The quest for Pillow Ticking

[bootsnthejeep]

So, after having good success with my regular cotton flannel cleaning patches as a stand-in for proper round ball patches in my smokepole, I did some research and decided I had to have me some of this pillow ticking stuff.

Armed with my dial calipers and a vague notion of what I was after, I started hitting up the local stores. I hate WalMart. With a passion. So I try to avoid going there if I can. There's plenty of local sewing shops and fabric wholesalers around. I'll keep my money relatively more local if possible.

You want to talk about odd looks. I'm sure most of you guys look just as out of place in Jo-Ann Fabrics as I do. Overweight, hulking bearded guy, shuffling thru every aisle because my A.D.D. and curiosity won't let me NOT see everything in the store before settling into the search thru the bargain bins of cloth. Not to mention if I've just gotten out of work, I'm filthy with grease and grime, and even after 10 minutes at the slop sink scrubbing my hands and arms, they're as clean as they get, which is to say not very, so I'm getting ugly looks from the cloth marms as I check the material, generally at arms length to avoid leaning on anything.

The local shops were worse. Smaller selection, and smaller shops, so forget just browsing with anonymity. Eventually, the dreaded "Well, what are you looking for?", followed by as vague a description as I can muster. All cotton. No synthetics. High thread count. Cheap. Then they get to "What color?". The answer, "Doesn't matter" does NOT cut the mustard with these people.

Then they want to know what it's for. Generally, I have the bad judgment to tell the truth. Reactions range from blank stares to bald outrage, with smatterings of incomprehending ignorance. One woman, who was trying VERY hard to be helpful, bless her heart, after I told her that this was merely to hold the ball in the rifling and would be discarded enroute to the target, she kept bringing me brighter and more garish patterns in the hopes these would "Show up better". I don't know if she thought I was gathering up and recycling the patches or if I was using this as some kind of fabric tracer round, but I ended up getting the hell out of there. Empty handed.

And did I mention that everytime I brought up the words "pillow ticking" they had NO clue what I was talking about?

With much gnashing of teeth, this morning I struck out for the Wally World. A SUPER CENTER, no less. Complete with jammed parking lot.

At length, after finally locating the fabric section (and refilling my canteen twice), I walk amongst the two shelves of fabric.

AND THERE IT IS! LO AND BEHOLD! THREE BOLTS OF THE STUFF!

And that was just the blue stripe! Two more bolts of the red! Why the HELL does WalMart stock this stuff and the local places don't? Are people really making pillows? Or are the black powder guys keeping this stuff around?

And the worst part? The goon that waited on me and cut the fabric for me? Was quizzing me as to my purposes with the Pillow Ticking, and I noticed as I went on that he kept asking more and more pointed questions, and I finally figured out that instead of seeking information, HE was quizzing ME to see if I knew what I was talking about, because he knew more about this stuff than I ever could have read about! And he started rambling on about the civil war this and cloth availability that. I couldn't believe it. When was the last time you were waited on in a Wal Mart by someone who actually knew something about the section they were working in??

So I have my precious yard of pillow ticking. And two more yards of cotton flannel for cleaning patches. And a grudging respect for the guy that works the fabric counter at Wal Mart.

It's drying on the line. Shooting will commence next weekend. I sure hope this stuff is worth all the aggravation.

Boots

[JeffinNZ]

Welcome to the fold of males in fabric stores with micrometers (MFSWM).

Ticking is good but drill cotton and denim do just as well.

[northmn]

Kind of reminds me of the time I went to find lipstick for inletting metal parts for a muzzle loader into wood. Makes good stuff with a bright color being the best. Somehow I got to explaining to the sales woman what I wanted it for and somehow the explanations did not seem to register. The more I started to explain the more her opinion of my needs seemed to get reinforced. Main thing was that I wanted cheap bright lipstick.
Fabrics that work well for ML's also include cotton muslin, drill and cotton duck as well as pillow ticking. A yard of the stuff goes a long way.

