What can this wool wadding be used for?
This is lovely wool wadding weighted at 200GSM. It is ‘cartilage for crafters’ and perfect for use in projects which require a wadding to give some rigidity to items such as bags and quilts, craft projects and soft toys. It is a good choice for a heavier weight quilt. This high-quality wadding is a perfect eco-friendly choice for winter-weight quilted jackets, and quilts. But really, the sky is the limit with this wool so we encourage you to use your imagination and get creative! When you’ve been busy crafting and creating, do send us some photos. We love seeing your creations!
What is the difference between the 100% wool wadding and the wool + PLA-mix wadding?
Although weighted the same at 200GSM, both of the waddings have different feel and different properties. The wool is denser and has a bit more ridgity to it, while the wool-PLA mix is lofty and springy. They are each brilliant in their own way, it just depends on what wadding you personally prefer to work with, what you need the wadding for and what particular properties you require.
100% wool wadding
- Lofty (slightly flatter vs the wool-PLA mix which gives it a denser feel)
- 100% natural
- Breathable
- Hygroscopic
- Insulating
Wool (75%) + PLA (25%)
- Very lofty
- Lightweight
- Extra insulating
- 20mm thick
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.
Can I wash this product?
Unlike some other quilting waddings, our range has not undergone any artificial processing such as chlorination, acid stripping or plastic coating which is often used in the production of ‘superwash’ and machine washable wool.
We do not recommend that you wash this wadding before use. If you really want to wash your wadding or finished hand-made item and avoid vintage-style puckering then you can try gentle hand washing in 20 degrees centigrade and then air dry on a flat surface. However, this can in some instances cause stretch out the fibres and cause some areas of uneven thickness.
Why is wool a good material to use for projects and crafting?
Wool is fantastic for using for 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.
You can read more about the properties of wool on the Campaign for Wool website.
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