But I joined up anyway, and pretty soon I realized that the group was really about friendship, not quilting. If you need advice, you send out a group e-mail, and someone's going to know the answer.
Well, a couple of weeks ago, my iron lost its mind. It thought it was off when it should have been on. I shook it and swore at it, burned my forearm waving it around in exasperation, and gave up. I sent out an e-mail to the group. What iron did they recommend? By then I was on my second Rowenta.
Just about everyone weighed in. Rowenta, whether made in China or Germany, was no longer The Iron of Choice. Three people have Black and Decker Classics, which are cheap ($30), although they have steam holes that can catch the edge of fabric and cause wrinkles. One has a Black and Decker Surge Express, but it leaks steam so she uses a spray bottle. Three have Rowentas, but only one is happy with hers. One has an Oliso, which has little feet that pop up when you put it down, but it's expensive. Ann, bless her heart, actually read up in Consumer Reports, which recommended a Kenmore, then a Singer, and then a DeLonghi. Mabry swears by a "modest Sunbeam Series L."
What to do? I tallied the group's recommendations and decided to go to Ace Hardware and buy a Black and Decker Classic. It's only $30. It reminds me of the one my mother used to use, black and silver, with a no-nonsense design. She was English and wilted in hot San Jose summers, so she took to ironing in her underwear while she watched "General Hospital." Like me, like my group, she just wanted an iron that was cheap, hot, heavy, and had good steam.
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| The No Problems, c. 2003 |
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