tool tuesday: sleeve board

OK, so Tool Tuesday is happening on Wednesday this week. With Quilt Market last weekend, I’m still playing catch up….

So here we go. As long as we’re talking about favorite sewing tools, let’s add a sleeve board to our list!

Sleeve boards are like mini ironing boards. They’re officially made for pressing sleeves (hence the name), since a sleeve fits right over the board and can be ironed without a crease.  But sleeve boards are also really useful when you’re sewing, since the surface is just the right size for pressing a seam. I keep my sleeve board and my iron right next to me when I sew, and that way I’m not constantly getting up to press at the ironing board. It saves lots of time. Then I can continue right along with my sewing, pressing each seam as I go. And since children’s clothes are so small, sleeve boards are also useful for pressing kids’ clothing.

We don’t carry sleeve boards in the shop, but if you’re looking for one you can find them almost anywhere (including Target, I just noticed). I prefer the double-sided boards with a sturdy wood or metal frame like the one shown above, but you can also find collapsible boards if space is a concern. I have a feeling you’ll really like this tool once you start using it.