The Second Most Visited Page on the Blog

I don't use or buy a lot of plastic, but it is inevitable that some plastic bags and food containers or wrapping will come into my house and go out via the trash can. I suspect it's the same at your house. We all do our best to reduce plastics use.

But the unadvertised toxicity of both the manufacture and use of soft plastic textile fibers, like polyester and acrylic, disturbs me because I feel it takes away our informed choice.

I have one tutorial that is the most often visited page on my blog. The second most visited? The page tab of natural fiberfill vs. polyester fiberfill.

Polyester fiberfill is listed in the US Toxic Substances Control Act as an inert but toxic fiber. I won't rehash the whole thing. I'll let you read up on how it can cause a carcinogenic avalanche in pet and infant lungs and intestines and create endocrine disruption. You can do some more research into the water and air pollution caused at polyester fiber plants and the cancer rate among workers. 

And while you're at it, check out "oilcloth" which is no longer actually cloth soaked in linseed oil, but vinyl coated cotton fabric. Almost all vinyl contains lead. So much lead that Washington state banned lunchboxes because the lead was leaching into schoolchildren's lunches. 

Polyester fiberfill has only been patented as a toy stuffing since the mid-1960s. You know, back when DDT was being sprayed on our food and smoking was "good for you". Natural fibers are history's standards; plastic is the alternative.

And really, I don't judge: I created a project recently for a magazine shoot and didn't want to have to fill it with $30 of wool stuffing. I bought an brand new $3.50 cushion insert at a local thrift store and used that. It's the first time I've used polyester fill in 20 years.

So I'm not pointing fingers at anyone or waving eco-flags. I'm a real person just like you facing the issues the best I can.

Did you know there were this many delicious natural choices out there? I didn't! I encourage you to play with them. Have fun!

Giving Thanks for Natural Stuffing

Nope. I'm not talking about turkey (or tofurkey) stuffing, although we all have our favorite recipes. I'm thinking more along the lines of a recipe for natural crafting goodness.

This year, I am grateful for the increasing accessibility to natural fiberfill toy stuffing. Want to know why? Because I'm tired of people who want to sell us something telling us it's completely safe when it isn't. 


Why do people sell something? They want you to buy it. But WHY do they want you to buy it?

Natural stuffing choices, like cotton, kapok, and wool, were the norm until the 1960s when polyester fiberfill, a revolutionary, washable, lightweight fiber was made popular as a toy stuffing in mass-produced stuffed animals. Polyester fibers are made from oil-waste and by the 1960s, what to do with oil-waste was becoming a big problem. "Pollution" became a topic of motivation to reinvent this hazardous waste.

So makers of plastics want you to buy their products, because they don't want you to complain about that hazardous waste going into in your landfills, waterways, and air instead.

But polyester fiberfill is listed in the US Toxic Substances Control Act due to its toxicity when 1) it makes contact with soft tissue (eyes, lungs, stomach) and 2) when it produces highly toxic fumes when it burns.

Polyester fiberfill manufacture requires the use of half a dozen known highly toxic, carcinogenic, and polluting chemicals including dichloroethane. The making of these fibers, even the recycling of them, can never be considered eco-friendly given the amount of toxic pollution it causes to air and groundwater. According to this toxicology report by the CDC (Center for Disease Control), dichloroethane has been found in peanut butter due to manufacturing run-off into local groundwater near peanut farms.

If you aren't quite familiar with what polyester fiber really is, read this fascinating article describing the formation of polymers and specifically polyester and why it is more toxic than we have been led to believe.

Thank goodness nature is still providing plant and animal fibers for use in crafting, sewing, quilting, and toy-making. If you haven't played with warming wool fleece, bouncy non-GMO corn stuffing, or luxurious kapok, you're missing out on a world of sensory delights. 

Ready to buy a natural fiberfill? Here's my latest list of sources for natural fiberfill and also fabrics. 

And if you want to know more about the toy stuffing performance of various types of natural fill, read this.

