Ironing Aida Cloth Suggestions Please

whitewitch

What are suggestions for ironing Aida cloth?  My eyes (even with my glasses) have a hard time with anything smaller than 16 count Aida & Aida always comes with very hard folds.  I have scorched fabric in the past.  My newest way of doing it was wetting the whole cloth and trying to dry it flat under books.

Suggestions please??
Thanks!

sallimac

i have a cloth, kind of like a shamwow.  wash the fabric and than place this on top and iron it.  it helps soak up the water and kind of steam it.  ill have to look to see if i am find a link.  before i use to stitch and than iron.  i found that just having the fabric stretched out on a frame for a few days helped relax the creases.  

aries

I try to buy rolls of fabric, rather than folded packages.  I read that you can put the Aida in water, take it out, roll it up in a towel and freeze it, then unroll and iron it, but I have not tried this method.  I would try a small piece, a leftover scrap and see if it works.  

stitcherex

I find that ironing aida while its still damp helps to straighten out the creases.  Start with warm iron, increasing the heat gradually.

If the aida is dry, try misting it just like you would when ironing cotton shirts.  Have not tried steam iron, might be a bit too hot for aida & the threads.

I always start with a little corner to test - better have a wrinkly piece of heirloom than one well done ! I feel that each piece of aida (even if cut from the same large piece) behaves differently through the passage of time, not to mention different types of detergent I use, as well as different hardness of water.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
p

whitewitch

aries replied at 2013-3-5 02:20
I try to buy rolls of fabric, rather than folded packages.  I read that you can put the Aida in wate ...

I try to buy rolls too, but unfortunately, colors & count in rolls are extremely limited.  You have to buy the yardage to get the good colors from the good manufacturers.

maureen1959

I place a towel over the damp Aida and iron it. Works well for me :D

bduport

I know lots of you will have white hair reading the following but... I actually do wash the Aida cloth. In the washing machine :funk: (I cant work with the starched tissue and anyway I use a frame to keep it properly streched) and then steam iron it as any "normal" cotton cloth. Never had any issue with, as long as Im sure the Aida is 100% cotton (which is typically the case).
Hope this help.
B.

whitewitch

bduport replied at 2013-3-6 20:03
I know lots of you will have white hair reading the following but... I actually do wash the Aida clo ...

I was wondering if I could do something similar (or maybe exactly the same as you).  For all my 100% cotton fabric, I always pre-shink by putting the fabric into a water only rinse cycle.  I then toss it in the dryer.  

Has anyone done this???  And if so, should dryer sheets not be used (and why - Im dense)?

R Lee

Ive never had a problem. I hand wash then hang it on clip coat hangers (the ones for trousers) till nearly dry then put a fluff towel on the ironing board to protect the stitching and iron it upside down on medium heat, no steam. Is your fabric specialty with metallic threads or something? If not, then maybe you are just ironing too hot. I find less heat, more ironing time is always safer.

seb0357

I have several pieces that have been washed, so thanks for the info on different ways to get the wrinkles out without destroying them.