Large pillow using fabric scraps as filling

[mudcat]

Has anyone ever used fabric scraps as stuffing for a pillow.  In searching I found some people who suggested making scraps into 1" pieces which would be quite easy with a rotary cutter.  It would also be a way to get rid of smaller scraps.

I need to make a rather large pillow to put against the wall when I watch TV in the bedroom as there is a bit of a gap between the mattress and wall. I'm trying to minimize purchases at the moment. I'm a little afraid the scraps will make the pillow too lumpy or not soft enough.

[charley]

Hello @mudcat I have made a pouffe, and stuffed it with all the fabric scraps, and stuff I no longer needed. It was a success, although you definitely need to distribute the scraps evenly. I think ?Closet Core have an easily downloadable pattern. I used left over fabrics to make the cover too, and added some hand stitching to the seams.
https://blog.closetcorepatterns.com/fabric-floor-pouf-free-sewing-pattern/
I think a regular cushion/pillow would be too lumpy.

[SewRuthieSews]

I made one of the closet case poufs and it was very heavy when filled with fabric scraps, I repurposed an old beanbag instead.
If you have a spare duvet/comforter/blanket which you can fold up and put inside a cushion (pillow) cover that might work well for you without additional expense.

[mudcat]

As it turns out I can buy a 24" x 24" x 6" plain pillow form from Target for $14 so I'll probably go that route.  Fashion fabric pillows of similar size are usually 4x that. 

I appreciate the feedback ... you all have saved me from wasting my time on something that wouldn't have worked out.  Maybe smaller throw pillows that are decorative would work with the scraps but I need something functionally comfortable.

[Ploshkin]

Ithink fabric scraps would work ok in something where they are compressed quite hard ( like a pouffe) but wouldn't work so well in a pillow / cushion which needs to be squishy.  It would also be considerably heavier than the usual polyester type fillings.

[BrendaP]

I agree with @Ploshkin .  Fabric scraps would work with something like a draft excluder or a door stop but for something as big as a pillow they woulf be very heavy and very hard because the fabric would compress with very little air left inside.  Polyester fleece scraps would be better than cotton scraps

Think historical fillings - kapok and cotton waste compressed and became lumpy and hard, horsehair is coarse enough to spring back and retain some of the air but it's not soft, downy feathers were better but many people have allergic reations.  Wool and fleece can be good but very warm and compresses over time.  Metal springs were introduced to stop the collapsing - and then the synthetics came along; both foam and polyester fibres.  They captured the market for a good reason. 

Whilst natural fibres are nicer to wear and we all want to reduce our use of plastic there are times when it is the better option.