stand or buying another tall Ikea table for it. It will live where the pile of fabric used to be against the wall.

Be well!

10 comments:

  1. Lucky you ~ I am totally jealous! What a little beauty she is .... J

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  2. AH-MAZING!! Have fun with your new tool (toy), How thoughtful of your parents to get insight on the perfect gift by reading your blog, I love that!

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  3. My friend gave me an Elna press two years ago when she moved out of the country. I have yet to figure out how to use it. I'm motivated to learn now!

    Another great zippered pouch. I must make one of these.

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  4. Lucky you!!!! I put this on my Christmas list every year with no luck….I guess I will have to purchase it myself!

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  5. Congrats on the new press. I don't have one, but it sounds like a super addition to the sewing space!

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  6. Wow! I wish my mon & dad read my blog.
    Awesome present.
    I don't have this on my wish list although I might have to look at them at SewExpo this year to see if I could use one to speed up my sewing. --- because I am sure my sewing techniques are more dodgy than yours.

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  7. Sew cool! (OMG did I just type that?). I see the attraction with fusing interfacing! I will bring all my fusible needs to your house from now on. ;)

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  8. I'm "impressed!" Maybe I should start writing out how much I want a Bernina! :)

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  9. What a wonderful Christmas present! I'm sure you will get a lot of use out of it!!!

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