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SueAnn Help Advisor, Banner SponsorAug 19, 2008

Donna, I think it's called Baby Fat and you can find it at "Bountiful Baby".  http://www.bountifulbaby.com/seaside/in … k=sQhbRFsg
I have some of the x-tra soft pellets and they are more pliable than regular soft pellets, plus they're kind of 'sticky'.  I also have the baby fat forms . . . they look like bra inserts and are really soft.

kellydean Aug 20, 2008

Hey Kelly,
I have a question for you about stuffing products.  I believe it was Trash Can Ted that in the description, it stated he was packed with silicone.  This gave him a more natural or realistic look and feel.  This product is different from the normal plastic pellets that we sometime use, correct?  I was looking at the silicone dolls at Expo and loved the way they bounced and moved when carried.  Is this a similar product?   I bought some of the squishy pellets that Edinburgh sold for awhile but did not see a difference in how it packed in the the bears.  Were these the same product that you are using?
Thanks,
Donna

hey donna,

the silicone pellets I've been using are quite different from regular plastic pellets, and as SueAnn mentioned, you can buy the 'baby fat' pellets that they use for reborn dolls (whatta icky term).  I've tried the silicone pellets from edinburgh also, and wasn't very impressed.  I bought mine from a supplier at a show in england and am dreading finding a  suitible US replacement when they run out.  I've ckecked out the 'boob' inserts, too, but haven't tried those yet. 

let me know if you find something good out there.  apparently no one has a decent source for excelsior

Daphne Aug 20, 2008

Kelly- I know you asked this in another thread and I didn't think of it then but I just did! (where's the smiley with a light bulb over it's head??) Have you tried florist suppliers? Excelsior is used when shipping bulbs among other things. I used to work at a florist and brought home tons of great woodwool for bears... until I stopped using it and gave it all away. I'm sure there are still different qualities among the florsit suppliers too but a place to look none the less. You might even go to a florist near you and inquire.

rkr4cds Aug 20, 2008

I bought some Inego (sp?) Corn fiber at several fiber fests last year, from different producers, to test it for needle felting proerties.
In short - it doesn't.
Trying to get the needle in was akin to trying to slip a stick into a pile of stones and rocks: yes it would go in but only with a lot of wiggling and gentle pushing. Along with the fact that the cuticle layer has no scales to catch on each other, it's not a good medium for needling.

It reminded me of a fiber we had in one teaching job, when the promoter insisted on providing the materials. It was a nice wool, with tiny bits of colored mill waste - cotton & silk bit mixed in. Every time the needle hit one it was like hitting a rock.....  and a good many needles were broken by the beginners.
I had taken my own fiber and more than half the class had switched to my Romney fiber to create their bear.

In that corn is a renewable source I thought the fiber would be useful for 'SOMEthing' if not needle felting; stuffing would be good though!
It does feel smooth and soft yet oddly sticky/cottony... as Daphne quotes, kinda icky. Can't accurately describe it, it's just 'different'.

I'm sure that the cottony/sticky part would allow it to pack in very tightly. I don't know about stitching through it (Noses, needle sculpting, etc..) All cotton makes a very hard packed inside to try to stitch through - perhaps someone could try that experiment with the bamboo & inego and report their results.

Also, when the first Hemp link was given, I went to the site - and ordered a few of the Tshirts!  I'll LYK after wearing them for work-outs.
I have 2 linen/cotton shirts in the 'camp shirt', button-front style and the color has faded but the fabric itself has just gotten softer & softer. They are 18 years old - the only way I can remember that is because I wore them at our first family reunion. I'm hoping that this is how the hemp shirt will be, softer & softer as time goes on!

Daphne Aug 20, 2008

Bobbie - I have two of those hemp t-shirts.... they are SOOOO soft and light-weight... like having nothing on!!   I love them!! Bought them last year..... color has only faded a wee bit but shape has not changed and they didn't shrink.