i know this sounds weird and it might be the wrong stuffing for a pillow, but Sandi Henderson uses pet bedding (gerbil stuff) for her pin cushions to give them a bit of weight. If you fill the outsides with fiberfill and only use the bedding on the insides, it might give it the weight you are wanting.
I wonder if I could use an insert of pet bedding surrounded by wool or bamboo. I'm going to have to experiment. The problem I'm having is that the pillows I'm making are really big. I made a new one last night, stuffed it with polyfill because that's all I had, and it's soooo lumpy. Does wool get lumpy like that? Am I doing it wrong? How do I stuff handfuls of stuff into the pillow without each handful becoming a little lump? You guys are so helpful! Thank you!
I hear you, Katie... I haven't had much luck with non-lumpy pillows, either. I've stuck mostly with square pillows simply for the fact that I can find a pillow form. I like the pet bedding idea you have. Almost like a casing of it and surround it with polyfill...?
Ohh, what about foam of some kind? Like the upholstery foam you can buy at JoAnns. I don't know if this would work, but cut the foam to the approximate shape you'd need it, cut a slit in the side of it (almost like you would when you were butterflying chicken or slicing a pork chop to stuff it) and fill it with the scrap foam from cutting out the shape and additional polyfill to 'plump' it up. For the edges of the pillows you could stuff them really well with polyfill. It takes a whole heck of a lot of polyfill to get a nice, solid pillow, but the results are good.
What the heck are pillow forms filled with so that they aren't lumpy? I don't think I can get that seahorse shape around foam, but yes maybe shredded foam? I think I'm going to just have to use really heavy fabric to hold all the lumps in. Chelsea, have you ever seen those teeny tiny foam balls? I saw some at the fabric store yesterday and thought "oh that's perfect" but...TWENTY dollars for a little bag. YIKES! Ok, no wait, now I'm thinking maybe I could buy really thin foam and cut it into the shape of the seahorse like you said, Chelsea. Maybe that would work. Ok, thinking out loud and babbling now. Teresa, i googled kapok and it looks good, but someone said it's highly flammable? I'm pulling my hair out. HEY! I could use my hair!
I sew with a lot of felted wool sweaters and keep all the tiny bits for stuffing. I like the weight that it has, and as long as you cut the wool bits small enough, it's quite soft and cushy. You tend to need far more than you would expect, though. Do you have anything you could repurpose into stuffing?? old t-shirts, sweaters, pants?
There's always wool batting.
ReplyDeleteIt might be a bit spendy, but unspun wool has such a nice feel to it.
ReplyDeleteI like the bamboo fillings. You can get it at Joann's, I think. Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteI agree with the wool batting/roving - it's wonderful for smaller pillows and stuffed toys. Soft and dense and it smells so nice!
ReplyDeleteWool, West Earl Woolen Mills sells it by the pound. I use tons for my Waldorf dolls.
ReplyDeleteWool stuffing's great, but I also like cotton stuffing which you can get at quilting shops.
ReplyDeletei know this sounds weird and it might be the wrong stuffing for a pillow, but Sandi Henderson uses pet bedding (gerbil stuff) for her pin cushions to give them a bit of weight. If you fill the outsides with fiberfill and only use the bedding on the insides, it might give it the weight you are wanting.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I could use an insert of pet bedding surrounded by wool or bamboo. I'm going to have to experiment. The problem I'm having is that the pillows I'm making are really big. I made a new one last night, stuffed it with polyfill because that's all I had, and it's soooo lumpy. Does wool get lumpy like that? Am I doing it wrong? How do I stuff handfuls of stuff into the pillow without each handful becoming a little lump?
ReplyDeleteYou guys are so helpful! Thank you!
What do you think of kapok? It's a nice, weighty filling - and environmentally friendly.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Katie... I haven't had much luck with non-lumpy pillows, either. I've stuck mostly with square pillows simply for the fact that I can find a pillow form.
ReplyDeleteI like the pet bedding idea you have. Almost like a casing of it and surround it with polyfill...?
Ohh, what about foam of some kind? Like the upholstery foam you can buy at JoAnns. I don't know if this would work, but cut the foam to the approximate shape you'd need it, cut a slit in the side of it (almost like you would when you were butterflying chicken or slicing a pork chop to stuff it) and fill it with the scrap foam from cutting out the shape and additional polyfill to 'plump' it up. For the edges of the pillows you could stuff them really well with polyfill. It takes a whole heck of a lot of polyfill to get a nice, solid pillow, but the results are good.
What the heck are pillow forms filled with so that they aren't lumpy? I don't think I can get that seahorse shape around foam, but yes maybe shredded foam? I think I'm going to just have to use really heavy fabric to hold all the lumps in. Chelsea, have you ever seen those teeny tiny foam balls? I saw some at the fabric store yesterday and thought "oh that's perfect" but...TWENTY dollars for a little bag. YIKES! Ok, no wait, now I'm thinking maybe I could buy really thin foam and cut it into the shape of the seahorse like you said, Chelsea. Maybe that would work. Ok, thinking out loud and babbling now.
ReplyDeleteTeresa, i googled kapok and it looks good, but someone said it's highly flammable? I'm pulling my hair out. HEY! I could use my hair!
I sew with a lot of felted wool sweaters and keep all the tiny bits for stuffing. I like the weight that it has, and as long as you cut the wool bits small enough, it's quite soft and cushy. You tend to need far more than you would expect, though.
ReplyDeleteDo you have anything you could repurpose into stuffing?? old t-shirts, sweaters, pants?