Hi Susie -
I definitely would have used wool if I could have gotten it. But the
felt I used was a "blend"... probably more acrylic than wool, but
enough wool to make it feel like "real" felt. The felt "dampens" the
harsh feel and sound you get on bare foam, and gives the "feel" of
working on a wool pillow. The foam that Ken sells doesn't grip the pins
as much as other foams I've used, so there's less "squeaking" to start
with. But... add the felt, and I hardly notice it. It's been a nice
pillow.
Someone else mentioned using quilting batting between the block and the
block cover. This would work well too, I think... as long as you get a
good quality cotton batting that doesn't have slubs of cotton chaff in
it and is not thick. Some battings are synthetic, and quite high-loft,
and these would be entirely unsuitable, imo.
Another tip: The pricking is wide (8 inches?) and so there's a lot of
pricking under the workcloth. When I'm working the bobbins there (and
that's where you work them, after all!), they clatter on the pricking.
It was annoying. So... I took pieces of the same felt and the same
twill that I had covered the blocks with, and ran the two together
through my serger... hemming them together. Now, the work cloth
dampens the clatter of bobbins on the pricking. Ahhhhhh.... that's
more like it!
Clay
C Johnson wrote:
Hello everyone,
I am interested in the layer of felt, Clay, Did you use wool or acrylic
felt?
Thanks,
Susie
Morris, IL
I needed a pillow for a large project. I ordered foam blocks from Ken
van Dieren (he's in the US, as I am, but I'm sure you can find a
source in the UK). My pillow is wider than it is high, because I
reasoned that the space at the top would be wasted. So, I have three
5.5" blocks on each side, and three 11" blocks going down the middle.
(14 and 28 cm) so the total width is 22" (about 56 cm) and the height
is 16.5" (42 cm). I started my work near the top of the center block,
and as I've progressed, I've just moved the blocks up. I also made a
pair of "half-blocks" which are 11" wide but only 2.75" deep. This
makes it easier to move the blocks in smaller steps.
My blocks are covered first with a layer of felt and then with navy
twill. It is a very satisfactory pillow, and I expect to use it for a
lot of things.
-
To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line:
unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
