[lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair
I just got my first ethafoam pillow, and I find working on it a new experience. Until now, I've worked Torchon on a traditional straw-stuffed Belgian cookie pillow and Cantu lace on a traditional horsehair-stuffed tombolo (Italian bolster pillow). Ethafoam is a softer, with more give in it, as well as being smoother. It was a strange experience at first, maybe like walking on an especially thick carpet after hours on the beach. I didn't like it very much in the beginning (it felt mushy), but I got used to it after an hour's work or so, but I find that it slows me down a little. I certainly enjoy the infinitely lighter weight when I move it around. (I have a weakness in my left arm AND I slightly fractured my clavicle a couple of weeks ago.) No particular reason for this post, other than that I thought it might be interesting for some to hear the experience of someone who started with traditional pillows before trying out ethafoam. I wonder if anyone else has had similar thoughts or experiences. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair
I have never yet seen ethafoam pillows in the UK. Most pillows here are polyester foam or high-density foam, but none last all that long. Then you can buy barley straw pillows, ususally around 20 domed round. I have one of these and love it. I recently bought a large pillow from Germany, filled with coconut fibre. It weighs a tonne but is sturdy and should last a lifetime, but I do not think I'll carry it to class. Agnes Boddington- elloughton UK I just got my first ethafoam pillow, and I find working on it a new experience. Until now, I've worked Torchon on a traditional straw-stuffed Belgian cookie pillow and Cantu lace on a traditional horsehair-stuffed tombolo (Italian bolster pillow). - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair
- To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair
Sorry about the empty msg--Yahoo strikes again. The text was in my Sent mail copy at least: From: Nancy Neff nnef...@yahoo.com To: Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk; Sister Claire quietasa...@gmail.com; lace@arachne.com Sent: Sun, July 25, 2010 10:09:29 AM Subject: Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair I bought my first straw-filled pillow last year, and at first I loved it. After being away from it for a couple of weeks then going back to it, however, I discovered that the 'cold' I had been fighting off the first time I used it was really allergies--I seem to be allergic to something in the stras. It's just like hay-fever, so I wonder if it has to do with when they cut the straw for the filling or if there was grass in the barley field or what. Bummer. Does anyone want to buy a $150 straw pillow from me? I'll pay shipping within eastern USA! Nancy, sneezing in Connecticut. From: Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk To: Sister Claire quietasa...@gmail.com; lace@arachne.com Sent: Sun, July 25, 2010 8:15:27 AM Subject: Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair ... Then you can buy barley straw pillows, ususally around 20 domed round. I have one of these and love it. ... I just got my first ethafoam pillow, and I find working on it a new experience. Until now, I've worked Torchon on a traditional straw-stuffed Belgian cookie pillow and Cantu lace on a traditional horsehair-stuffed tombolo (Italian bolster pillow). - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
Hi Agnes and everyone In essence, ethafoam = polystyrene , also known as polyethylene-based extruded foam, for our lace pillows. It has many uses; museums use it for packing artifacts. I first heard of the wonderful ethafoam substance for a lace pillow from Pat Hallam, from the UK! and that was quite a few years ago now. She used the name ethafoam. I hadn't heard of the term polystyrene until I saw it mentioned by Russell at SMP Lace (going back slightly less years...). Bev in Shirley BC Canada On , Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I have never yet seen ethafoam pillows in the UK. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
I had the impression that ethafoam was like memory foam, and wondered about the suitability for lace pillows, as it is rather soft adn squigy. Agnes Boddington Hi Agnes and everyone In essence, ethafoam = polystyrene , also known as polyethylene-based extruded foam, for our lace pillows. It has many uses; museums use it for packing artifacts. Bev in Shirley BC Canada On , Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I have never yet seen ethafoam pillows in the UK. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
I definitely found it soft and squidgy, but after about an hour I got used to working on it. I don't think I'd care to work on it all the time, though it does have its uses and I am not sorry I bought it. By the way, I got mine from an American supplier. Sr. Claire On Sun, Jul 25, 2010 at 21:28, Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I had the impression that ethafoam was like memory foam, and wondered about the suitability for lace pillows, as it is rather soft adn squigy. Agnes Boddington - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
'Memory foam' as I know it is for mattresses. Ethafoam or whatever one wants to call this closed-cell polyethyl product is firm and just fine for lace pillows. I cover mine with a layer of wool fabric, felt or something else thin but cushiony to prevent the plastic 'feel' between the cover cloth and the surface. On Jul 25, 2010 11:28am, Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I had the impression that ethafoam was like memory foam, and wondered about the suitability for lace pillows, as it is rather soft - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
