Creating the world around us, one stitch at a time

"How much stuffing do I need for a futon?"

That's a question we hear all the time around her, and our typical response is indeed correct, even if it isn't as specific as you might prefer: "It depends on what size of futon, how thick you want it to be, and how tightly packed you want the stuffing to be. You may choose to put natural latex, organic wool stuffing, or another filling material in the futon in addition to the organic cotton stuffing -- these different additions give different properties to the futon and also, of course, reduce the amount of cotton that you need. One option is to find a futon that you like (size, thickness, and overall feel) and weigh it, which should give you a fairly accurate idea of your stuffing needs."

We finally got smart, though, and asked our local organic futon maven, the doyenne of sustainable pillows (including gorgeous organic meditation cushions), Lois Hamamoto of Sachi Organics. Lois generously shared the knowledge she's gained from years of working with organic cotton stuffing, saying:
"we go by height rather than weight. We do, however, have a general and flexible weight for each size, and they are as follows:

I hope this helps!"

Upon further questioning, Lois added:

In addition to the cotton, we add 2 layers of wool (one top and one bottom) to each futon. This adds to the loft and the general height so that the futons come out at 6" in height. Each layer of wool is about 1" thick (will compress to half that height when stuffed) so the total height increases about 1", resulting in 6" overall. The futons will look thicker and will compress down as the casing is put on.

That's a lot of stuffing, isn't it? If the whole project seems a bit overwhelming we do recommend contacting Lois and the rest of the ethical, talented people at Sachi Organics. And if you still want to make your own, you'll need to decide between our Futon-Grade Organic Cotton Stuffing, our more refined Organic Cotton Stuffing/Organic Cotton Batting, and our Organic Wool Stuffing - Bolus. (Yes, you're allowed to use a combination of two or more types; we won't tell on you!)

Posted by Tara at 1:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The article Craft a Trip: Sewing Projects for Camping Comfort, by Fiona Duthie, shows how to "make your own hammock and other accessories, all with organic fabrics." My favorite project is the Utensil/Tool Roll, which is a much more elegant solution to the perennial problem of utensil storage than my generally-chosen "stick them all in a cloth bag and hope they're all still there when you get home" option. There are also roll-up placemats and a hammock made from Let It Grow Twill and Light Green Wide-Width Twill.

So why am I telling you this? Well, firstly because I love the idea of making a hammock, which for some reason I'd never really considered before. And it looks so easy, too! Secondly, because even though the article recommends using our Thicker Organic Cotton Cording as the hammock cords, we're not convinced it would work well as is. (You might want to consider braiding it, to add strength, or putting the cords much closer together so there are many more cords supporting the hammock, like you'd find in a Mayan-Style Hammock. Except, of course, made with cloth for the body and not as floppy thanks to the dowel. But still...) And thirdly, because we think it's pretty cool that we're the source listed for the various fabrics used throughout the article. That always makes us happy!

(You can find Living Crafts Magazine online, though you need to buy the magazine to get the actual article.)

Posted by Tara at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)