DP

[bootsnthejeep]

There was an oustanding story on an ice fishing board that I'm on about a guy making his own jigs out of soldering wire and hooks, and he painted them with fingernail polish. So it was bad enough he was always perusing and comparing fingernail polish, but then he saw a girl in the mall, replete with enormous baggy trousers, enough makeup to make a zombie movie wince, and looking like she'd been dragged thru someone's tacklebox, and she had on CHARTREUSE nail polish. A color of which he'd been really wanting to use, but they didn't make polish in that color, or so he thought. He accosted her (imagine, a giant redneck in workboots rushing up to a goth kid and imploring her to tell him where she got that nail polish), and she informed him that there was store in that very mall, called Hot Topic, that sold that and all KINDS of other nail polish.

Dude beats feet over there, bursts into the store, and has half a dozen bottles in his hands (Chartreuse! Blaze orange! Bright pink! Hot damn, its homemade fishing lure HEAVEN!) when he turns around, and realizes he's being blatantly stared at by a dozen goth kids AND all the employees of the store. As I recall, he explained it to the gal at the register, and she thought it was funny as hell.

How do we always manage to put ourselves in such fish-out-of-water situations?

[Razor]

How do we always manage to put ourselves in such fish-out-of-water situations?
Talent, pure talent.:bigsmyl2:

[coopieclan]

I have that fish out of water experience when I go to wig makers and floral supply places for my work and I don't work with hair or flowers.

The men who work @ those shops also have funny ideas about me.

[DIRT Farmer]

No need to discuss 3 guys in a pickup stoping past the C-store buying 3 rubbers at 4AM of opening morning of turkey season.
The gals at Hancock fabrics saw me walk in with the mike in my hand and one of them said follow me before I said anything. We went to the scrap table and she sorted out the drill and ticking, ask if I needed flanel for cleaning.
Seems her family are shooters.

[gnoahhh]

Ha ha ha!! Thank you. These posts made me smile as those are the exact same experiences I've had. The girl at the local Jo-Ann fabric store didn't want to sell me white cotton flannel for cleaning patches once, when I made the mistake of telling her what it was for. I schmoozed her and she sold me the stuff, then she met me for happy hour at the bar across the street. Great evening!

Then there was the time I (6'1" bearded middle-aged guy) was trying on red dresses at the Goodwill store, for a benefit-gag run put on by my beer drinking running club (don't ask). The looks I was getting that day!! Finally a kind lady said "are you a hasher?" and volunteered to help. Seems her husband endured the same ordeal a couple of years earlier!

[runnin lead]

Nice to live where people understand this stuff. The wallyworld here nolonger has a fabric dept other than prepackaged stuff hanging on pegboard, you can hear elk bugle from their parking lot in the fall
I was excited to find a new sewing shop in town & while talking about it brand spankin used Janine, the owner of the second hand store Brand Spankin Used told me she had some muslin in her shop , told her I would be in to check it out when it warms up.

[John Taylor]

I still remember the kind lady that helped me when I pulled out my micrometer and said I was looking for pillow ticking over twenty years ago. She watched with a smile as I measured several pieces and made a selection. As they say, you learn something new every day, she learned what pillow ticking was really made for.

[ktw]

I've had the 'in the fabric shop with a calipers' experience. I actually had the clerk at Walmart try to explain to me why I wanted double knap fabric for cleaning patches rather than single knap.

Another one that hasn't been mentioned yet is violin tuning pegs for muzzleloader powder horn spout plugs. My wife and kids play violin and on one of our trips to the violin shop I asked for old tuning pegs. They had thousands of them in a drawer. He explained to me that they were worn out and not good for much any more. I told him I wasn't going to use them on violins and could make them work. He gave me a double handful for the asking.

-ktw

[Hanshi]

I've fired thousands of rounds using old t-shirts for patches. They worked fairly well in factory guns with their shallow rifling. Years back when I got a custom rifle with deep rifling there was more room to compress patch material and I started relying in ticking. WalMart was my supply for many years. When I moved to another state the local WalMart didn't have much, if any, material. I guess they're getting out of the cloth business. Now it's Jo-Anns and they are noticeably more expensive. Oh, well.

[Erich]

Wow, am I glad I clicked on this thread! :) Great stories, all - thanks so much.

[ironhead7544]

Best to place the colored side down with the stripe parallel with the front sight. Cut with a very sharp knife or straight razor.

[Mumblypeg]

Aw man, that's nothing... I sew. So going to the fabric shop is nothing new to me. I'm just now finishing up a new shirt for my next event at a Civil War re-enactment which will be the 150th firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston on April 12th. Heck, I know more about sewing than a lot of women. But yea, they just look at you sometimes.