To-do: If you have any favorite natural fiber or fabric sources where you live, please share them in them in the comments or email me so I can include them in the list. 

PS: Click on the turkey photo for a link to the pattern by Angel Lea Designs.

Natural Fiberfill Comparisons - Part Two: Ease of Use

Welcome to Part Two of the natural fiberfill comparison results.

If you haven't read part One: Costs & Sources click here.

I made eight simple cloth dolls from calico (US unbleached muslin) and filled them with 7 different stuffing materials (and two different grades of wool). Only those with an appreciable smell gets mention of odor. I began with 100 gm (3.5 oz.) of each fill except bamboo and the wool fleece which I grabbed from my own stock.

NOTE: When I speak of balling, clumping, or bunching while stuffing, I mean that as the fill is pushed into arms, head, or legs, it tends to pull together into a hard clump and as more fill is added, it merely sits behind the ball rather than meld with the fill already in the doll.

The dolls are identical. They are all 10" (25.5cm) tall and the hips are 3 1/4" (9.5cm) wide. The arms are 1 1/4" (3cm) wide mid-arm. All the dolls were stuffed to be about 1 1/2" (4cm) deep at the belly when stuffed. The exceptions are the bamboo because I had a very small amount to play with and the corn PLA which expanded to 2" (5cm).

These are my experiences with each one:

BAMBOO (Rayon)
Texture: soft and delicious
Sound: It squeaks when squished and kneaded.
Fiber length: medium
Ease of use: Easy to stuff with fingers or tool. Has some tendency to ball lightly as it is being pushed in but less than other fills. I was limited to a small amount of this fill and it did not fill the doll completely. The arms and legs and head were firmly filled, but the body is only loosely filled.
Amount of stuffing used: Started with just a good handful so I don't know how much I used. It was not enough to fill the doll.

NOTE: Bamboo habitats serve endangered species of animals. Be sure to question your sources to ensure ethical harvesting.

CORN
Texture: Feels most like plastic fiberfill. In fact, it feels more plastic than real plastic. Has an oily texture and leaves a thin oily residue on skin. Fluffy and bouncy. Bounces back when compressed. Feels like tiny balls of fill when pulled apart, similar to wool bolus, but immediately bonds to itself and magically melds together magically without feeling like dozens of tiny bits.
Fiber length: Fibers are somewhat short.
Ease of use: This was the most cumbersome fill to use. Its slippery nature made it frustrating as my fingers and tools would just slide by the stuffing as I was trying to push it into place. It has this magical quality of melding together seamlessly avoiding nearly all clumping or balling, and it expands really well, filling the area well. But I nearly lost the will to live trying to get that little doll stuffed. The neck is a bit unstuffed as it was so difficult to get purchase on the fill to help fill it out and connect it to the body. The stuffed doll feels lovely, however, and if you want a doll that feels like a lightweight but well-stuffed plastic fiber doll, this is the one to use. This stuffing created the most depth to the doll as it expands after filling. If you have the patience, or maybe latex gloves, go for it.
Amount of stuffing used: 55gm (1.94 ounces)

NOTE: Some corn PLA fills are made from genetically modified corn and some is not. Nature-Fil and Mountain Mist use GMO corn. Innergreen uses non-GMO corn.

COTTON
Texture: Cotton just feels wonderful to me. It's soft but dense unlike plastic or corn fills.
Smell: Very lightly fresh, like old fashioned linens dried in the sunshine.
Fiber length: short to medium
Ease of use: Cotton fills completely and solidly. Fills small bits and tubes well. Able to use tool to catch bits to shove into neck and armpits to create a solid feel and no sagging. Took no time at all to stuff the doll. Doll feels more solid than most other fills.
Amount of stuffing used: 65gm (2.29 ounces)

EUCALYPTUS (Tercel)
Texture: Soft as a cloud. You'll want a roomful just to throw yourself into.
Fiber length: Long fibers
Ease of use: Very pleasant to use. Stuffs easily without balling, bunching, or clumping. Fills neck and armpits well and seamlessly. I was hesitant that the long fibers would fold and create hard balls and clumps. It's softer than anything I've ever felt. But it stuffed well and was my personal favorite for ease of use and overall lightweight quality. Very clean product. Lovely to work with.
Amount of stuffing used: 70gm (2.47 ounces)

NOTE: Eucalyptus habitats serve endangered species. Be sure to question your sources to ensure ethical harvesting.

