Recently, while browsing through one of my favorite online Quilt Shops, I stumbled across the Pauline Quilter's World Sasher Collection.
I was immediately intrigued by the possibility of saving time and energy at the ironing board making binding! After reading the product description and watching the demo video, I was even more curious....
Is it a worthy investment?
But do I really need it? Is it worthy of our hard earned dollars?
I was not convinced that I should make an investment in the whole set. Luckily, I found a single-sized sasher tool and decided to perform a trial run for a reasonable price (around $12).
These little "sashers" come in various sizes depending on the task that you are performing. I purchased the 1 1/4 inch size, since I intend to use it for creating binding strips from 2 1/2 inch wide strips (aka jelly roll strips).
I am willing to try anything to create binding more quickly, since that is not a task I enjoy and try to get it done as quickly as possible!
Price Point:
The entire collection of sasher tools (which includes 10 different sizes) costs between $35 and 48, depending on the retailer.
The individual 1 1/4 inch size sasher (which is what I am reviewing), averages $12 from various retailers.
Recommended use:
The idea is to use this acrylic sasher tool to guide your binding strips into place and press them at the same time....while NOT burning and steaming the prints off your fingertips!
We joke in our house that I do not have any fingerprints remaing, after the repeated steam and iron burns my fingers have endured ; )
Here is how I used mine....
Press the end
Start by folding the end of your binding strip in half, wrong sides together and press.
About 2 or 3 inches is plenty...
Insert into sasher
Feed the folded end up through the left vertical slit in the sashing tool.
Secure end of strip
And then down through the right vertical slit.
Pin the end of the strip to your ironing board, with a few straight pins. If you look closely at the picture to the left, you can see two yellow pin heads at the end of the strip.
You should now be able to slide the sashing tool freely across the strip.
Press & Slide
Now its time for the magic to happen!
Grab your hot iron and place it between the slider and the pinned end of your strip.
Push the slider with the hot iron and press the strip in half as you go! It's so awesome and FAST!
Proceed more slowly at the joined seams.
Adjust on ironing board & continue...
Once you get a section pressed, unpin the end.
Move your strip down the ironing board, letting your pressed section pile up on the floor (which is clean of course).
Repin the end and proceed with pressing...
Before you know it, you will have the entire length of binding folded and pressed in half!
Now on to the next fold and press...
Open strip and make next fold
Open the end of your pressed strip, wrong side up.
Fold each end in towards the center fold, as shown to the left.
Press the first 2-3 inches.
Insert sasher & secure end of strip
Insert into sashing tool, as done in previous step (up into left vertical slit, down through right slit).
Pin the end to secure to ironing board.
Press and slide.
For this step, it is helpful to guide the fabric into place with your fingers ahead of the sasher (as shown left).
It helps ensure that your press is accurate and remains straight, AND your fingertips are far enough away from the iron that you don't get burned! Win, Win!
You could stop here...but I didn't!
I took it one step further and pressed this prepared strip in half one more time so it was fully prepared quilt binding.
Fold strip in half one last time, with raw edges inside the fold. Press the end of strip. Insert sashing tool and pin the end of strip (as you have done in the previous steps).
Press & Slide.
As you can see in the pictures above, the binding strip is now narrower than the opening in the sashing tool.
You can still use this size tool to press the binding strip in half, but it takes a little more guiding than the previous steps needed.
To do this last press "correctly", you would need to use a 5/8 inch size sashing tool. I only purchase the 1 1/4 inch size to start with....I may expand my collection though.
Product Review:
Friends this is waaaayyyy faster than not using a tool AND I didn't burn myself once....
which is unheard of!!!
So in review, I turned this mess of strips (above left) to this gloriously pressed and prepared binding (above right) ready for attachment in RECORD time!
All thanks to my new favorite tool.
This tool is available for purchase on several sewing and quilting websites, in addition to Amazon. And to clarify, Jelly Rolls consist of fabric strips that are 2 1/2 inches wide. Meaning the "Jelly Roll Sasher" tools are made to be used with fabric strips that are 2 1/2 inches wide, as mine was.
- Jelly Roll Sasher Tool from Pauline's Quilters World on Missouri Quilt Company
- Jelly Roll Sasher Tool from Pauline's Quilters World on Amazon
- Jelly Roll Sasher Tool from Pauline's Quilters World on Pineapple Fabrics
Overall Recommendation:
My friends, I am SOOOO glad that I invested the $12 on this amazing little tool! If you make quilts or bound projects regularly....go and order one of these sweet little gadgets right now!
Seriously, I wish I would have discovered this years ago....
Click here and here, if you would like to see the glorious Our Star quilt that this bright and vibrant scrappy binding found its home on.
If you have used this awesome tool or have other binding tips & tricks to share, please comment below! I am a huge fan in sharing and learning from fellow sewers : )
Thanks for stopping by!
Jen J