[waksupi]

Best to place the colored side down with the stripe parallel with the front sight. Cut with a very sharp knife or straight razor.

What kind of testing have you done to come up with this?

[gnoahhh]

Yes, inquiring minds want to know.

[JeffinNZ]

Aw man, that's nothing... I sew. So going to the fabric shop is nothing new to me. I'm just now finishing up a new shirt for my next event at a Civil War re-enactment which will be the 150th firing on Fort Sumter in Charleston on April 12th. Heck, I know more about sewing than a lot of women. But yea, they just look at you sometimes.

Me too! I have my mum's old treedle machine and made all my own colonial clothing etc.

There. I said it. I have a sewing machine in my man cave and I can use it!!!

[bootsnthejeep]

I'm currently on the hunt for an old machine capable of some heavy duty work. I think my mom might have a treadle machine still. That appeals to my off-grid aspirations.

[RBak]

bootsinthejeep, the one that lives in the "Traylah", in Maine, I honestly can't say when I last laughed as hard as I did while reading your posts.

Good stuff! A very welcome kind of humor, IMO.
My granddaughter explained to me about the "goth" type kids, otherwise you would have lost me completely there, still funny as heck though.

Russ

[wgr]

Best to place the colored side down with the stripe parallel with the front sight. Cut with a very sharp knife or straight razor.

i too load the way you do as far as why. mostly to keep every thing the same from shot to shot

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Running your mouth to a bunch of mouth breathers is how we do it in Idaho..
They just wanted to bond or something. It's like a non-contact phase of the mating ritual...

More than you wanted to know. eh?

Rich

[waksupi]

i too load the way you do as far as why. mostly to keep every thing the same from shot to shot

Well, I can tell you it makes zero difference.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Thanks for calling out that muzzleloading crock of "best". Truly, it sounds OCD to me.

BvT

[cherokee235b]

Well Mr. Bootsnthejeep, your search is very funny but if you lived where I do, in Pennsylvania, pillow ticking is very common. I live in Berks Cuonty and the next countys to the west and southwest have a lot Amish, and they make things with pillow ticking all the time. Just as important as thickness is tightness of the weave. I hold it up to a light and only buy the stuff that lets no light show through. I was at a auction a few months ago and bought enough to last me three lifetimes for a few dollars. So here in Pa. we have pillow ticking a plenty but we have no lobsters.

[josper]

try irish linen,thats all i have ever used. It works grate in my .50cal tc hawken.

[waksupi]

try irish linen,thats all i have ever used. It works grate in my .50cal tc hawken.

Irish linen is a great patch material. Unfortunately in this area, the fabric stores don't carry it. It is the only other cloth aside from pillow ticking I would ever recommend.

[grullaguy]

Great thread. No pun intended.

I spent the day looking for pillow ticking and ended up coming home and cutting up a pair of old coveralls that have uhmm, shrunk over the years.

[excess650]

Cotton duck cloth is the most durable that I've tried, but requires a smaller diameter ball since its thicker. I've used denim and pillow ticking, and actually have each on hand when working with different rifles. Using a grease type lube will allow thinner patches to survive their flight down the barrel.

[7of7]

try irish linen,thats all i have ever used. It works grate in my .50cal tc hawken.

Don't you have to go to Ireland to get that stuff? :kidding:

[excess650]

Don't you have to go to Ireland to get that stuff? :kidding:

nah, just take the table cloth from your local Irish pub

[Ragnarok]

Its as bad as walking around the office supply...and asking the lady for her 'thinnest' paper

[MBTcustom]

How you Yankees ever won the war is a mystery! Here in the south things dont change much. Things look different but people are set in there ways. I have to say though, that it is usually the women who are at the fabric store, but last year I achieved nearly celebrity status at hancock fabrics because I decided to teach my wife how to quilt. I remembered my mom quilting when I was a kid and those women thought it was awesome that a man new so much about quilting and the tools needed to do such a project.
So when I walked into the store last week, bedecked in manly attire complete with wide brimmed hat and boots, the young lady just smiled and asked if I would like a coupon. I said, "sure, do you know where the pillow ticking is?" she took me right to it. When I explained that color was unimportant but the thickness and "feel" of it was what I was after, (you have to appeal to their delicate senses) she took me to several different fabrics that I am going to try. While she was cutting it, I explained what I was doing with it and she remarked "your doing it old school" with a smile.
But seriously? You guys haven't ever slept on a pillow made of pillow ticking? How about a handmade quilt?
I'm gonna cut you northerners more slack now that I know that you poor folks just can't get a good nights sleep!:kidding::kidding::kidding:

