Telecast Thursday - EuroSteam Next Generation Iron - a Review

Welcome to Telecast Thursday! This week I'm sharing my review on my latest acquisition.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have purchased a new iron. Previously I had been using one of the standard irons that you can buy for regular ironing - you know, clothing and things like that (I can't remember the last time I ironed a piece of clothing!). I have never purchased a "quilting iron". I was okay with the iron I was using, but was on the look-out for a new one as I'd had this one for several years and it didn't seem to be getting quite as hot as it used to.

Luckily, there was a booth at Quilt Canada 2015 that was selling the EuroSteam Next Generation (sounds Star-Treky, doesn't it?) iron, and, at the encouragement of my husband, I decided to check it out. 

EuroSteam Next Generation iron

Wow, was I impressed! First, the saleslady was so knowledgeable about the iron and had her spiel down pat, but she also was able to answer all the questions I had. In the space of about 5 minutes, I'd bought one and was looking forward to trying it out on some quilt fabric once I returned home.

I was a bit sceptical that the iron would perform as well at home as it did at the show, but I didn't need to be concerned. This iron is wonderful! It has an internal water tank/boiler and when you add water (it uses regular tap water) to it and turn it on, it heats up very quickly. You can choose to have steam with it or not. You can have constant steam, which is helpful for ironing draperies or using on a vertical surface and you can adjust the volume of this steam. If you prefer, you can keep the steam off and just use a burst of steam when it is required. This uses up less water and you won't have to refill the tank as often.

Increase your level of constant steam by turning the black dial to the right. Turn the dial all the way to the left for no steam and press the white button in the centre of the steam control dial to get a burst of steam.

The iron came with a measuring cup to use when filling the tank as well as a cap remover to use when taking the cap on and off the iron (helps to get this very tight and makes it easy to loosen). Like a radiator in a car, you need to let the iron cool down before taking the cap off to add more water (or to empty the water). A rubber mat was also included on which to put the iron when not in use.

The measuring cup and cap remover - some of the accessories included with the iron. Note the red line on the measuring cup which indicates how much water to put in the iron.

The function I like best about this iron is that I don't have to stand it on its end - it remains with the soleplate down when you're not using it. And... you can leave it on fabric and it won't scorch the fabric! It's hard to believe, but it's true! As I use my iron for cotton fabric almost exclusively, I have scorched other fabric types when pressing as I turned the heat on the iron up too high. I don't have to worry about this with the EuroSteam iron. I can go from pressing cotton fabric to pressing silk ribbon without any concerns. This is brilliant!

Okay, do I sound excited about my iron? Well, I am. It presses much better than my regular iron and is quick to take out all the wrinkles in my fabric. It's simple and has no bells and whistles, but it does exactly what I want it to do: press any of my fabrics quickly and without scorching. You just turn the iron on, choose the steam level (or not) and you're ready to press. I also like the fact that it doesn't shut off automatically. I dislike that feature in an iron because I use it when I'm quilting and I like my iron hot and ready at all times. 

On or off - no need to select special fabrics for this iron to work.

To see how the EuroSteam Next Generation iron works, watch the video below or on my Youtube channel.

Subscribe to my Youtube channel to receive automatic notifications when new videos are posted. You can also click on the Chatterbox Quilts logo in the lower right corner on the video itself to subscribe. If you like what you see, please share my videos with your fellow creatives.

So, if you're looking for a new iron and aren't sure what to get, I would highly recommend the EuroSteam Next Generation iron. Tell them Kim sent you!

Creatively,

Technology and the Quilter

I was thinking about my interview with Brandy Maslowski on Canadian Quilt Talk. We covered a wide range of topics and I am sure I lived up to the name of my company, Chatterbox Quilts. It was fun talking about how I began quilting and how things have changed at Chatterbox Quilts over the years. We discussed how much technology has changed the way we interact with each other.

I got the idea for this mixed media collage from browsing on-line.

What keeps me busy has certainly changed a lot over the past couple of years. I have a greater focus on creating videos, both on Youtube and Curious.com. I find that it can sometimes be more effective to show someone how to do a craft in a video rather than to write about it. It's like a one-on-one conversation with my viewer. I'm still writing my blog but I use it as another way to communicate with my subscribers.

One of my more popular Youtube videos about my latest (new) machine.

I also use Facebook (where I have a fan page and a group) and Instagram (although I'm still learning this app) to communicate small snippets of information about what I'm creating or the latest idea that's caught my eye with my followers, subscribers and friends. Both of these sites allow me to keep up with fellow quilters and see what the latest trends are.

I don't know how I'd conduct my business without technology. It allows me to blog, send out newsletters (subscribe in the sidebar for Chatterbox Times), chat with creatives in other countries and post videos to help others. I wouldn't be able to sell my downloadable patterns without today's technology!

While it can sometimes be distracting, I've found that technology has allowed me to connect with quilters all over the world and make new friends with similar interests. I use it to learn new techniques and find information about vintage sewing machines. Where else would I find a manual for a vintage Singer 15-91 sewing machine or learn about upcoming quilt shows and events? While my husband might say, "You don't need to know that", I think he's in the minority.

While it can sometimes be distracting, I've found technology to be more of a help than a hindrance. While I might get other things accomplished if I didn't spend so much time on Facebook, I would miss out on all those cute cat photos and videos.

Let me know if you find technology a help or a distraction. Just leave me a comment below. And let me know your favourite cat photo LOL