Wool Batting recommendations?
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: the mountains
Posts: 73
Wool Batting recommendations?
Last Winter was pretty darn cold. I was still cold underneath two cotton batting quilts! I'm thinking maybe I better make a couple of quilts with Wool batting, but I never have use it before. I've heard of some undesirable results, so I'm wondering if someone can tell me which brands they've had good results with. Thanks so much
#2
Power Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Western Wisconsin
Posts: 12,930
I have heard good things about Hobbs wool batting. That would be my choice.
I don't have it handy, but one of the QB members had a bad experience with Quilter's Dream wool bearding. If I can find that thread, I will post it.
Edit: I think this is the thread:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...m-t222212.html
I don't have it handy, but one of the QB members had a bad experience with Quilter's Dream wool bearding. If I can find that thread, I will post it.
Edit: I think this is the thread:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/main-f1...m-t222212.html
#3
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Piedmont Virginia in the Foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns.
Posts: 8,562
Hobbs wool is wonderful, washes well without excessive shrinkage, keeps me warm in the winter and not too hot in the spring/summer/is easy-easy to handquilt (tiny bit of bearding which has not continued as I've washed it several times), has no odor or scratchiness through the top or backing fabric. I love it!
Jan in VA
Jan in VA
#4
Power Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Northern Michigan
Posts: 12,861
I love, love, love wool batting! I use either Hobbs or Dream wool. Both are fabulous to work with, lightweight but lofty, they do not shrink like cotton. If I could afford it I would use it in all my quilts.
#8
Super Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Heart of Colorado's majestic mountains!
Posts: 6,026
I had really nice results with Hobbs. I would really like to use it more but it really adds to the cost of a large quilt. I plan to use it in all the bed quilts I make in the future.
#9
I suggest going to your local thrift store, Volunteers of America, Goodwill, garage sale, etc., and see if you can find an old wool blanket. Here (in Michigan) I can usually pick one up for under $5. I simply wash and dry the blanket before using to make sure it will stay the same size. Since it's used, I'll wash it to begin with anyway! I used hot water/hot dryer with one blanket, which felted it, so it resulted in a heavy, stiff quilt with no draping quality which was what I intended-- because I use it for a 'door' for the stairway leading upstairs to keep the heat on the main floor in the winter. It's the last time I'll do that! It was murder to machine quilt-- it killed my walking foot. (A felted wool batting is really cool for a wall hanging too.) For a bed quilt I chose a very very thin wool blanket that showing good draping itself after washing with cold water/cool dryer. I simply continue to launder the quilt the same way and have had no problems with it.
I know some people like all new modern 'ingredients' for their quilts, which I like to do too, but I enjoy also creating with the old-school attitude for quilt making, that follows the American settler type tradition, where you use what patches, scraps, liner, etc. that you have.
Wool certainly seems to make a warmer quilt than cotton or polyester. Wool does have weight though. Sometimes on a cold night several quilts can feel like a ton over you... If only there was a way to make batting with feathers! A quilt top cover over a down comforter is just not the same as a true quilt. :-)
I know some people like all new modern 'ingredients' for their quilts, which I like to do too, but I enjoy also creating with the old-school attitude for quilt making, that follows the American settler type tradition, where you use what patches, scraps, liner, etc. that you have.
Wool certainly seems to make a warmer quilt than cotton or polyester. Wool does have weight though. Sometimes on a cold night several quilts can feel like a ton over you... If only there was a way to make batting with feathers! A quilt top cover over a down comforter is just not the same as a true quilt. :-)
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