[alamogunr]

I don't have a funny story to tell but this should be the right place to ask a question regarding pillow ticking. I found it at WalMart and bought a yard. As purchased it almost seemed starched so I ran it through the washing machine. Came out soft and flexible. Previous poster mentioned checking the "feel" in the store. Did I do wrong by washing it before using?

[waksupi]

I don't have a funny story to tell but this should be the right place to ask a question regarding pillow ticking. I found it at WalMart and bought a yard. As purchased it almost seemed starched so I ran it through the washing machine. Came out soft and flexible. Previous poster mentioned checking the "feel" in the store. Did I do wrong by washing it before using?


No, you did right. I like to wash it several times to get the starch out. In fact, I use enough, I've had shirts made from it, and when the shirts start to show wear, then use it for patching. One shooter I know had his wife make him a very long shirt, and he patches directly from his shirt tail, until it gets too short!

The way the north won the war was, they had captured the Moon Pie factory in the south, and that was the beginning of the end.

[451 Pete]

After reading this I have to think that the girls have been holding out on us. Check out the nifty selection of brush's they have in the cosmetic section of Wally World next time you go there. The real tiny brush's they use for eye liner work great to clean around small parts like a lock or a rear sight or to just apply a light touch of oil. Some of the make up brushs have a tapered edge and work well to clean around tight spots like the back side of a hammer or between the stock and the barrel. Just don't get caught stealing them from the wife.

[Maven]

I buy all my yard goods, e.g., 100% cotton flannel (for cleaning patches) and 100% cotton pillow ticking for ML patches from Jo-Ann Fabrics. The personnel, both male & female, have always been most helpful and recognize me when I come in. Take a micrometer with you and check out the different color pillow tick bolts, as the thickness varies a bit. While you're there, also look at 100% cotton pocket drill, denim, duck, and calico. Here's a link to Jo-Ann's website. Once there search under "utility fabrics": http://www.joann.com/joann/home/home.jsp

[mainiac]

I have 7 smokeguns that i shoot.6 of them get patched with joannes pocket drill,only a certain 36 flinter that i have,prefers the pillowtick. pocketdrill shoots alot tighter groups,for me.

[Swede44mag]

No, you did right. I like to wash it several times to get the starch out. In fact, I use enough, I've had shirts made from it, and when the shirts start to show wear, then use it for patching. One shooter I know had his wife make him a very long shirt, and he patches directly from his shirt tail, until it gets too short!

The way the north won the war was, they had captured the Moon Pie factory in the south, and that was the beginning of the end.

I made some patches out of material that was rather stiff.
Probably has starch in it.
Man that was some nasty tasting stuff to use for a spit patch.
I wash all my fabric now.
When I find what I am looking for I buy the whole bolt, saves on going back so often.

Talking about a man sewing I made the seat covers for my wife’s AMC with my Singer tailor machine I bought from my parents.
Mom use to do a lot of upholstering until she got cataracts but since she had her eyes fixed she can see better than me.

[excess650]

This northerner grew up with quilts on the bed. I was born and raised in the southern Pa Appalachians, and many of the old folks were born right on the farm. In the rural areas they didn't have, and couldn't afford all the things available in the cities, so made do themselves. They still put up corn and rye in jars....

My wife has some artistic talents and quilting is among them. She has also collected some old quits dating back into the 1800s or early 1900s, and some "depression quilts" made with old feed sacks.

Too, much of Pa has lots of Amish, Mennonites, Plain People, Brethern, etc, so there is still a lot of hand quilting going on. Quilts are useable folk art. Don't even try and confuse them with the **** you buy at Wally World from China.

Yeah, some pillow ticking is extremely stiff because it has "sizing" in it. This needs to be washed to soften it prior to using it. Regardless of how the fabric is described, the key is tightly woven and 100 % cotton.