Actually, ethafoam is polyethylene which is chemically different than polystyrene and they behave very differently. Polystyrene breaks down very easily, whereas ethafoam is self-healing. I've had two of my ethafoam pillows for more than ten years and they are as firm as the day I bought them with no breakdown in the center of the pillow. Ethafoam does grab the pin and it can feel a little mushy, but it is very easy to get used to. I have straw pillows as well. I tend to prefer to do large, complicated projects on the straw pillows, and I like to use my ethafoam pillows for workshops and demos because they are feather light. Sherry -Original Message- From: walker.b...@gmail.com Sent: Jul 25, 2010 12:55 PM To: Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk Cc: lace@arachne.com Subject: Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ... Hi Agnes and everyone In essence, ethafoam = polystyrene , also known as polyethylene-based extruded foam, for our lace pillows. It has many uses; museums use it for packing artifacts. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
Google ethafoam polystyrene - interesting links. Polyethylene is a generic name for the molecular base for many plastics. On Jul 25, 2010 11:58am, Sherry Naleszkiewicz sherry.naleszkiew...@mindspring.com wrote: Actually, ethafoam is ... - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
RE: [lace] Ethafoam ...
Yes, Agnes...what I know as ethafoam is, as you say, like memory foam. Although the two pillows I own aren't soft at alljust not rock-hard like some of the polystyrene products. The material in my pillows is a bit like the stuff pool noodles are made of - just a little bit firmer. One of my pillows came from England (I think the chap who made it has given up and gone fishing or something) and the other came from the U.S.The English one is nearly 20 years old, has had constant use, and is still as good as new, unlike my pillows stuffed with other substances. Even my horsehair pillow has a very slightly soft bit in the centre. Ruth (Sydney, Australia) -Original Message- From: owner-l...@arachne.com [mailto:owner-l...@arachne.com] On Behalf Of Agnes Boddington Sent: Monday, 26 July 2010 4:29 AM To: walker.b...@gmail.com; lace@arachne.com Subject: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ... I had the impression that ethafoam was like memory foam, and wondered about the suitability for lace pillows, as it is rather soft adn squigy. Agnes Boddington Hi Agnes and everyone In essence, ethafoam = polystyrene , also known as polyethylene-based extruded foam, for our lace pillows. It has many uses; museums use it for packing artifacts. Bev in Shirley BC Canada On , Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I have never yet seen ethafoam pillows in the UK. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
Sorry to cite my Dad as my authoritative source but he is an organic chemist and materials engineer, so... The following information is from him. Polyethylene is a specific type of plastic, made from a specific and distinct polymer. Polyethylene plastics can be produced in many different forms, such as thin sheets (e.g. many plastic wraps), molded forms (e.g. lots of plastic containers), and foams. Ethafoam, as its name might suggest, is a polyethylene foam (the type manufactured by Dow Chemical). Polypropylene and polystyrene are two other types of plastics, both chemically distinct from polyethylene. Polyethylene and polypropylene are chemically both polymers made of linear molecules, with polypropylene having single-carbon side branches at every third carbon atom in the molecular chain, which makes it a little stronger than polyethylene. Both are somewhat elastic and flexible at the molecular level, which is why the pin-holes in the polyethylene foam tend to close up and the foam doesn't break down. In contrast, the polystyrene polymer has a circular molecular shape with a methyl group sticking out from one of the carbons in the circle. Polystyrene is a more brittle plastic, even at the molecular level, which is why it breaks down with repeated pin insertions. Memory foam is probably a mixture of polyurethane with other plasticizers, but he wasn't sure of the details because he never had occasion in his work with polymers to evaluate it or work with it. Anyway, it is definitely soft and 'squidgy' and not at all suitable for lace pillows. He also told me a lot about relative flammability, resistance to solvents, etc., all of which I don't think is particularly relevant to our questions about Ethafoam lace pillows, but if anyone wants to know... ;-) This link may also be of interest since it is gives lots more information about various types of polyethylene foams: http://cool.conservation-us.org/byauth/williams/foam.html as well as a discussion from a conservator's point of view. The polypropylene foam mentioned, Strandfoam, might be interesting to try for lace pillows, since it would probably be 'tougher' and maybe firmer to the feel (but also more expensive) than Ethafoam. Hope this clarifies some of the questions about plastics that have been batted about in the last few hours. Nancy, still sweltering in our heat wave in Connecticut. From: walker.b...@gmail.com walker.b...@gmail.com To: Sherry Naleszkiewicz sherry.naleszkiew...@mindspring.com; walker.b...@gmail.com Cc: Agnes Boddington ag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk; lace@arachne.com Sent: Sun, July 25, 2010 3:31:53 PM Subject: Re: Re: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ... Google ethafoam polystyrene - interesting links. Polyethylene is a generic name for the molecular base for many plastics. On Jul 25, 2010 11:58am, Sherry Naleszkiewicz sherry.naleszkiew...@mindspring.com wrote: Actually, ethafoam is ... - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
RE: [lace] Ethafoam ...
