What is Pillow Ticking?

After updating our master bedroom and replacing all the bedding, including pillows. I thought that throwing away two king size feather pillows would be a shame and possibly I could reuse them in some way (trying to be a little green). But the pillows had a problem with the feathers coming out through the cover. The pillows had a cleaning label that stated I could wash them. So I washed the pillows in hot water and soap, laid them outside in the sunshine to dry and flipped/fluffed them every 30 minutes until they were completely dry.

This is where I had to figure out how and for what I could reuse them. First I needed to figure a way to stop the feathers from coming out and then what could I make with these feathers. This is what brought me to the question "So what is pillow ticking?"

Pillow ticking is a somewhat stiff tightly woven cotton fabric and this tight weave makes it hard for the feathers to work their way through (sometimes you can find a cotton blend). Usually ticking fabric is off-white or white and striped in blue or red, also you can find it with a floral print and/or stripes. I went to my local JoAnn's and they had a few bolts of 'Pillow Ticking' and the best way to test the tightness of the weave is to hold the fabric up to the light, and if you can see light through the weave it's not a good quality.

I found a pretty white with yellow floral striped ticking.

Now the next question: Ways to Reuse Feather Pillows?

New Family Member

Introducing Ripley the Wonder Dog!!

She is a 5 1/2 week old Piebald Dachshund. She came to us all the way from Virgina. She is cute and spunky. We named her after the movie character Lt. Ellen Ripley from Alien. Yes, we are crazy - the guys would not let me namer her Tallulah (after Tallulah Bankhead the actress from the 30's and 40's) and I didn't like the names they were coming up with. One night we were sitting down relaxing in front of the tv and one of my favorite movies came on - Alien. We all agreed and she did to!

Pretty Eggs and Mockingbirds

When trimming the trees in winter we found an empty nest. Falling apart and all most gone, we decided to leave it and see if the birds that built it would return. And at the end of June I peeked in the new growth on the Crape Myrtle and spotted these beautiful eggs. Not really knowing what type of bird they were, we waited to see if the babies would survive.

Three of them did - look at those sweet faces. It was a sight to see me getting a photo of them, as the mother or father was not at all happy to have me visit them. She/he attacked me as I took this photo. I told her that I promised not to hurt her sweet babies, but she kept at me.

Come to find out these cuties are Mockingbirds. Also Mockingbirds just happen to be Florida's State Bird, and we happen to reside in Northern Florida.

Mom

just so you know ---- I will always love you!! No matter what happens or how I may act -- I will always love you - I love you!!!!