I hear that a popular pickup strategy in Arkansas is to compliment a woman on her tooth.:wink:

[Geraldo]

The way the north won the war was, they had captured the Moon Pie factory in the south, and that was the beginning of the end.

And when we captured the RC Cola plant the Johnny Rebs had no choice but to surrender. [smilie=s:

My mom sewed and quilted so going in a fabric store was not a new experience to me. The funniest story I have about them is that my wife asked me to stop and get her some cross-stitch thread. So I stomp on in and find the colors she wants, and when I get to the register the lady takes one look at me and says, "This for your wife?" I said, "No, I love to sew." Apparently she didn't think such a manly man would be much on sewing 'cause she just laughed.

[grullaguy]

Great thread. No pun intended.

I spent the day looking for pillow ticking and ended up coming home and cutting up a pair of old coveralls that have uhmm, shrunk over the years.

It appears that my compulsive tenancies have bit me in the a** again. As I finished cutting out around 500 round patches with scissors from the coveralls, I saw a faded and frayed laundry tag that said 35%. All else was unreadable due to fraying.

I took a strip outside and lit it and black oily smoke came off it. I'll have to assume that the 35% was the cotton content.

So, I have to ask, with some wasted time invested into this project.
Has anyone tried shooting synthetic blends?

I can guess the answer, but seeing all my nicely lined up tins with 100 perfectly cut patches in each...

Is a very sad thing.

[Fly]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm hate to say, but I think you already know the answer.

Fly

[gandydancer]

good write. funny very funny. and a mainer to boot. great state good people been to maine many times. Oyeah I was born there. GD

[downwind]

Had to read through this whole thread

Opening Post sounded so much like me that I had to have my wife read Post #1 and #4

After she read them, she said that all she could do is picture me in that fabric store,as she laughed out loud. (She has been with me on these adventures before, although keeping quite a bit of distance between us)

GREAT HUMOR!!

GLAD I"M NOT ALONE

DOWNWIND:2_high5:

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

i accompany my wife to the fabric store fairly often and get on the mailing list , never pay full price at a JoAnns fabrics they have 40-50% off coupons all the time

i sewed before she did , but she is better at it now

i took the class with her when we bought her her first sewing machine, for years after i had to come help he set up when she was doing something she forgot.

i bought several yards of .015 pillow ticking from jo anns

i use scraps from the wife's quilt projects for cleaning patches , most have flannel backs

[excess650]

:violin:use 'em for cleaning at most.:roll:

Save yourself some aggravation and cut squares with a straight edge and rotary cutter. If you want them more round, go back and trim the corners off to make octagons. With a rotary cutter you can cut multiple layers at the same time.:drinks:



It appears that my compulsive tenancies have bit me in the a** again. As I finished cutting out around 500 round patches with scissors from the coveralls, I saw a faded and frayed laundry tag that said 35%. All else was unreadable due to fraying.

I took a strip outside and lit it and black oily smoke came off it. I'll have to assume that the 35% was the cotton content.

So, I have to ask, with some wasted time invested into this project.
Has anyone tried shooting synthetic blends?

I can guess the answer, but seeing all my nicely lined up tins with 100 perfectly cut patches in each...

Is a very sad thing.

[Tom-ADC]

I bought irish linen found it works great as a rb patch.
Lady couldn't figure out what I was doing with a pair of dial calipers in her store.

[Rick N Bama]

But seriously? You guys haven't ever slept on a pillow made of pillow ticking? How about a handmade quilt?

Yes & Yes! And we still spend winter nights under a handmade quilt!

Rick

[grullaguy]

:violin:use 'em for cleaning at most.:roll:

Save yourself some aggravation and cut squares with a straight edge and rotary cutter. If you want them more round, go back and trim the corners off to make octagons. With a rotary cutter you can cut multiple layers at the same time.:drinks:

All the coverall patches are in the trash. I am getting better at recognizing what is a suitable material and this morning I bought a pair of ladies shorts at a second hand store.
100% cotton, .015" and florescent green to boot. They were in the +size section so I got my $2.00 worth. Also, I never have to worry that I might see them downtown on a hot summer night...shudder.
I cut and lubed 50 or so patches and have them set aside as I wait for my ball mould to show up in the mail.

