Oversize Ironing Board

The large ironing tables at D & F Workroom in New York City, where Martha recently had some upholstery done, inspired her to devise this oversize ironing board. You can make one to fit on a flat surface in your laundry room. Not only is this board a practical solution to working with unwieldy expanses of fabric such as large tablecloths and heavy curtains, but it is also firmer and tauter than the standard board, making clothes and linens easier to press. The secret to creating the right give in the surface is Bump, an extremely thick English table flannel commonly used as an interface for winter draperies or to buffer large tablecloths. When the top layer of the board, which is made of muslin, becomes discolored from ironing, simply tear it off and replace with a fresh piece.