# Cotton question



## Sandi (Oct 4, 2011)

I have grown cotton for two years and I love it (Sea Island Brown this year), but I have 3 littles at home and no experience spinning so I haven't had time to practice and get good enough to do anything with my cotton. Eventually I will and I'll keep growing it. But in the meantime, what should I do with it? I'd love your ideas. Projects for my kids? Other crafts? Storage?

I have one specific project in mind, and I'd love any advice from anyone who has worked with raw cotton. My baby needs a little pillow of his own now and I thought I'd make one stuffed with this cotton. But my big kid has a dust mite allergy so I need to be able to wash and dry it in the dryer. I know folks boil spun cotton to set the twist, what will happen if I wash and dry a pillow made out of fluffy raw cotton? I could make something small and test it first, but if anyone already knows the answer that would be a big help.

Thanks!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

It’s going to wad up. Sorry!


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## Sandi (Oct 4, 2011)

Oh no! So when a company sells a cotton pillow, what do they do to it so that doesn't happen??!


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Never have seen a cotton FILLED pillow


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## GTX63 (Dec 13, 2016)

Off topic-When my wife's grandmother passed years ago my wife brought home her old goose down pillow. She said is was very firm, like I like pillows, and yet comfortable due to the down. Yeah.....
First night I slept on it I woke the next day with small scratches around my neck from where the quills, yes the quills, had poked out during the night attempting to murder me thru a death of a thousand cuts. Just another horror of having to live thru the depression.


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## tiffanysgallery (Jan 17, 2015)

Cover the pillow with a hypoallergenic pillow protector OP, to protect from allergies. Wash the cover as necessary.


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## fibrefarmer (Apr 24, 2018)

If the stuffing is firm enough, I don't know that it will ball up. Cotton doesn't felt but I could see it moving around in a washer/dryer situation. But it would be worth experimenting.

Another option is to quilt with it. Maybe a pillowcase with small pockets of cotton. That way if it does wad up, it will wad up in a small way. Or maybe as filler in a blanket.

Or it could be a great opportunity to learn to spin. Cotton is a lot of fun to work with and it sounds like you have a beautiful brown cotton. I would love to see a photo.


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## RebelDigger (Aug 5, 2010)

Late to the post but, I hope you washed the cotton before using it. You should see the filthy, dirty water left after I boil my hand spun yarn to set the twist. There are waxes and dirt present in all raw cotton and the best way to get rid of them is to boil the fiber, whether loose or already spun, in a large pot with a tablespoon or so of washing soda and a dash of Dawn dish soap for 20 minutes, rinse it and spread it out to dry. In the case of loose fiber, when it is almost dry, place it in a lingerie bag or pillowcase tied shut and run it through the dryer for 10 or 15 minutes to fluff it back up. If it is still compacted when you take it out you can pick it out and fluff it with your fingers unless you have cotton carders (you will need a set when you start to learn to spin it anyway to make punies to spin from). Then you can just comb it with the carders and fluff it that way.


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## fibrefarmer (Apr 24, 2018)

There are a lot of impurities that grow with the fibre naturally. If the cotton is grown organically, this isn't a problem to humans. 

Although some of the biocides used to grow cotton commercially, won't wash out as they are bonded with the fibres


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## Alice In TX/MO (May 10, 2002)

Not to mention the defoliant. And the lubricant used to facilitate the picking machine and the additive at the gin so it moves through.


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