..but entertaining?) Hi everyone It isn't enough to talk about making a pillow is it - yes I've made another one. I made a bolster, not quite the same size as the 17-inch long x 32-inches around cylinder described in Stilwell's dictionary - but close to that, and delightfully useable.
I happened to have some chopped straw left from the last pillow-making spree (and it must be chopped - the bits should be several inches long or less - any longer and they don't pack well. To chop: the non-mechanical lacemaker will need, for instance, to find a guy to run the mulching-lawnmower over your bale of straw, or put it through a garden shredder ...do not do this on a windy day...)...and located a fabric remnant in my stash, in a firm weave. Cotton is recommended. The piece I have is polyester/wool, meant for trousers. It is very strong, but tiny, tiny bits of straw stick out - I have since covered it with more layers of fabric. To return to the process: I cut it approx. 20 x 34 inches. I should have cut it wider as there is a lot of take-in to the length of the cylinder when gathering the ends. My finished bolster now measures 13 inches of useable width, 38 inches around. You can 'bolster' the bolster with more fabric to increase the girth - but you can't make it longer, if you've cut the fabric too short <vbg>. I sewed the two long sides together, and hemmed the sides, turning the fabric twice to make a channel, threaded strong ribbon through both channels. Gather one end tight, knotting the cord, and insert a 9-inch diameter disk cut from pattern-making plastic (any sturdy material that you are able to cut, will do). The disk encourages the cylinder shape as you begin to stuff. Then start stuffing, and compressing. Keep stuffing and compressing, look helpless and get the DH or other handy strong arms to help (maybe) until no more can be stuffed in, put in another 9-inch disk on the very full pillow, and gather the second end shut. We tried pounding with wood, but forcing the straw with our hands worked better. Have pins at hand to test the firmness, if you want, but you can probably tell by pushing on the surface if it is firm enough. I wrapped wool blanket material around the bolster as a barrier to any little straw bits trying to get out, wrapped a double layer of cotton fabric over that as a temporary work surface, copied 'Star Banked River' from Stott's 100 Patterns, and hung on bobbins from a Beds UFO. The heft of the bolster pillow, and the dense surface to work on is really, really nice. My DH offered to make a pillow horse but I found that my metal office garbage can holds it perfectly, and at the right height for sitting at my computer chair. Some time I will sew a proper removeable cover for the bolster: cut a piece of cotton fabric the circumference plus 4 inches for overlap, and the length of the cylinder plus about 6 inches for hems and gathering at either end (3 inches each end of overhang). Hem all around, then turn ends to make a deeper hem leaving a space to thread ribbon or cord. Wrap the fabric around the pillow - the long sides should overlap slightly, draw ends shut and tie. As required, untie and remove for cleaning. I'll be away from my computer tomorrow but intend to post a picture - will let you all know where it is. A late afternoon tryst with straw and fabric - results: one Midlands bolster; a new appreciation for working Bucks edgings on such pillows [the bobbins can be hung towards the back, out of the way, and do not get tangled; it would seem that the bigger and broader the bolster, the wider the edging that can be made]; a rather attractive Beds. sample for my scrap-book that goes to demos - as this project was stalled for more than a year, the bobbins involved in it were cut off and used to test the new bolster. The now-empty 8-sided block pillow, will be used soon for a Flanders pattern. Bonus: the straw was added to the composter for next year's roses and tomatoes, and I have one less garbage bag of 'stuff' in my Stash. Pillow- and lacemaking is just too much fun. bye for now Bev in Sooke, BC (west coast of Canada) where we had a power outage too! unrelated to the 'grid' back east - there was a tree down over a powerline, in the neighbourhood - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
