feather throw pillows shedding, help!

14 years ago

What can I wrap around my down pillow inserts that will keep them from poking feathers through the inserts and through my throw pillows? There must be something I can wrap them with to stop them from shedding. The 20" pillows have zippered access to the down inserts.

Featured Answer

kman1602

10 years ago

Hey guys! I've done some research on this subject because I have the same problem. My couch is all down feather filled. It seems like a foolish idea now because when you sit down you are guaranteed to get poked by a sharp feather.
so...
problem:
some material needs to be put between the pillow and the pillow case to stop the feathers from coming through

Solution:

Plastic- will work obviously, but it may come at the risk of your couch having a plastic feel and sound coming from it.

Fabric- a high thread count means that the fabric is thicker and therefore harder for the feathers to
penetrate. What thread count will stop down from coming through.
200 or more thread count will slow the rate at which feathers penetrate and that rate will be determined by the fabric used. 200 however is the universal safe number for ultimate down feather stoppage!

NOW... saying that, there is this magic material designed just for the purpose of stopping the down feather assault it is called TICKING. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticking
It is what your grandmothers old chair was covered in. It is common at all fabric stores and I used it between my pillows and covers of the couch. since then I have not seen a feather nor felt one! the thread count on ticking is 220. It comes in different patterns as well so it can be used as the outer cover of furniture .

hope this helps,

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (17)

dgmarie
Original Author
14 years ago
I did find these from BBandB but I'd need to cut them shorter to fit 20" throws. At $5.99 for two that's pretty cheap. Anything better out there? I need 8 total cases of them for the living room.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14181598&RN=36&KSKU=109091
mitchdesj
14 years ago
I would try wrapping them in some kind of dacron batting, buy a few yards and cut them to size.
Related Discussions
Throw Pillows 101
Q
Comments (7)
A 20 inch pillow isn't going to be the same as a bed pillow. It's a 20" square. I would definitely go with the down inserts. They make such a difference in how your pillows look. So much better than foam (IMO). I have gotten several at PB (watch for a sale), but look on-line and you may find some at better prices. I've also been lucky enough to pick up a few at places like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, etc. with down inserts for such a good price (and removeable covers) that it doesn't matter if I use that cover or not - I got the insert for a steal. On my sofa I have two 22" (I believe that's what they are) and two 18". Or maybe it's 18 and 20. I would use different sizes. Also, I forgot to mention - buy your insert larger than your cover. I use a 20" insert in an 18" cover, for example. I also use lumbar pillows. Look at PB online for examples of different shapes/sizes used together. I love pillows and think they make a huge difference in a room. I changed out my sunroom pillows and throw yesterday for a springier/summer look. We're not couch nappers and the pillows on our sofa aren't actually used that much but I love the look. I usually tell friends/guests to just put them out of the way if they bother them. If they like to use them - that's okay too! tina
...See More
(pic's) Sofa throw pillows, why am I finding this so hard!
Q
Comments (27)
Don't know if you have an IKEA around, but if you do, check out their cushion covers (I think you can also order on line for many of them). They have some amazing choices for a very reasonable price, and their feather pillow stuffers are terrific, again at a good price (they are not down, but fowl feathers, and are a great deal - I have a ton of them). The Alvine Lov pillow is wonderful, all embroidered, and a good size for your couches. I have two of those - shades of yellow, green and a blue-grey. The Urusula could be a perfect neutral for in there, and is 26x26, so a good corner pillow, with something more colorful in front of that if you like. I also like the Benzy Land.
...See More
Help with throw pillow inserts
Q
Comments (8)
Feather inserts can be plumped up over and over/as needed. Synthetic inserts might not have the same ability to retain their shape (not over time). At least, that's what I have heard/read. FWIW, the down inserts that came with our C&B and West Elm pillows fluff back up very nicely after they've been leaned on or laid upon.
...See More
What color throw pillows for red, green and gold couch.
Q
Comments (98)
Thank you BAC717! The rug is probably my most favorite item in this room and honestly I never would have even purchased it if it were not for the help of my fellow Houzzers. I do not have a good eye for decorating, and these guys have really helped me see the possibilities. We've been in our house for 7 years and this room has always been a struggle. it just seemed gloomy and blah! To me, the room has so much more character now and it's more "me". My 2 posters came in the mail this week. I'm going try to get them framed and hung this weekend. We are still undecided on a paint color. Someone recommended BM Natural cream, which I like; however, because I want to use the same color throughout the entire first level, I have to make sure the wall color works with the kitchen cabinet color (BM Dove White), which has grey undertones. I'll check out the color you recommended also. I have a bunch of paint sample cards but no real contenders yet. Good luck with your room. Let me know when you post and I'll check it out.
...See More
bungalow_house
14 years ago
I asked this same question a while back. Those feathers are sharp!!

