The quilted panels of my hessian buoyancy pouches are directly influenced by the structures of early life jackets.
As modelled by the seafaring gentleman above, lifejackets originally used cork as a buoyancy material and I believe were later replaced by a structure of vegetable fibre and air pockets. It must be stressed that the pouches I make are buoyant by name only and will not save your life or enable you to sail away on the high seas. This is only exacerbated by the materials used in their construction. Close weave hessian is a fabric I have a particular affection for due to its basic weave structure and its application across both industrial and domestic contexts. Hessian is grounded and hardworking and we take it for granted.
abiwheeler 