Tuesday, April 10, 2012

IRONING (A-Z April Blog Challenge)

Lovely, aren't they?
As far as addictions go, I suppose it could be worse.  But yes, I’ll admit it – I LOVE IRONING. Couldn’t stop if I tried.  But then really, why in the world would I want to stop?
My mom started me around the age of 6. First, I was allowed to help sprinkle the wash.  A bottle filled with water and what looked like a small shower head attached to the cork topper was the coolest tool I’d ever seen.  The trick was to get the laundry damp, but not “wet”.  Then, we moved onto the actual ironing.  First, were dad’s white hankies.  Edges  needed to match perfectly and each crease got an extra shot of steam.  Before I knew it she had me doing pillowcases and then … linen tablecloths.  Oh yeah. Linen tablecloths.  (Can you hear the weakness in my sigh?)  I needed more.  And then, the mother –load.  A basket full of shirts, pants, dresses and skirts.  I was hooked. 
I’ve never lost the love of losing myself to a couple hours of ironing.  You start with a heap of items in a basket and end with a beautiful array of finished laundry.  The accomplishment high has never let me down.  However the volume of laundry has.  When I got married, the laundry load went down to just Steven and I.  There just wasn’t enough. 
From: http://timothywinchester.blogspot.com/2010/09/real-life-iron-man.html
So occasionally I would go to a friend’s house and talk her into letting me do her ironing while we chatted and had tea.  This same friend went on a trip and brought me back a huge, white, pure linen embroidered tablecloth with twelve matching embroidered napkins.  You can’t look at them without them wrinkling and after a trip through the washer and dryer you can barely recognize them.  Those items are still the most challenging pieces of ironing I’ve ever done in my life.  She knew the perfect thing to get me.  Now THAT is friendship! 
Of course, both the tools and the methods have changed over the years.  I don’t sprinkle the laundry anymore.  I use a regular spray bottle and lightly mist. (I’ve never been a spray starch kind of gal). I prefer a cloth ironing board cover with a thin pad underneath as the Teflon covers just don’t give me enough control over the garment placement.  And then there’s my iron. Pure wrinkle annihilating magic in my hands. 
I know ironing isn’t for everyone.  And for many, it’s considered a chore.  But for me, it’s an addiction I can live with.  In fact, it’s one I need.  And until I find myself being a part of the Extreme Ironing crowd, I figure I’m good to keep on going!


24 comments:

  1. Amy - You made me long to do some ironing...Haven't done it in a while...Apart from the feeling of accomplishment, I love how your mind can wander off while ironing! Great post!

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  2. Amy, I'm a serial ironer, too! LOVE it! In fact, I'll never forget the first time I met my husband's family, and his little sister caught me ironing creases into my jeans. She said, "Oh my God. You...iron your jeans?!"

    I looked up, brow furrowed. "You don't?"

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  3. I wish I felt that way about ironing, instead it's something I avoid like the plague.

    Nice to meet you, and I hope you're enjoying the Challenge!

    KarenG
    A to Z Challenge Host

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    1. I am Karen - thank you and I hope you are as well!

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  4. Wow, I have a bit of ironing to do, if you ever finish with yours (ha!) Enjoyed reading your blog - thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. You might enjoy mine at www.dianeweidenbenner.com Happy blogging!

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    1. Thanks Diane - enjoyed your post on imagination - love the post secret series!

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  5. Please will you come and do mine? I LOATHE ironing. Common sesne tells me I should do it regularly so that it doesn't mount up, but I put it off and put it off, and then end up with a HUGE pile to do - so then I put it off again!

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    1. HUGE pile....my eyes are getting glassy and dreamy...

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  6. I think you must be related to my Grandma. She loved to iron, even Grandpa's boxer shorts...which I think was carrying it a little to far. LOL

    Kathy
    http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com

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  7. Okay, my 'at's off to the Duchess of Ironing!

    Seriously? Love the way ironing smells, that crisp fresh odor is like no other. In practice... mostly I'd rather be doing other things.

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  8. Extreme ironing! What a riot!! Wow, Amy, this is something I can't imagine. Oh, I had times too when I was younger and I liked to help my mother with the ironing. Like yours, mine taught me how to iron the creases into my father's handkerchiefs and how to iron a shirt carefully by sections, first the two front panels over the nose of the board, then the back and sleeves, and finally the collar. I learned how to do it, but I never learned to love it. My husband used to iron a shirt himself every day for work, but now that his company has gone "business casual," he wears sport shirts that don't need it, and for me working at home, jeans and soft tops give me a blissfully ironing-free existence. If only I could work up some passion like yours for housecleaning as well as ironing....

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    1. Awesome description of the shirt ironing Elaine! Yet another unknown similarity between us!

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  9. "The extreme ironing crowd" hehehhe.. Love that. I share your passion for ironing. I cannot really explain why, but there is a bit of accomplishment in getting the creases in a shirt just right, or the pocket to heel of a pair of slacks. I am not quite as addicted as you are, but I do iron my flannel shirts ;-)

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  10. Would you come over and do my ironing? I really do not like it. It requires too much time!

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  11. Ironing? I can't even remember where my iron is, though I am sure I own one.
    *shuddering* No ironing for me. I do love your passion and your love for something so generally NOT lovable! lol

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  12. I was so happy to read this! I enjoy ironing too. I wish I could make more time for my ironing. But, once I get started, I really kind of like it. I take pride in the finished product. The clothes look so nice and crisp. I even took in ironing last year from the Brother Rice Chapel...I would iron the altar linens for the week and return them on Monday. lol :D

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    1. What a fabulous idea! I'm sure you enjoyed this task.

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  13. Oh my gosh! I thought I was the only one who loved to iron! Give me a huge basket of clothes and I blast some music and enjoy the daylights out of the time. :O)

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