My friend Sharon has a special knack for getting me the perfect gifts for my birthday and Christmas. She seems to know exactly what I need. Maybe it’s because she’s a seamstress too.
Mostly, it’s because she is thoughtful and generous.
One of these great gifts was this mini iron:

They are perfect for those tasks where you need to press something, but the regular iron is too big, or the steam emanating from it burns your fingers.
I’ve used mine for seams, hard to reach areas, spaghetti straps, facings, plackets, craft projects, quilting, and so much more.
They are easy to operate.
Just plug in the cord and turn this clamp to “on”.

Then, turn the dial anywhere from low to high, depending on what fabric you are working with. The temperature will be similar to a regular iron.

It takes a few minutes for it to heat up.
Test it on a scrap piece of fabric first.
If you don’t have a scrap, test it in a hidden area of the dress, like an inside seam:

Adjust the temperature if needed.
When you’re finished, just turn it off and unplug it.
You can get this particular one (Clover Brand) at JoAnn Fabrics or Walmart for about $20.
Clover also touts a newer, more versatile one, with 5 different interchangeable tips, on their website.
It might seem a little silly to have a tiny iron like this, but it really saves alot of hardship.
I remember scorching some lining fabric once because I tried to get into a tiny space with a big iron. The main fabric of the dress was polyester, which was what my iron was set for. But the lining fabric was made of acetate, so it just melted like the witch in The Wizard of Oz.
So do yourself a favor and get a mini iron.
Your fingers and fabric will thank you.
hello!
I am looking to buy a steam iron more on professional side, could you recommend me one
thank you very much
Agnieszka