Apparently there is a fabric known as down-proof that you could encase them in. The cases you linked to don't mention that, so they might not help you. If you find something quick and easy that works, please let us know.
moonshadow
14 years ago
I have down cushions in my leather sofa, it's several years old and when new those feathers poking through the leather drove me nuts (and sometimes hurt!). I finally put a thin layer of batting over the down and it slowed it quite a bit. A few years ago I got some silk throw pillows with down in them. (Silk is a zippered case.) I put multiple layers of thin synthetic batting around the down inserts. You'd think if the occasional stray feather still pokes through leather they'd poke through the batting + silk on the pillows, but it's not been a problem (maybe a stray one here and there). Perhaps because there isn't a lot of pressure and movement shoving the feathers around inside the pillows as there is on the sofa?
dgmarie
Original Author
14 years ago
The cases I linked are down proof:

"Zippered Pillow Protector (Set of 2), 100% Cotton, 250 Thread Count

Keep your pillows clean and fresh with these zippered pillow protectors that encase your entire pillow. Feather and down proof, they will extend the life of your pillows for years to come. 100% cotton, 250 thread count. Machine wash. Imported. Set includes two pillow protectors"

I was just hoping to find ones I didn't need to alter.
k9arlene
14 years ago
I would just buy new pillow inserts and get rid of the down pillow inserts.
lindac
14 years ago
Down and feathers are not the same thing.
100% down pillows won't have "feather pokes"...but lots of down feather mixtures will have enough feathers to poke through.
Make cases of heavy count percale or micro fiber for the pillows....don't replace your nice feather/down throw pillows with cheap foam or dacron.
Linda C
moonshadow
14 years ago
Down and feathers are not the same thing.
If you want to get technical about it, down is a type of feather.
patricianat
10 years ago
DGMarie, long time no see. Sorry about your pillows. Some of my European needle points did the same thing. I changed out the entire stuffing to some kind of phony shredded stuff. It's okay. They are just for decor anyway. I hope you find a better solution.
dgmarie
Original Author
9 years ago
Hahaha. Too funny!

How completely crazy to see that I am googling this problem and find MY own post from five years ago.

And NO I still have the problem! Same pillows. Feathers everywhere. I wrapped them in multiple layers of old pillow cases and now those feather are BACK. Well, time to do something I guess.
Errant_gw
9 years ago
Did you try the protectors you linked from BB&B? They seem like a good deal, and I was just looking to get new ones for my pillows. My originals were great, but the zippers are starting to fail.
Errant_gw
9 years ago
Oh, I also wanted to note that washing the pillow protectors every so often helps tighten the fabric back up if the feathers seem to start leaking after a while :)
ge020904
8 years ago
I have the same problem and found this thread through Google. It's so annoying. We got a wonderful new sectional a few months ago with feather throw pillows. The feathers poke through and then come out constantly. I really like the way the feather filling feels otherwise. I'm thinking of buying pillow protectors for bed pillows and just cutting 8" or so off the ends opposite the zipper and sewing them back up.
Karrie O'Casey
5 years ago
I had the same problem, but I found regular pillow protectors (standard size, for 20 inch pillows) does the job pretty well, and at a pretty good price. I didn't even bother altering the protector, just folded it over a few times at the seam, and I can't tell! I don't know why it took me a few years to try this. I thought I was going to have to sew custom insert covers for all 10 of my pillows. Glad I didn't have to do that, I'm happy to pay a LITTLE extra to avoid the hassle.
ava34
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
@Kman1602 -- THANK YOU that was EXACTLY what I needed!!!

Just bought a few yards of ticking fabric from Joanns, cut to approximate size, put a layer in between feather insert and decorative pillow cases (didn't bother sewing so we'll see if it starts to scrunch down right away) and it seems to be working just fine! Before I did this I pulled out all the feathers that were part way sticking out and tried to shove them back in. Then fluffed the feather inserts in the dryer on air dry with some dryer balls. Voila.
randyordi
5 years ago
Heard someone used blackout fabric and it works great...found an ugly blackout curtain on clearance and will try...

feather throw pillows shedding, help!

kman1602

Comments (17)

dgmarie
Original Author

mitchdesj

Related Discussions

bungalow_house

moonshadow

dgmarie
Original Author

k9arlene

lindac

moonshadow

patricianat

dgmarie
Original Author

Errant_gw

Errant_gw

ge020904

Karrie O'Casey

ava34

randyordi

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

feather throw pillows shedding, help!

Comments (17)

dgmarieOriginal Author

Related Discussions

dgmarieOriginal Author

dgmarieOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

dgmarie
Original Author

dgmarie
Original Author

dgmarie
Original Author