PILLOWTALK: Peak Stuffing (Deborah Goodwin)

Deborah stuffing a pillow in her loft

Oct. 5, 2011 (ShapeShiftas) -- Today I plan to stuff some new pillows to bring to Art in the Park this weekend (http://www.chaffeeartcenter.org/art_park.html - booth #68). So naturally I thought, "what else can I do besides stuffing pillows?"

It's not that I dislike the work. I enjoy working with my hands, shaping the pillows and giving each one character and personality. It's just that I can't help thinking about the petroleum we are using up by filling each pillow with polyester fiberfill.

I've spent a lot of time researching filling for ShapeShiftas. I've tried fiber made from corn, bamboo, cotton -- too limp, too expensive, not enough loft, not washable. There was the fiasco that was trying out kapok -- I stuck my hands in the box & began to fill, only to find tiny fibers flying all over that made me sneeze, itch, and weep. Only polyester fiberfill has the shaping, handling, and hypo-allergenic qualities that I want.

I'd feel a little better if we could use recycled polyester. I am still looking for a supplier. It's made from soda bottles that would otherwise go into landfill. Alas the companies that made recycled fiberfill stopped -- they couldn't sell it because it was more expensive than new polyester fiberfill. I guess no one cares enough about our dwindling oil supplies to pay a little more for their pillows and stuffed animals.

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http://worldnewstrust.com/all-content/peak-stuffing-deborah-goodwin.html