Sarah Boone obtained United States patent number 473,563 for her improvements to the ironing board. This was a pivotal moment in her career as an inventor, officially recognizing her innovative design which aimed to improve the quality of ironing sleeves and bodies of women's garments. The ironing board was narrow, curved, and reversible, designed for easier use on sleeves.

Sarah Marshall, later known as Sarah Boone, married James Boone (or Boon), a free black man, in New Bern, North Carolina. This marriage coincided with her being granted freedom from slavery. This union was a significant event in her life, marking her transition from enslavement to freedom and the beginning of her married life.