I bought some Ethafoam through a store in Canberra once, and the constantly used block pillow I made with it several years ago shows no sign of wear. The Canberra firm no longer supplies the foam, but I've found an Australian supplier, and I know of at least one lacemaker who has visited them and purchased a sheet, says they were very helpful. Their website is at http://metrofoam.com.au/ethafoam-220.html, and at least this page shows a picture of what the stuff looks like. Noelene in Cooma, with a minus 5 degree frost this morning. nlaffe...@ozemail.com.au - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam after straw and horse hair
Hi, Just thought I'd jump in here with a possible suggestion when working on an Ethafoam pillow. Years ago I was told to put a covering of wool over the foam and between the pillow covering. I have used old wool skirts or blankets that I have washed in hot water and put in the dryer. Even my husbands old wool uniforms. This layer of wool seems to make things so much easier to work on the pillows. Feels like there is some thing for the pins to grab on to. Just my two cents worth. Patsy A. Goodman Pres. Chula Bobbin Lacers Sister Claire quietasa...@gmail.com wrote: I just got my first ethafoam pillow, and I find working on it a new experience. Ethafoam is a softer, with more give in it, as well as being smoother. It was a strange experience at first, maybe like walking on an especially thick carpet after hours on the beach. I didn't like it very much in the beginning (it felt mushy), but I got used to it after an hour's work or so, but I find that it slows me down a little. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
Re: [lace] Ethafoam ...
And here am I still working on my original sawdust pillow of 21 years. I've never had to refill it. I just turn it upside down on the floor on a cover cloth and dance on the bottom to redistribute the sawdust once in a while. Granted it is heavy to lug around but I wouldn't be without it. Shirley T. - Adelaide, South Australia with beautiful sunny days and cold, cold nights. On 26/07/2010 5:37 AM, Ruth Budge wrote: One of my pillows came from England (I think the chap who made it has given up and gone fishing or something) and the other came from the U.S.The English one is nearly 20 years old, has had constant use, and is still as good as new, unlike my pillows stuffed with other substances. Even my horsehair pillow has a very slightly soft bit in the centre. Ruth (Sydney, Australia) -Original Message- From: owner-l...@arachne.com [mailto:owner-l...@arachne.com] On Behalf Of Agnes Boddington Sent: Monday, 26 July 2010 4:29 AM To: walker.b...@gmail.com; lace@arachne.com Subject: Re: [lace] Ethafoam ... I had the impression that ethafoam was like memory foam, and wondered about the suitability for lace pillows, as it is rather soft adn squigy. Agnes Boddington Hi Agnes and everyone In essence, ethafoam = polystyrene , also known as polyethylene-based extruded foam, for our lace pillows. It has many uses; museums use it for packing artifacts. Bev in Shirley BC Canada On , Agnes Boddingtonag...@weatherwax.karoo.co.uk wrote: I have never yet seen ethafoam pillows in the UK. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com -- J.S. S.R. Tregellas 14 Sheringa Drive, Morphett Vale, SA 5162 Electronics and Ham Radio Home Page http://www.users.on.net/~endsodds - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachnemodera...@yahoo.com
