profannie

Hi there!
I hope the wonderful members of this board will come again to my help; I just don't know what I would do without you!
I've got a request from a customer who would like to have a quilt made with fabric from her grandmother. They were supposed to make a quilt together with this fabric but she passed away before.
The fabric is either wool or wool blend. I have experience with wool batting and even with vintage wool blanket (this fabric makes wonderful batting for potholders!). But I have never used wool or wool blend for making a quilt top. Does it behaves like flannel? Would I be able to quilt it on my longarm? I also think my customer should run some testing on the fabric to make sure the finished quilt would be washable. Any recommandation about how to rewash and dry the sample?
Thanks!
Annie

Sandygirl

If charging for your services...better price it accordingly. Wool shrinks! Maybe just use the wool to applique a few corner blocks. Too much prep work for my time investment. Post the final project tho.

sandy

ckcowl

I love working with wools and have made wool quilts. Yes, it behaves like flannel and yes you can use your Longarm to quilt it-- wool quilts beautifully. Prewash the wool just like you would flannel. My nephew's girlfriend made a quilt for her grandma that contained 100%wool fabric, flannel and regular cottons .it was a patchwork quilt and turned out ( much better than I thought it would) she had no issues. I generally use Hobbs or Dream wool batting and a flannel back on my wool quilts but have used regular cotton ( by request) . Wool is nothing to be afraid of-- just another fabulous fabric to put to use.
I just toss my wools into the washer, wash on a regular cycle with warm water & a small amount of detergent then toss into the dryer. Take out when just about dry ( don't over dry) then iron it the rest of the way dry. If it gets too dry & wrinkles are not coming out spritz with water. If small pieces I put them into a mesh bag to launder.
Wool fabric is nothing to be worried about. A great choice and ( to me- doesn't take any more time or work than any other quilting fabric)

if if you have any issues or more questions you can contact me. Wool is my favorite fiber.

Sue Fyfe

Has anyone used wool suiting fabric for the batting? It is a heavy weight wool. Thanks

Sue Fyfe

It is a pretty heavy wool suiting, not wool batting. I know my gram used to make coverlets for the beds using old coal fabric when they lived in England with no central heating. Just don't know if it will be too heavy. Guess I will try a small one and see.

Sewnoma

Almost all of one of my grandmother's quilts were made from wool she salvaged from clothing. She treated it much like ckcowl describes - mostly just like any other fabric. We all still treasure those quilts - so warm and cozy! Wool is wonderful in quilts.

sprice

Wool is an easy fabric to work with but keep in mind that it will make a heavy quilt, esp. when the batting and backing add additional layers. Could probably skip using batting.