No more cutting of huge numbers of untried patches. [smilie=b:

[dominicfortune00]

If you can find a material called 'osnaberg' it's a cotton cloth good for cleaning patches. Used it for patches when I used to have a muzzleloader.

My mom said the fabric is used to make cloth dolls.

[Ajax]

osnaberg is also used to make clothing for re-enacting the fur trade era.


Andy

[Bullet Caster]

You guys really crack me up after reading all those stories. Yes, I sew also, Mumblypeg. I made all my civil war re-enactment clothes as well as all my accoutrements. I hand sewed most of it all. I have done extensive research on how women sewed during the civil war and have examined several war relics (clothes). Back then (there was no TV) women usually spent the day sewing for their families. Now these ladies knew how to sew. I've been called a stitch counter and that's exactly what I did. Some very fine old relics had 21 stitches per inch, so I set that as my standard for hand sewing. My friend, Julie, (God rest her soul) made me a frock coat out of blue pillow ticking--man did I take a ribbing on that coat when I wore it. They called me "mattress" for a nickname. Research on clothing material was next and I found out that the Confederates used a fabric called "cotton trash". Cotton trash was made by sweeping the mill floor and collecting and spinning it into material. The only place we could find proper cotton trash was from an upstate NY mill which sold it by the yard for $20.00/yd. Now that's pricey for a uniform so I bought the cloth and proceeded to cut out my pattern for a pair of pants. The cotton trash was a plain, over and under weave and it came apart almost immediately after cutting it. After I delicately cut out all my pieces, I had to had sew (with a button hole stitch) around each piece of cloth in order to just handle it. After that I hand stitched my britchees using the 21 stitch/in. rule. After completing the garment, I used my old wash pot (tub) to boil my pants over the fire adding tea as needed for that butternut colour that was so popular in the 1860s. I found an old shell jacket made from the same material so I didn't have to sew that one. I have made my own shirts, ties, underware and bought some all cotton socks that had no elastic in them that were correct for the period. I'd have women asking to see my pants that I had sewn so I'd have to show them. Most women believed that I had them made on a machine--they couldn't believe I hand sewed them. Since leaving the re-enacting behind, I sold most of my uniform pieces but kept the jacket, pants and a couple of shirts in case I wanted to do a rondeveuz (sp?). But I still have that pillow ticking frock coat. I thought I'd use it for patches for my muzzleloader if the need ever arose.

Now does anyone know why women's garments (shirts, blouses, etc.) are buttoned opposite from men's clothing? Most people think it was because slaves dressed the women, but I tell you that is NOT true. After much research, I found out that it all came down to riding horses. Now in the 1800's it was not proper for a woman to straddle a horse as men did. They always rode side-saddle and most horses are mounted from the left side (very few horses will let you mount from the right unless they're specially trained to do so). So the women would sit with their feet off to the left side. Now if they were wearing a man's shirt (buttons on the right, holes on the left) it would allow a nice breeze to blow into their shirt or blouse. That's why even to this day women's garments are buttoned opposite a man's garment. Guess that'll shake up a few thoughts. BC

[44man]

Can't find ticking? Buy cotton denim, blue jean material. You should find all kinds of thicknesses and it is great patch material.
Look for diaper flannel for cleaning patches, it is thicker and more fluffy.

[alamogunr]

Can't find ticking? Buy cotton denim, blue jean material. You should find all kinds of thicknesses and it is great patch material.
Look for diaper flannel for cleaning patches, it is thicker and more fluffy.

How about worn out blue jeans? I have some of those.

I have always heard or read that old T-shirts make good cleaning patches. I guess I wear my T-shirts too long. By the time they are worn out the material is too thin for cleaning patches. Years ago when I donated blood to the Red Cross, they gave you a T-shirt with a cute message about blood donations on the back. Most of the time they shrunk and were only good for patches anyway. I still have several of those.

[44man]

How about worn out blue jeans? I have some of those.

I have always heard or read that old T-shirts make good cleaning patches. I guess I wear my T-shirts too long. By the time they are worn out the material is too thin for cleaning patches. Years ago when I donated blood to the Red Cross, they gave you a T-shirt with a cute message about blood donations on the back. Most of the time they shrunk and were only good for patches anyway. I still have several of those.
Worn jeans can get thin. Measure the material. If still thick enough, they will work.