Yes, your husband is correct. They did say it was a softener. Here it is on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Clover-Fabric.../dp/B003W0YZS8 I see they are sold out but they have it here
https://stitchandcrafts.com/fabric-folding-pen/ they explain it well, I see the link doesn't work here in this post, so just type the url in your search bar.