HEMP
Texture: Take hemp string. Cut it into millions of 3-5cm/ 1-2 inch pieces. It feels like a cross between unbleached paper hairs and rope hairs.
Fiber length: short
Ease of use: This is terrible stuff for toys. Sawdusty. Must be stuffed a little bit at a time. Stuffs unevenly and feels like a series of (hair thin) straw clumps. Difficult to get it to fill small areas like the thumb of the hands. Does not bounce back when the doll is squeezed.
Amount of stuffing used: 70gm (2.47 ounces)

KAPOK
Texture: Soft, silky, and delicious to the touch.
Fiber length: medium to long
Ease of use: I was warned that you should wear a mask when filling a toy as the fibers become airborne in a heartbeat and make a mess of the room. I would cut that warning in half and say that grabbing it from the bag and stuffing the doll made some little bit of mess and yes, fibers were seen floating about now and then, and yes, it stuck to my jeans a bit and had to be lint brushed off, but it wasn't at all the exploding nightmare I thought it would be. It's a joy to use, except for the lint brush clean-up. It feels great in the hands, very soft. Stuffs mildly unevenly with a very little bit of balling and clumping next to some more lightly stuffed areas.
Amount of stuffing used: 60gm (2.12 ounces)

   
WOOL TOPS/BOLUS
Texture: Like dreadlocks. Matted bunches of hair.
Smell: like sheep but only when shoved up to my face
Fiber length: long
Ease of use: Basically, you are stuffing the doll with lumps of matted hair. Must stuff small bits at a time or it lumps and clumps and hardens into small balls terribly. Does not feel like fiberfill; neither silky nor uniform. Hard to pull apart bits. I have no idea what this is used for normally. UPDATE: Melissa of Ecofilling.com explained this organic wool is mainly used in pet bedding.
Amount of stuffing used: 60gm (2.12 ounces)

WOOL FLEECE
Texture: Bouncy and soft, but not silky.
Smell: like sheep but only if shoved up to my face
Fiber length: medium long
Ease of use: I have used this stuffing for many years and I will continue to use it although I am moved to try out the eucalyptus in my next doll. This stuff is easy to pull apart. It shreds beautifully and creates a very soft bunch in the hands to stuff with. Pushes easily with fingers or tool and a tool will grab bits to stuff necks and armpits to create solid and seamless stuffing. The main problem with wool fleece is learning how to not shove more and more in and creating clumps and a hard doll rather than a seamless stuffing in a lightweight doll. It's not difficult, but it is a bit of a learning curve. Luckily, because it has more heft than most stuffings, it will stay in place and you can pull it this way and that, in effect shredding it inside the doll to open the fibers and soften the stuffing. I love the way a wool stuffed doll feels as wool warms in the hands creating a life-like feel between the child and the doll.
Amount of stuffing used: I grabbed a hank from my stash from Morningstar Crafts so I don't know how much I used.

NEXT: Part Three: Washability

You'll be amazed at the results! The results of washing alone surprised me. Add the dryer and....well, you've just gotta come back. Safe to say, the results were NOT what I expected at all.

Poly Fiberfill: Real-life Monster in Your Child's Toys

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I've been having this problem lately. It's a mental problem, a frustration, a sadness. It comes up when I look at friends' beautiful toys and dolls and patterns. It happens when I gawk in awe at art dolls made of wool and linen, with carefully hand stitched elements and embroidery. It forces an Armageddon-powered "why gods why" cry of despair to come flying out of my mouth like demons from craft-hell.

My problem is this: WHY IS ANYONE WHO LOVES CHILDREN AND ART STILL USING CHEAP POLY FIBERFILL IN THEIR PRODUCTS AND DESIGNS?

