What is PLA?
PLA stands for polylactic acid which is a bioplastic lofting agent made from corn starch or sugar cane. PLA is an eco-friendly and effective alternative to polyester fibres. Combining a proportion of PLA with the wool makes a more light and lofty material. The added loftiness provides extra insulating properties without adding weight.
Why is wool a good material to use for projects and crafting?
Wool is fantastic for use in projects and crafting. It is the warmest and most environmentally friendly type of wadding you can use.
The wool in this wadding is washed which smooths the wool fibres making them more pleasant to the touch and to work with. Although this wadding is lightweight, fine and malleable, wool is a strong fibre which ensures the wadding doesn’t beard or migrate as you work with it; In fact, wool fibres are able to resist tearing and are able to be bent back on themselves over 20,000 times without breaking (basically, it is very forgiving when working with it!).
Wool is a great material for wadding in quilts and coats because of lots of naturally occurring properties. One of its main properties is that it is hygroscopic. This means that as the humidity of the surrounding air rises and falls, the fibre absorbs and releases water vapour. Heat is generated and retained during the absorption phase, which makes wool multi-climatic and trans-seasonal. When it needs to be, it is a natural insulator, reacting to changes in body temperature. This capacity to absorb and release moisture also makes it naturally breathable and odour resistant (releasing sweat into the air before bacteria has a chance to develop and produce unpleasant body odour). As we mentioned earlier, wool is also very resilient which means when using it in garments and blankets, compared to synthetic alternatives it is able to retain its shape in the long term without wrinkling or sagging.
Do you have other types of wool wadding?
Yes we do! We've got some lovely stuff that we haven't got around to listing yet, eg 150gsm, 450gsm, and some gorgeous thick Alpaca wadding or batting, so if you're looking for something and can't see it listed, email us at info@chimneysheep.co.uk
