costumegirl

I am in the process of makng a doll travel bed/bassinet for my Grand daughter and read that Pellon Flex-Foam interfacing might be good to use to hold the shape of the bed firm so it isn't floppy. I could only find the Pellon "sew in" Flex foam at the local fabric store. I know many use this product for making totes and bags but I have no experience with it. Will it hold up the shape of the bed and will it maintain it's shape after being played with by a 3 year old?

I am also leary of having really thick seam allowances after sewing all the sections together with the flex-foam interfacing in the middle between an outer cotton fabric and an inner lining.
Is there a way that I can reduce the bulk of the Flex-foam in the seam allowances?

Can I cut the flex-foam to fit just inside the seam allowance and then use a generic quilt-basting adhesive spray to hold the flex-foam in place? The quilt basting spray can instructions recommend it be used on cotton but I am wondering if this adhesive will react with the tricot covering of the flex-foam or with the flex-foam core and cause it to disintegrate over time?
I also have a can of Sulky adhesive spray and according to the can instructions it apparently disappears after 72 hours. I could use this one instead. Anyone have experience with this spray?
I am wondering that if I do not "sew-in" the flex-foam pieces into the seam allowance if the foam will shift or buckle within the the bassinet covering especially after being handled and played with.

I also happen to have a roll of Buckram and a roll of Heat-n-Bond UltraHold iron-on adhesive that I inherited from my Mom's friend. Should I just use these together for firmness and shape or should I combine with the Flex-foam?

I will be finishing all the raw edges of the bed by covering them with a binding.

Any advice on how to use the Flex-Foam and how to construct this bed would be greatly appreciated.

thepolyparrot

I think that Flex Foam is only slightly thicker than Bosal In-R-Form - pretty thin stuff

Depending upon the size of the bed's mattress, I would buy some of that 3/8" craft foam in the kids' section of Michael's or Hobby Lobby. It's pretty sturdy and you can layer it to make it as thick as you want.

If they're not big enough for the mattress size you want, you could glue them to one of those flexible cutting mats and cut them to the size you need.

Maybe glue on layers of batting if you want a soft surface? Cover with fabric and glue, then make a zippered mattress cover bag that could be washed.

The foams are nice for bags, because they add stability and body without much thickness, but they are very flexible.

Good luck with your project - I know how important it is to make things for the grands.

costumegirl

PollyParrot (Elizabeth) - Thanks for the quick reply - I never thought of craft foam - it would be a good option to try
The doll bed/bassinett is not very large and is rectangular shaped 18.5" x 9" with a bit of an overhanging hood or top that's 11" tall at one end. I just want to make sure that this overhang doesnt droop and that the sides of the bed stand up and are stiff - the finished sides are only 7" high.are

thepolyparrot

Oh geez, I'm sorry.... I totally mis-read your project - I was thinking "mattress" for a doll bassinette. The 3/8" craft foam would not be at all suitable for the walls of the bassinette, only the mattress part.

I did find out that Flex Foam is a little thicker than Bosal In-R-Form, but they're about the same for stability, so I would go with the Bosal - it's available as a fusible, but it does cause some buckling/wrinkling on the fabric surface. You can stabilize your fabric with woven fusible and then apply the fusible foam and the wrinkling isn't as noticeable.

On some domestic machines, I would cut the foam to fit inside the seam allowances and baste it to the individual pieces either with big stitches, fusible web or spray adhesive to the individual pieces.

Some people leave foam in the seam allowances, but they zigzag or serge around the edges to compress the foam. If your machine will handle the heavier seams, the project will be sturdier.

Sorry I swung and missed on my first answer. 🥴

aashley333

I just made a bag with foam, about 1/4" thick, in the middle. As I stitched, I pushed the foam down as it fed under the needle. I used a gadget that was originally created to aid with safety pins' closure. Wooden handle and metal 1 1/2" tip.
I also used the iron on interfacing that was very stiff. It made my fabric bubble, so, while it was hot, I flipped the piece over and pulled back the fabric, half side at a time, and re-ironed it smooth. (worked quickly)

Onebyone

I use Bosal two sided fusible for stiffness. It will hold up sides of a doll bed, it holds up the sides of a large tote when standing empty.
I cut the Bosal about smaller then the fabric and none gets in the seam.

Peckish

I'm interested in hearing what you guys (gals? &#128513 think about using headliner for this. Would it work or would it be too soft? I've used it in place of flex foam for a couple of different bag projects and have been happy with it. Pros - it's affordable and easy to find.

Onebyone

I have some headliner fabric. It is floppier then the Bosal.

Peckish

Ok thanks for the info.

Rhonda K

You want to trim out any foam in the seam allowance.

You can still glue down the foam onto the (wrong side) of the fabric.
Cut the top fabric 1 inch larger, turn under 1/2 inch for the seam allowance.
Layer the two pieces together. Add glue or clips to hold together and then top stitch around the pieces.

You can even quilt a piece of batting onto the top fabric and then layer everything.

Trim out any batting in the seam allowance to eliminate bulk.

It sounds like a fun project!