FGlinda

I guess I shouldn't procrastinate - I went to order my pad and the price for a 12x18inch Nature's cushion pad is now $45.00

Onebyone

There is spray you can order that will eliminate the wet wool smell. The company will send you a bottle of spray and the recipe to make your own to reuse the bottle. I spray Fabreeze odor eliminator on mine. Works great. The mat does get a little stinky when pressing a lot.

http://www.woolyfeltedwonders.com/sh...-x33669352.htm

quiltingshorttimer

I traded quilting for one that covers the whole ironing board from the LQS. I does seem to make a difference---I recently worked on a UFO that I'd put up because I could not get the blocks to press without bias stretch--the pressing mat seems to have solved that issue when I started working on the blocks again.

Beachbaby12

Well, after reading everybody's input and researching, I decided not to buy a wool pressing mat; they are definitely expensive. I went to Joann's and bought a yard of white 100% wool fabric and used a 60% off coupon - yay - it cost me $10! I haven't tried to yet but am very encouraged that it will work. I can double over the fabric, of course, to make it thicker.

thrums

That'll work. You may want to soak it to get any sizing or finish off it. Just lay it the tub with room temp water and let it soak. Gently push it around in the water. Drain the tub. Gentle squeeze the water out. I usually put my wool in a colander to drink excess water. Then I let it dry flat.

~or~

You could put it in the dryer and felt it a bit. It will shrink though.

mindless

I found this web site: the felt company from someone here on the board:

http://www.thefeltcompany.com/clearance-and-closeouts/

The wool pad is exactly the same as the ones at the quilt shops.
I was able to buy a 1/2" x 24" x 72" piece of 100% wool felt for $68 plus tax and shipping. I was able to cut it into six 12" x 24" ironing pads. I kept 2, gave the rest to guild friends. One that I kept I cut into two 12"x12" square pads for travel and quick pressing next to my sewing machine.
I love them. But, some of those quilt shop prices get outrageous.

A big thanks to you who posted your table makeover using these pads. You know who you are.

thrums

Thanks for the link!

patski

I use one, took it to a retreat for others to try out and several ordered them from amazon

Sunny2day

Great idea. What did you use to cut the large piece into the smaller ones?

mindless

just found this.
I used a regular rotary cutter. I have a 60mm rotary blade (used) that cut right through it. I made several shallow passes...didn't try to cut it all the way through in one pass.