Poly Fiberfill is my main nemesis. My skin crawls when I see art plush dolls made from wool and linen with carefully handmade accessories and then stuffed with polyfill. ESPECIALLY when those dolls sell for $250. Polyfill feels cheap. It has no heft. It feels weightless. It feels dead. It has no physical warmth.

And while the abstracts on the finished products state it is inert in its finished form, they also state that protective measures must be taken when using such fibers. Contradiction? You bet! There are other abstracts that clearly state the consequences of ingesting or inhaling these fibers (more below).

Yet our infants suck on these fibers daily, breathing and ingesting fake fur and leaking fiberfill which are coated with silver colloid and Triclosan antibacterial agents and other plastics meant to keep the plastic toxins from leaching out of the fiber.

Plastic fibers are just that: plastic. Taiwanese manufacturing calls these chemical fibers. In truth they are petrochemical fibers. They are made from oil waste. They are the poop of oil production. And we are covering our nakedness with them and hand sewing cuddly toys from them. They pollute on a grand scale and we take no responsibility for that as the end-user of these fabrics and fibers made in other countries. If they were produced in our own backyard, we might have a different opinion about their safety.

REASONS FOR NEVER AGAIN USING POLYESTER FIBERFILL AND FABRICS:

• It is made from polyethylene terepthalate. Poly fiberfill is registered in the US Toxic Substances Control Act. This would not be necessary if the product were considered completely non-toxic. 
• Fibers are coated with additional chemicals, pesticides, and bactericides to seal in toxins and kill natural elements.
• EPA studies show chemical fiber manufacture creates "significant emissions" while "particulate emissions from fiber plants are relatively low, at least an order of magnitude lower than solvent VOC emissions". read here
• Engineers such as Anguil have been contracted to create better toxic by-product recapture machinery because "the oxidation and carbonization furnaces and ovens emit hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)...some of which are extremely dangerous to human health, even in very small quantities. Other pollutants of concern for carbon fiber producers include harmful gasses such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide." 
• Studies in countries engaged in "chemical fiber manufacturing" show extremely high levels of carbon pollution and carcinogenic particles in local water and air. read here
• In manufacturing poly fiberfill, three known carcinogens are produced in excess of occupational safety limits. (Health and Safety - UK)
• Polyfill is deemed to cause no respiratory distress, yet according to many sources, manufacture AND USE of these fibers require proper ventilation and respiratory protection. read this
• Polyfill decomposes with heat and emits hazardous gasses (vinyl acetate and acetic acid). read here
• Hazardous gasses are produced when burned: carbon monoxide, organic gasses, aldehydes, alcohols, and calcium salts. read here
• While ingestion and inhalation of poly fiberfill is considered "unlikely", safety warnings are: "Prolonged exposure may cause skin irritation." AND "If ingested may cause abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea." AND when inhaled can "cause irritation to upper respiratory tract, nose, and throat and can result in coughing, chest discomfort, and headache." read here

So there's my rant and there's the evidence. Polyester fiberfill is not the faultless angel of toymaking and neither are plastic fiber fabrics. They have consequences in our world. They are not clean and harmless. 

And here are some of the many other original choices for toy and doll stuffing. 

• Wool
• Cotton
• Kapok
• Buckwheat
• Syriaca (milkweed)
• Corn (not generally GMO free according to the manufacturers) read here
• Down and feathers
• Your fabric, thread, and yarn scraps
• Denim insulation

This is where I get my wool fleece stuffing. If you are in Australia, I highly recommend this woman-owned home business: http://www.morningstarcrafts.com.au

CHALLENGE: Polyfill is the alternative so the challenge is to go back to a natural toy and doll stuffing option. For toy pattern makers, make your next sample doll out of cotton fleece or flannel or linen and stuff with any of the above non-plastic stuffing materials. Note what materials you used to make your doll and give materials options that enable the maker to choose for themselves but also educates them to the possibility of using a natural, less-harming product. If you make and sell toys, consider a natural fibers product to expand your customer base.