Wool Batting

I must be just really cold natured then. I also made one out with wool batting and to me, it's not that warm. Not by itself anyway; it's a couch throw size. Maybe if it was on the bed, it would be different.

But I do love to quilt with wool. I'm in the middle of handquilting one with Dream Wool. It has such a lovely feel and quilts like a dream. Just enough loft to be pretty and show off the quilting, but not puffy. They also hold up really well to repeated washings.

My highest ambition is to handquilt one with silk batting! Maybe someday. It's awfully expensive.

Sherry

And well worth it, imho. I am handquilting with silk batting at the moment and it is wonderful. Its only disadvantage is a small amount of bearding, but nothing to write home about. I'm going to try the wool next time. I've heard nothing but good things about it.

Nle (Gadget Queen)

The variables involved in how warm a quilt is - or is perceived to be

- can be an interesting topic and consideration when designing/making a quilt. When I first went along on a batting hunt, the "Tim Taylor/ Tool Man/Caveman" in me wondered why the R-values weren't listed on rolls/packages of different kinds of batting. Then after studying the actual "quilting" for just a few minutes, it dawned on me - R-values of different battings are rendered virtually irrelevant by other factors (though I still think they might be useful in some ways). One of the most significant variables of quilt warmth is the density of the quilting stitches. Given two quilts made exactly the same except for the quilt-stitching holding the sandwiches together, the "puffy" quilt with *less* quilt stitching will be *warmer* than the compressed- flat quilt with a dense complex pattern of stitching. One of the ironies of quilting I guess - quick & dirty is more efficient than intricate and time consuming.

Another significant variable is the reflectivity of the backing material. Again, the "Tim Taylor" in me has often wondered what it would be like to overkill a quilt ([GRUNT] - More Power!) by using "space blanket" material (reflective side out) as a backing... ([GRUNT, GRUNT, GRUNT...]) 8^D This would likely lead to the "the warmer it is, the colder it is" conundrum, i.e. the quilt is SO warm that it causes you to sweat profusely, soaking the sheets, mattress, & jammies in persperation, which in turn makes you feel cold. DW suffers from this condition; she says she's freezing when she gets into bed, so she piles on too many blankets, and within an hour or so, she's lying in a moist pool and freezing even worse. She knows why, but can't seem to change her ways, and Doc is awakened by a clammy cuddle-up...Yeeeech! >8^O

I'm often cautioned in this group and elsewhere about making my quilts too hot & heavy but, as Joan & Sherry have demonstrated, what's hot for one person may be not warm enough for another. Other factors can include humidity in the room where a quilt is used - appropriately higher humidity generally "feels" warmer than lower/dry humidity. Airflow/circulation can cool things down. Metabolism, health, and body fat are contributors. Colors can have an effect, albeit a minor one (especially at night). What you wear (or don't) for jammies. Bed buddies (Victorian "bundling" or QIs).

Yeah, I know - most reading this are thinking, "Well, DUH!" but maybe a couple are thinking, "Hmmm..." 8^)

Doc

LOL! - you just did, in a manner of speaking... ;-)

Hey, Doc! I have the perfect solution for your DW! Get an electric mattress pad for her. They come with dual controls with about 10 settings, so each of you can be comfy. There's extra coils in the area for your feet so they can stay toasty while the fewer coils in the upper body area keep your body a bit cooler than your feet.

The wonderful advantage is the 'heat rises' principle. With an electric blanket you have the warmth above you moving away from your body into the room and you roll over onto a cold spot on the mattress. With the heated mattress pad you have gentle warmth every where and always feel cocooned in it. I leave mine turned on all the time because I often need a quick nap and I hate cold beds- makes my joints ache worse. I use the heated mattress pad even in the summer when my a/c is running full blast.

Or you can turn the mattress pad to 'on' an hour before bedtime, too, and climb into a nice warm bed without your DW needing to pile on extra blankets.

Think about it..... Christmas *is* coming- what a lovely gift for her *and* you- the gift of warmth and peaceful sleep all in one! ;-)

Leslie & The Furbabies in MO.

The variables involved in how warm a quilt is - or is perceived to be

- can be an interesting topic and consideration when designing/making a quilt. When I first went along on a batting hunt, the "Tim Taylor/ Tool Man/Caveman" in me wondered why the R-values weren't listed on rolls/packages of different kinds of batting. Then after studying the actual "quilting" for just a few minutes, it dawned on me - R-values of different battings are rendered virtually irrelevant by other factors (though I still think they might be useful in some ways). One of the most significant variables of quilt warmth is the density of the quilting stitches. Given two quilts made exactly the same except for the quilt-stitching holding the sandwiches together, the "puffy" quilt with *less* quilt stitching will be *warmer* than the compressed- flat quilt with a dense complex pattern of stitching. One of the ironies of quilting I guess - quick & dirty is more efficient than intricate and time consuming.

Another significant variable is the reflectivity of the backing material. Again, the "Tim Taylor" in me has often wondered what it would be like to overkill a quilt ([GRUNT] - More Power!) by using "space blanket" material (reflective side out) as a backing... ([GRUNT, GRUNT, GRUNT...]) 8^D This would likely lead to the "the warmer it is, the colder it is" conundrum, i.e. the quilt is SO warm that it causes you to sweat profusely, soaking the sheets, mattress, & jammies in persperation, which in turn makes you feel cold. DW suffers from this condition; she says she's freezing when she gets into bed, so she piles on too many blankets, and within an hour or so, she's lying in a moist pool and freezing even worse. She knows why, but can't seem to change her ways, and Doc is awakened by a clammy cuddle-up...Yeeeech! >8^O

I'm often cautioned in this group and elsewhere about making my quilts too hot & heavy but, as Joan & Sherry have demonstrated, what's hot for one person may be not warm enough for another. Other factors can include humidity in the room where a quilt is used - appropriately higher humidity generally "feels" warmer than lower/dry humidity. Airflow/circulation can cool things down. Metabolism, health, and body fat are contributors. Colors can have an effect, albeit a minor one (especially at night). What you wear (or don't) for jammies. Bed buddies (Victorian "bundling" or QIs).

Yeah, I know - most reading this are thinking, "Well, DUH!" but maybe a couple are thinking, "Hmmm..." 8^)

Doc

I would expect that silk bearding to shear right off as the quilt is handled and used. That's one of the big selling points for natural fibers, to me. If the poly stuff beards, it doesn't shear off so readily, which is really undesirable on a dark colored quilt, and I like dark colors. I wish I could find dark colored batting.

I'm saving up silk scraps for a big, crazy-quilt shawl. It may be a pain to machine-piece, but it's going to feel terrific around my shoulders while I do needlework!

I love silk and cotton, but I get contact dermatitis from wool. I'm afraid to try a wool batting -- even handling it would be abrasive to me.

ep

Hobbs do a dark batting ep. . In message , Edna Pearl writes

Howdy!

Hobbs Heirloom-Black (no, it's not silk)

Thanks a million, Sandy and Patti!

ep

Sweetie wants cartoons - Sweetie gets cartoons. :-)

Sweetie's cartoons just got here! 8^D