Question about padding pleats.

[princess]

I'm trying to figure out what the best way to get a 2" wide strip of felt out of a piece of fabric is. I'd like to pad my pleats in the skirt I'm making, and it seems most cost effective to buy a piece of felt and cut it into a strip/strips. Does anyone have any good suggestions for how to go about that? Would the continuous bias strip method work?

Comments

[holyschist]

I agree that cutting up a piece of fabric felt is the most efficient way (you can sometimes find strips of wool felt, but I'm not sure of a ready source for them).

You don't need to worry about bias; true felt is not a woven fabric, so it doesn't have it. I would recommend 100% wool felt, or at least mostly-wool felt--it's stiffer than acrylic felt. I know Joann's usually carries some wool and wool blend felts, although the 100% wool felts are pricey unless you find them on clearance.

[princess]

I was meaning would the sew a tube, cut one continuous strip method be more efficient than trying to use my ruler to measure individual widths.

But good to know I'm on the right track! :)

[holyschist]

Oh, I see! Hmm. I don't know if it would be more efficient or not. Probably? I would make it reasonably big tube, because felt seams are going to be bulky and you probably want to minimize them.