Foam instead of polyester batting

I want to make some machine-quilted fabric with ax. 1/8" foam inside.
Anybody had experience with this? Haven't found a foam supplier yet,
either. Need flexible open-cell foam for flexibility.

ruffian125 wrote:

I want to make some machine-quilted fabric with ax. 1/8" foam inside.
Anybody had experience with this? Haven't found a foam supplier yet,
either. Need flexible open-cell foam for flexibility.

Anywhere that cuts foam to order should be able to cut this for you.
Look in your local yellow pages, there's bound top be someone there. If
not a specialist foam place, ask at your local curtain fabric warehouse.

Quilting foam is a little different from quilting batting, as it's MUCH
bouncier! You really do need to keep several things in mind:

Basting is almost impossible with conventional basting methods - try a
spray baste (they didn't exist when I had to do this, so it got basted
with 4" stitches, and it took nearly as long as the quilting did! AND I
only basted round the edges, not being a quilter in those days, and
knowing no better!)

A walking or even feed foot is a must - nothing else will cope with this
sort of thing! I didn't have one, first time round, and it was hell!
Later, the walking foot made the difference between 'bloody difficult'
and 'effin' impossible'!

You need to increase the foot presser pressure so it really squashes the
foam so the stitches form properly

You will need fabric on BOTH sides of the foam or it sticks to the
machine bed and shreds on the teeth

Stiffer fabrics work better! I was using stuff like metallic ironinng
board fabric on the outside and starched calico ('muslin' in the USA) on
the inside.

KEEP THE QUILTING PATTERN SIMPLE! Use thicker thread if you can. Be
prepared for the foam to grab the thread and hang onto it, leading to
loopy and/or skipped stitches.

SEW SLOWLY!

I did this many years ago when at college, as part of a costuming
adventure for some play or other I was involved in. It was bloody hard
work! Good luck! Sorry - I never did have pix of this one: awe
inspiringly insipid play, nasty costumes - wouldn't even let them put me
name on the program! I'd rather sew the sequins again!

Until you mentioned this, I'd forgotten doing these horrible things! Do
I thank you for resurrecting a 'lost' memory, or call down evil curses
on you for reminding me of something that was a complete pain from start
to finish? There are some parts of my college career in the mid 70's
that are better forgotten... ;P

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